diff --git a/juce_amalgamated.cpp b/juce_amalgamated.cpp
index ebeecfec2e..2eed3301fd 100644
--- a/juce_amalgamated.cpp
+++ b/juce_amalgamated.cpp
@@ -16629,6 +16629,12 @@ ValueTree ValueTree::readFromStream (InputStream& input)
 	return v;
 }
 
+ValueTree ValueTree::readFromData (const void* const data, const size_t numBytes)
+{
+	MemoryInputStream in (data, numBytes, false);
+	return readFromStream (in);
+}
+
 END_JUCE_NAMESPACE
 /*** End of inlined file: juce_ValueTree.cpp ***/
 
@@ -30392,6 +30398,27 @@ void AudioUnitPluginInstance::initialise()
 void AudioUnitPluginInstance::prepareToPlay (double sampleRate_,
 											 int samplesPerBlockExpected)
 {
+	if (audioUnit != 0)
+	{
+		Float64 sampleRateIn = 0, sampleRateOut = 0;
+		UInt32 sampleRateSize = sizeof (sampleRateIn);
+		AudioUnitGetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_SampleRate, kAudioUnitScope_Input, 0, &sampleRateIn, &sampleRateSize);
+		AudioUnitGetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_SampleRate, kAudioUnitScope_Output, 0, &sampleRateOut, &sampleRateSize);
+
+		if (sampleRateIn != sampleRate_ || sampleRateOut != sampleRate_)
+		{
+			if (initialised)
+			{
+				AudioUnitUninitialize (audioUnit);
+				initialised = false;
+			}
+
+			Float64 sr = sampleRate_;
+			AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_SampleRate, kAudioUnitScope_Input, 0, &sr, sizeof (Float64));
+			AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_SampleRate, kAudioUnitScope_Output, 0, &sr, sizeof (Float64));
+		}
+	}
+
 	initialise();
 
 	if (initialised)
@@ -30423,16 +30450,12 @@ void AudioUnitPluginInstance::prepareToPlay (double sampleRate_,
 		stream.mBitsPerChannel = 32;
 		stream.mChannelsPerFrame = numIns;
 
-		OSStatus err = AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit,
-											 kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat,
-											 kAudioUnitScope_Input,
+		OSStatus err = AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat, kAudioUnitScope_Input,
 											 0, &stream, sizeof (stream));
 
 		stream.mChannelsPerFrame = numOuts;
 
-		err = AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit,
-									kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat,
-									kAudioUnitScope_Output,
+		err = AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat, kAudioUnitScope_Output,
 									0, &stream, sizeof (stream));
 
 		outputBufferList.calloc (sizeof (AudioBufferList) + sizeof (AudioBuffer) * (numOuts + 1), 1);
@@ -86184,6 +86207,53 @@ void Font::findFonts (Array<Font>& destArray) throw()
 		destArray.add (Font (names[i], FontValues::defaultFontHeight, Font::plain));
 }
 
+const String Font::toString() const
+{
+	String s (getTypefaceName());
+
+	if (s == getDefaultSansSerifFontName())
+		s = String::empty;
+	else
+		s += "; ";
+
+	s += String (getHeight(), 1);
+
+	if (isBold())
+		s += " bold";
+
+	if (isItalic())
+		s += " italic";
+
+	return s;
+}
+
+const Font Font::fromString (const String& fontDescription)
+{
+	String name;
+
+	const int separator = fontDescription.indexOfChar (';');
+
+	if (separator > 0)
+		name = fontDescription.substring (0, separator).trim();
+
+	if (name.isEmpty())
+		name = getDefaultSansSerifFontName();
+
+	String sizeAndStyle (fontDescription.substring (separator + 1));
+
+	float height = sizeAndStyle.getFloatValue();
+	if (height <= 0)
+		height = 10.0f;
+
+	int flags = Font::plain;
+	if (sizeAndStyle.containsIgnoreCase ("bold"))
+		flags |= Font::bold;
+	if (sizeAndStyle.containsIgnoreCase ("italic"))
+		flags |= Font::italic;
+
+	return Font (name, height, flags);
+}
+
 class TypefaceCache  : public DeletedAtShutdown
 {
 public:
diff --git a/juce_amalgamated.h b/juce_amalgamated.h
index 764c98ad63..28d40dee54 100644
--- a/juce_amalgamated.h
+++ b/juce_amalgamated.h
@@ -13086,10 +13086,12 @@ public:
 	*/
 	void writeToStream (OutputStream& output);
 
-	/** Reloads a tree from a stream that was written with writeToStream().
-	*/
+	/** Reloads a tree from a stream that was written with writeToStream(). */
 	static ValueTree readFromStream (InputStream& input);
 
+	/** Reloads a tree from a data block that was written with writeToStream(). */
+	static ValueTree readFromData (const void* data, size_t numBytes);
+
 	/** Listener class for events that happen to a ValueTree.
 
