diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.c b/src/obidmscolumn.c
index eb146cd..94a354a 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.c
@@ -1750,6 +1750,62 @@ int obi_enlarge_column(OBIDMS_column_p column)
 }
 
 
+void obi_set_column_to_value(OBIDMS_column_p column,
+						  	 index_t first_line_nb,
+							 index_t nb_lines,
+							 void* value_p)
+{
+	index_t i, start, end, nb_elements;
+
+	nb_elements = nb_lines*((column->header)->nb_elements_per_line);
+	start = first_line_nb*((column->header)->nb_elements_per_line);
+	end = start + nb_elements;
+
+	switch ((column->header)->stored_data_type) {
+
+	case OBI_VOID:  break;
+
+	case OBI_INT:   for (i=start;i<end;i++)
+					{
+						obiint_t value = *((obiint_t*)value_p);
+						*(((obiint_t*) (column->data)) + i) = value;
+					}
+					break;
+
+	case OBI_FLOAT: for (i=start;i<end;i++)
+					{
+						obifloat_t value = *((obifloat_t*)value_p);
+						*(((obifloat_t*) (column->data)) + i) = value;
+					}
+					break;
+
+	case OBI_BOOL:  for (i=start;i<end;i++)
+					{
+						obibool_t value = *((obibool_t*)value_p);
+						*(((obibool_t*) (column->data)) + i) = value;
+					}
+					break;
+
+	case OBI_CHAR:  for (i=start;i<end;i++)
+					{
+						obichar_t value = *((obichar_t*)value_p);
+						*(((obichar_t*) (column->data)) + i) = value;
+					}
+					break;
+
+	case OBI_IDX:   for (i=start;i<end;i++)
+					{
+						index_t value = *((index_t*)value_p);
+						*(((index_t*) (column->data)) + i) = value;
+					}
+					break;
+
+	case OBI_SEQ:   break;
+	case OBI_STR:   break;
+	case OBI_QUAL:  break;
+	}
+}
+
 
 void obi_ini_to_NA_values(OBIDMS_column_p column,
 						  index_t first_line_nb,
@@ -1761,7 +1817,8 @@ void obi_ini_to_NA_values(OBIDMS_column_p column,
 	start = first_line_nb*((column->header)->nb_elements_per_line);
 	end = start + nb_elements;
 
-	switch ((column->header)->stored_data_type) {
+	switch ((column->header)->stored_data_type)
+	{
 	case OBI_VOID:  // TODO;
 					break;
 
@@ -1794,24 +1851,9 @@ void obi_ini_to_NA_values(OBIDMS_column_p column,
 						*(((index_t*) (column->data)) + i) = OBIIdx_NA;
 					}
 					break;
-
-	case OBI_QUAL:  for (i=start;i<end;i++)		// case not used since OBI_QUAL is only a returned_data_type
-					{
-						*(((index_t*) (column->data)) + i) = OBIIdx_NA;
-					}
-					break;
-
-	case OBI_STR:   for (i=start;i<end;i++)		// case not used since OBI_QUAL is only a returned_data_type
-					{
-						*(((index_t*) (column->data)) + i) = OBIIdx_NA;
-					}
-					break;
-
-	case OBI_SEQ:   for (i=start;i<end;i++)		// case not used since OBI_QUAL is only a returned_data_type
-					{
-						*(((index_t*) (column->data)) + i) = OBIIdx_NA;
-					}
-					break;
+	case OBI_SEQ:   break;
+	case OBI_STR:   break;
+	case OBI_QUAL:  break;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.h b/src/obidmscolumn.h
index 6bddc93..790421d 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.h
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.h
@@ -372,6 +372,26 @@ int obi_truncate_column(OBIDMS_column_p column);
 int obi_enlarge_column(OBIDMS_column_p column);
 
 
+
+/*
+ * @brief Sets the data in a column to the specified value.
+ *
+ * @warning The specified value should be the atomic value effectively stored in the column (i.e. it can not be a character string for example).
+ *
+ * @param column A pointer on an OBIDMS column.
+ * @param start The first line number of the block that should be set.
+ * @param nb_lines The number of lines that should be set.
+ * @param value_p A pointer on the value to which the column should be set.
+ *
+ * @since May 2018
+ * @author Celine Mercier (celine.mercier@metabarcoding.org)
+ */
+void obi_set_column_to_value(OBIDMS_column_p column,
+						  	 index_t first_line_nb,
+							 index_t nb_lines,
+							 void* value_p);
+
+
 /*
  * @brief Sets the data in a column to the NA value of the data OBIType.
  *