diff --git a/tools/swig/lammps.i b/tools/swig/lammps.i
index c4b79fee62..2e0659a00d 100644
--- a/tools/swig/lammps.i
+++ b/tools/swig/lammps.i
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
-%{
+%include "cpointer.i"
+%include "carrays.i"
+%include "cdata.i"
 
+%array_functions(char, charp);
+%pointer_functions(int, intp);
+%pointer_functions(double, doublep);
+%pointer_cast(void *, int *, void_to_int);
+%pointer_cast(void *, double *, void_to_double);
+
+%{
 enum _LMP_DATATYPE_CONST {
   LAMMPS_INT    = 0,       /*!< 32-bit integer (array) */
   LAMMPS_INT_2D  = 1,      /*!< two-dimensional 32-bit integer array */
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh
index 4dc7bad2f8..4cfd7ec586 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ lualammps.lammps_command(lmp, "create_atoms 1 box")
 
 print("LAMMPS version ", ver)
 print("Number of created atoms: ", lualammps.lammps_get_natoms(lmp))
-lualammps.lammps_close(lmp )
+print("Current size of timestep: ", lualammps.doublep_value(lualammps.void_to_double(lualammps.lammps_extract_global(lmp,"dt"))))
+lualammps.lammps_close(lmp)
 EOF
 
 lua example.lua
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh
index 2714bcba6f..689fa0e10a 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ pllammps::lammps_command(\$lmp, "create_atoms 1 box");
 
 print("LAMMPS version ",\$ver,"\n");
 print("Number of created atoms: ", pllammps::lammps_get_natoms(\$lmp), "\n");
+print("Current size of timestep: ", pllammps::doublep_value(pllammps::void_to_double(pllammps::lammps_extract_global(\$lmp,"dt"))), "\n");
 pllammps::lammps_close(\$lmp)
 EOF
 
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_python_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_python_example.sh
index a09f2f119e..7b7f97c99e 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_python_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_python_example.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ lammps_command(lmp, "create_atoms 1 box")
 
 print("LAMMPS version ",ver)
 print("Number of created atoms: %g" % lammps_get_natoms(lmp))
+print("Current size of timestep: %g" % doublep_value(void_to_double(lammps_extract_global(lmp,'dt'))))
 lammps_close(lmp)
 EOF
 
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_tcl_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_tcl_example.sh
index 00ae2e7579..5f9a3bc77f 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_tcl_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_tcl_example.sh
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@ lammps_command \$lmp "region box block -5 5 -5 5 -5 5"
 lammps_command \$lmp "create_box 1 box"
 lammps_command \$lmp "create_atoms 1 box"
 
+set dt [doublep_value [void_to_double [lammps_extract_global \$lmp dt]]]
 puts "LAMMPS version \$ver"
 puts [format "Number of created atoms: %g" [lammps_get_natoms \$lmp]]
+puts "Current size of timestep: \$dt"
 lammps_close \$lmp
 EOF