 		To get events from a ValueTree, make your class implement this interface, and use
@@ -21782,6 +21784,18 @@ public:
 	*/
 	static void setFallbackFontName (const String& name) throw();
 
+	/** Creates a string to describe this font.
+		The string will contain information to describe the font's typeface, size, and
+		style. To recreate the font from this string, use fromString().
+	*/
+	const String toString() const;
+
+	/** Recreates a font from its stringified encoding.
+		This method takes a string that was created by toString(), and recreates the
+		original font.
+	*/
+	static const Font fromString (const String& fontDescription);
+
 	juce_UseDebuggingNewOperator
 
 private:
@@ -35113,8 +35127,8 @@ public:
 		@param componentName	the name to give the component
 		@param labelText	the text to show in the label
 	*/
-	Label (const String& componentName,
-		   const String& labelText);
+	Label (const String& componentName = String::empty,
+		   const String& labelText = String::empty);
 
 	/** Destructor. */
 	~Label();
@@ -35430,7 +35444,7 @@ public:
 
 		@param componentName	the name to set for the component (see Component::setName())
 	*/
-	explicit ComboBox (const String& componentName);
+	explicit ComboBox (const String& componentName = String::empty);
 
 	/** Destructor. */
 	~ComboBox();
@@ -39198,7 +39212,7 @@ public:
 
 		@see Button
 	*/
-	TextButton (const String& buttonName,
+	TextButton (const String& buttonName = String::empty,
 				const String& toolTip = String::empty);
 
 	/** Destructor. */
@@ -42267,7 +42281,7 @@ public:
 							initially set to this string, but these can be changed later
 							using the setName() and setButtonText() methods)
 	*/
-	ToggleButton (const String& buttonText);
+	explicit ToggleButton (const String& buttonText = String::empty);
 
 	/** Destructor. */
 	~ToggleButton();
@@ -44162,7 +44176,7 @@ public:
 		When created, you'll need to set up the slider's style and range with setSliderStyle(),
 		setRange(), etc.
 	*/
-	explicit Slider (const String& componentName);
+	explicit Slider (const String& componentName = String::empty);
 
 	/** Destructor. */
 	~Slider();
@@ -50002,8 +50016,8 @@ public:
 		@param componentName	the name to give the component
 		@param labelText	the text to show at the top of the outline
 	*/
-	GroupComponent (const String& componentName,
-					const String& labelText);
+	GroupComponent (const String& componentName = String::empty,
+					const String& labelText = String::empty);
 
 	/** Destructor. */
 	~GroupComponent();
diff --git a/src/audio/plugins/formats/juce_AudioUnitPluginFormat.mm b/src/audio/plugins/formats/juce_AudioUnitPluginFormat.mm
index f7a6120777..a261293379 100644
--- a/src/audio/plugins/formats/juce_AudioUnitPluginFormat.mm
+++ b/src/audio/plugins/formats/juce_AudioUnitPluginFormat.mm
@@ -552,6 +552,27 @@ void AudioUnitPluginInstance::initialise()
 void AudioUnitPluginInstance::prepareToPlay (double sampleRate_,
                                              int samplesPerBlockExpected)
 {
+    if (audioUnit != 0)
+    {
+        Float64 sampleRateIn = 0, sampleRateOut = 0;
+        UInt32 sampleRateSize = sizeof (sampleRateIn);
+        AudioUnitGetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_SampleRate, kAudioUnitScope_Input, 0, &sampleRateIn, &sampleRateSize);
+        AudioUnitGetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_SampleRate, kAudioUnitScope_Output, 0, &sampleRateOut, &sampleRateSize);
+
+        if (sampleRateIn != sampleRate_ || sampleRateOut != sampleRate_)
+        {
+            if (initialised)
+            {
+                AudioUnitUninitialize (audioUnit);
+                initialised = false;
+            }
+
+            Float64 sr = sampleRate_;
+            AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_SampleRate, kAudioUnitScope_Input, 0, &sr, sizeof (Float64));
+            AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_SampleRate, kAudioUnitScope_Output, 0, &sr, sizeof (Float64));
+        }
+    }
+
     initialise();
 
     if (initialised)
@@ -583,16 +604,12 @@ void AudioUnitPluginInstance::prepareToPlay (double sampleRate_,
         stream.mBitsPerChannel = 32;
         stream.mChannelsPerFrame = numIns;
 
