diff --git a/bin/foamNew b/bin/foamNew
index 10a8134c5d..3d18e3a4d8 100755
--- a/bin/foamNew
+++ b/bin/foamNew
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ Usage: ${0##*/} <type> {args}
 
 * create a new standard OpenFOAM source or template file
 
-type: (source|template)
+type:
+    -s | -source | source
+    -t | -template | template
 
 USAGE
     exit 1
@@ -47,16 +49,16 @@ USAGE
 [ "$#" -gt 1 ] || usage
 
 case "$1" in
-source)
+(-s | -source | source)
     shift
     $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/codeTemplates/source/foamNewSource $*
     ;;
-template)
+(-t | -template | template)
     shift
     $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/codeTemplates/template/foamNewTemplate $*
     ;;
-*)
-    usage "unknown type"
+(*)
+    usage "unknown type '$1'"
     ;;
 esac
 
diff --git a/etc/codeTemplates/source/foamNewSource b/etc/codeTemplates/source/foamNewSource
index 0e1c7f03d2..30fc7acd0c 100755
--- a/etc/codeTemplates/source/foamNewSource
+++ b/etc/codeTemplates/source/foamNewSource
@@ -35,66 +35,81 @@ Template="$WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/codeTemplates/source/_Template"
 usage() {
     while [ "$#" -ge 1 ]; do echo "$1"; shift; done
     cat<<USAGE
-Usage: $Script <type> <ClassName>
+Usage: $Script [OPTION] <type> <ClassName>
+options:
+  -help             print the usage
 
 * create a new standard OpenFOAM source file
 
 type: (C|H|I|IO|App)
 
+A ClassName starting with '-' will simply display the template
+
 USAGE
     exit 1
 }
 
 
+className="$2"
+unset subType Type printOpt
+
+# for a className starting with '-' simply display the code
+if [ "${2#-}" != "${2}" ]
+then
+    printOpt=true
+fi
+
+
 # this implicitly covers a lone -help
 [ "$#" -gt 1 ] || usage
 
-className="$2"
-unset subType Type
-
 case "$1" in
--h | -help)
+(-h | -help)
     usage
     ;;
-C|H)
+(C|H)
     Type=".$1"
     ;;
-I)
+(I)
     Type="$1.H"
     ;;
-IO)
+(IO)
     Type="$1.C"
     ;;
-app|App)
+(app|App)
     subType=App
     Type=".C"
     ;;
-*)
-    usage "unknown type"
+(*)
+    usage "unknown type '$1'"
     ;;
 esac
+
 [ "$#" -eq 2 ] || usage "wrong number of arguments"
 shift 2
 
 
-fileName="$className$Type"
-
-
-echo "$Script: Creating new interface file $fileName"
-if [ -e "$fileName" ]
+if [ "${printOpt:-false}" = true ]
 then
-    echo "   Error: file exists"
-    exit 1
-fi
+    cat $Template$subType$Type
+else
 
+    fileName="$className$Type"
 
-# process class name
-sed "s/CLASSNAME/$className/g" $Template$subType$Type > $fileName
+    echo "$Script: Creating new interface file $fileName"
+    if [ -e "$fileName" ]
+    then
+        echo "   Error: file exists"
+        exit 1
+    fi
 
+    # process class name
+    sed "s/CLASSNAME/$className/g" $Template$subType$Type > $fileName
 
-if [ "$subType" = App -a ! -d Make ]
-then
-    wmakeFilesAndOptions
+    if [ "$subType" = App -a ! -d Make ]
+    then
+        wmakeFilesAndOptions
+    fi
 fi
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/etc/codeTemplates/template/foamNewTemplate b/etc/codeTemplates/template/foamNewTemplate
index b2a48cb6ba..1ab2b3907a 100755
--- a/etc/codeTemplates/template/foamNewTemplate
+++ b/etc/codeTemplates/template/foamNewTemplate
@@ -36,12 +36,16 @@ usage() {
     while [ "$#" -ge 1 ]; do echo "$1"; shift; done
     cat<<USAGE
 
-Usage: $Script <type> <ClassName> <Template arguments...>
+Usage: $Script [OPTION] <type> <ClassName> <Template arguments...>
+options:
+  -help             print the usage
 
 * create a new standard OpenFOAM source file for templated classes
 
 type: (C|H|I|IO)
 
+A ClassName starting with '-' will simply display the template
+
 USAGE
     exit 1
 }
@@ -51,59 +55,76 @@ USAGE
 
 
 className="$2"
-unset Type
+unset Type printOpt
 
-case "$1" in
--h | -help)
-    usage
-    ;;
-C|H)
-    Type=".$1"
-    ;;
-I)
-    Type="$1.H"
-    ;;
-IO)
-    Type="$1.C"
-    ;;
-*)
-    usage "unknown type"
-    ;;
-esac
-[ "$#" -ge 3 ] || usage "wrong number of arguments"
-shift 2
-
-fileName="$className$Type"
-
-
-echo "$Script: Creating new template interface file $fileName"
-if [ -e "$fileName" ]
+# for a className starting with '-' simply display the code
+if [ "${2#-}" != "${2}" ]
 then
-    echo "   Error: file exists"
-    exit 1
+    printOpt=true
 fi
 
 
-# process class name
-sed -e "s/CLASSNAME/$className/g" $Template$Type > $fileName.1
+case "$1" in
+(-h | -help)
+    usage
+    ;;
+(C|H)
+    Type=".$1"
+    ;;
+(I)
+    Type="$1.H"
+    ;;
+(IO)
+    Type="$1.C"
+    ;;
+*)
+    usage "unknown type '$1'"
+    ;;
+esac
 
 
-# process template arguments
-for tArg
-do
-    sed -e "s/TemplateClassArgument/class $tArg, TemplateClassArgument/g" \
-        -e "s/TemplateArgument/$tArg, TemplateArgument/g" \
-        $fileName.1 > $fileName.2
+if [ "${printOpt:-false}" = true ]
+then
+    [ "$#" -eq 2 ] || usage "wrong number of arguments"
+    shift 2
 
-    mv $fileName.2 $fileName.1
-done
+    cat $Template$Type
+
+else
+
+    [ "$#" -ge 3 ] || usage "wrong number of arguments"
+    shift 2
+
+    fileName="$className$Type"
+
+    echo "$Script: Creating new template interface file $fileName"
+    if [ -e "$fileName" ]
+    then
+        echo "   Error: file exists"
+        exit 1
+    fi
 
 
-# remove remaining ", Template .."
-sed -e "s/, TemplateClassArgument//g" \
-    -e "s/, TemplateArgument//g" \
-    $fileName.1 > $fileName
+    # process class name
+    sed -e "s/CLASSNAME/$className/g" $Template$Type > $fileName.1
 
-rm $fileName.1
 
+    # process remaining (template) arguments
+    for tArg
+    do
+        sed -e "s/TemplateClassArgument/class $tArg, TemplateClassArgument/g" \
+            -e "s/TemplateArgument/$tArg, TemplateArgument/g" \
+            $fileName.1 > $fileName.2
+
+        mv $fileName.2 $fileName.1
+    done
+
+
+    # remove remaining ", Template .."
+    sed -e "s/, TemplateClassArgument//g" \
+        -e "s/, TemplateArgument//g" \
+        $fileName.1 > $fileName
+
+    rm $fileName.1
+fi
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------