diff --git a/src/hb-dsalgs.hh b/src/hb-dsalgs.hh
index 0940dc53c..2249e128d 100644
--- a/src/hb-dsalgs.hh
+++ b/src/hb-dsalgs.hh
@@ -539,19 +539,24 @@ struct hb_bytes_t
   unsigned int len;
 };
 
-template <typename T>
+template <typename Type>
 struct hb_array_t
 {
   inline hb_array_t (void) : arrayZ (nullptr), len (0) {}
-  inline hb_array_t (T *array_, unsigned int len_) : arrayZ (array_), len (len_) {}
+  inline hb_array_t (Type *array_, unsigned int len_) : arrayZ (array_), len (len_) {}
 
-  inline T& operator [] (unsigned int i) const
+  inline Type& operator [] (unsigned int i) const
   {
-    if (unlikely (i >= len)) return Null(T);
+    if (unlikely (i >= len)) return Null(Type);
     return arrayZ[i];
   }
 
-  inline hb_array_t<T> sub_array (unsigned int start_offset, unsigned int seg_count) const
+  inline unsigned int get_size (void) { return len * sizeof (Type); }
+
+  template <typename T> inline operator  T * (void) { return arrayZ; }
+  template <typename T> inline operator const T * (void) const { return arrayZ; }
+
+  inline hb_array_t<Type> sub_array (unsigned int start_offset, unsigned int seg_count) const
   {
     unsigned int count = len;
     if (unlikely (start_offset > count))
@@ -559,17 +564,17 @@ struct hb_array_t
     else
       count -= start_offset;
     count = MIN (count, seg_count);
-    return hb_array_t<T> (arrayZ + start_offset, count);
+    return hb_array_t<Type> (arrayZ + start_offset, count);
   }
 
   inline hb_bytes_t as_bytes (void) const
   {
-    return hb_bytes_t (arrayZ, len * sizeof (T));
+    return hb_bytes_t (arrayZ, len * sizeof (Type));
   }
 
   inline void free (void) { ::free ((void *) arrayZ); arrayZ = nullptr; len = 0; }
 
-  T *arrayZ;
+  Type *arrayZ;
   unsigned int len;
 };