-        OSStatus err = AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit,
-                                             kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat,
-                                             kAudioUnitScope_Input,
+        OSStatus err = AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat, kAudioUnitScope_Input,
                                              0, &stream, sizeof (stream));
 
         stream.mChannelsPerFrame = numOuts;
 
-        err = AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit,
-                                    kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat,
-                                    kAudioUnitScope_Output,
+        err = AudioUnitSetProperty (audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat, kAudioUnitScope_Output,
                                     0, &stream, sizeof (stream));
 
         outputBufferList.calloc (sizeof (AudioBufferList) + sizeof (AudioBuffer) * (numOuts + 1), 1);
diff --git a/src/containers/juce_ValueTree.cpp b/src/containers/juce_ValueTree.cpp
index f98b5333ff..a96c27717c 100644
--- a/src/containers/juce_ValueTree.cpp
+++ b/src/containers/juce_ValueTree.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 BEGIN_JUCE_NAMESPACE
 
 #include "juce_ValueTree.h"
+#include "../io/streams/juce_MemoryInputStream.h"
 
 
 //==============================================================================
@@ -860,4 +861,10 @@ ValueTree ValueTree::readFromStream (InputStream& input)
     return v;
 }
 
+ValueTree ValueTree::readFromData (const void* const data, const size_t numBytes)
+{
+    MemoryInputStream in (data, numBytes, false);
+    return readFromStream (in);
+}
+
 END_JUCE_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/src/containers/juce_ValueTree.h b/src/containers/juce_ValueTree.h
index 18cc502640..9bf0a688f9 100644
--- a/src/containers/juce_ValueTree.h
+++ b/src/containers/juce_ValueTree.h
@@ -310,10 +310,12 @@ public:
     */
     void writeToStream (OutputStream& output);
 
-    /** Reloads a tree from a stream that was written with writeToStream().
-    */
+    /** Reloads a tree from a stream that was written with writeToStream(). */
     static ValueTree readFromStream (InputStream& input);
 
+    /** Reloads a tree from a data block that was written with writeToStream(). */
+    static ValueTree readFromData (const void* data, size_t numBytes);
+
     //==============================================================================
     /** Listener class for events that happen to a ValueTree.
 
diff --git a/src/gui/components/buttons/juce_TextButton.h b/src/gui/components/buttons/juce_TextButton.h
index 00a92934b2..7c133fff56 100644
--- a/src/gui/components/buttons/juce_TextButton.h
+++ b/src/gui/components/buttons/juce_TextButton.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public:
 
         @see Button
     */
-    TextButton (const String& buttonName,
+    TextButton (const String& buttonName = String::empty,
                 const String& toolTip = String::empty);
 
     /** Destructor. */
diff --git a/src/gui/components/buttons/juce_ToggleButton.h b/src/gui/components/buttons/juce_ToggleButton.h
index 8fd93862b9..399d6c71af 100644
--- a/src/gui/components/buttons/juce_ToggleButton.h
+++ b/src/gui/components/buttons/juce_ToggleButton.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public:
                             initially set to this string, but these can be changed later
                             using the setName() and setButtonText() methods)
     */
-    ToggleButton (const String& buttonText);
+    explicit ToggleButton (const String& buttonText = String::empty);
 
     /** Destructor. */
     ~ToggleButton();
diff --git a/src/gui/components/controls/juce_ComboBox.h b/src/gui/components/controls/juce_ComboBox.h
index 2ddecabfe5..4841f252b4 100644
--- a/src/gui/components/controls/juce_ComboBox.h
+++ b/src/gui/components/controls/juce_ComboBox.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public:
 
         @param componentName    the name to set for the component (see Component::setName())
     */
-    explicit ComboBox (const String& componentName);
+    explicit ComboBox (const String& componentName = String::empty);
 
     /** Destructor. */
     ~ComboBox();
diff --git a/src/gui/components/controls/juce_Label.h b/src/gui/components/controls/juce_Label.h
index 497de6dd82..d3ca9b1606 100644
--- a/src/gui/components/controls/juce_Label.h
+++ b/src/gui/components/controls/juce_Label.h
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ public:
         @param componentName    the name to give the component
         @param labelText        the text to show in the label
     */
-    Label (const String& componentName,
-           const String& labelText);
+    Label (const String& componentName = String::empty,
+           const String& labelText = String::empty);
 
     /** Destructor. */
     ~Label();
diff --git a/src/gui/components/controls/juce_Slider.h b/src/gui/components/controls/juce_Slider.h
index 0f37757d48..13847982e8 100644
--- a/src/gui/components/controls/juce_Slider.h
+++ b/src/gui/components/controls/juce_Slider.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public:
         When created, you'll need to set up the slider's style and range with setSliderStyle(),
         setRange(), etc.
     */
-    explicit Slider (const String& componentName);
+    explicit Slider (const String& componentName = String::empty);
 
     /** Destructor. */
     ~Slider();
diff --git a/src/gui/components/layout/juce_GroupComponent.h b/src/gui/components/layout/juce_GroupComponent.h
index 0e414efa66..f1aceccfc6 100644
--- a/src/gui/components/layout/juce_GroupComponent.h
+++ b/src/gui/components/layout/juce_GroupComponent.h
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ public:
         @param componentName    the name to give the component
         @param labelText        the text to show at the top of the outline
     */
-    GroupComponent (const String& componentName,
-                    const String& labelText);
+    GroupComponent (const String& componentName = String::empty,
+                    const String& labelText = String::empty);
 
     /** Destructor. */
     ~GroupComponent();
diff --git a/src/gui/graphics/fonts/juce_Font.cpp b/src/gui/graphics/fonts/juce_Font.cpp
index 606f98eccd..d6db35c1ed 100644
--- a/src/gui/graphics/fonts/juce_Font.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/graphics/fonts/juce_Font.cpp
@@ -338,6 +338,53 @@ void Font::findFonts (Array<Font>& destArray) throw()
         destArray.add (Font (names[i], FontValues::defaultFontHeight, Font::plain));
 }
 
+//==============================================================================
+const String Font::toString() const
+{
+    String s (getTypefaceName());
+
+    if (s == getDefaultSansSerifFontName())
+        s = String::empty;
+    else
+        s += "; ";
+
+    s += String (getHeight(), 1);
+
+    if (isBold())
+        s += " bold";
+
+    if (isItalic())
+        s += " italic";
+
+    return s;
+}
+
+const Font Font::fromString (const String& fontDescription)
+{
+    String name;
+
+    const int separator = fontDescription.indexOfChar (';');
+
+    if (separator > 0)
+        name = fontDescription.substring (0, separator).trim();
+
+    if (name.isEmpty())
+        name = getDefaultSansSerifFontName();
+
+    String sizeAndStyle (fontDescription.substring (separator + 1));
+
+    float height = sizeAndStyle.getFloatValue();
+    if (height <= 0)
+        height = 10.0f;
+
+    int flags = Font::plain;
+    if (sizeAndStyle.containsIgnoreCase ("bold"))
+        flags |= Font::bold;
+    if (sizeAndStyle.containsIgnoreCase ("italic"))
+        flags |= Font::italic;
+
+    return Font (name, height, flags);
+}
 
 //==============================================================================
 class TypefaceCache  : public DeletedAtShutdown
diff --git a/src/gui/graphics/fonts/juce_Font.h b/src/gui/graphics/fonts/juce_Font.h
index 75a4be35fb..bafe7787e4 100644
--- a/src/gui/graphics/fonts/juce_Font.h
+++ b/src/gui/graphics/fonts/juce_Font.h
@@ -344,6 +344,18 @@ public:
     */
     static void setFallbackFontName (const String& name) throw();
 
+    //==============================================================================
+    /** Creates a string to describe this font.
+        The string will contain information to describe the font's typeface, size, and
+        style. To recreate the font from this string, use fromString().
+    */
+    const String toString() const;
+
+    /** Recreates a font from its stringified encoding.
+        This method takes a string that was created by toString(), and recreates the
+        original font.
+    */
+    static const Font fromString (const String& fontDescription);
 
     //==============================================================================
     juce_UseDebuggingNewOperator