diff --git a/arrayfire/array.py b/arrayfire/array.py
index 13a5fc8fa..40a0fcd9d 100644
--- a/arrayfire/array.py
+++ b/arrayfire/array.py
@@ -31,6 +31,27 @@ def _create_array(buf, numdims, idims, dtype, is_device):
                                                 numdims, ct.pointer(c_dims), dtype.value))
     return out_arr
 
+def _create_strided_array(buf, numdims, idims, dtype, is_device, offset, strides):
+    out_arr = ct.c_void_p(0)
+    c_dims = dim4(idims[0], idims[1], idims[2], idims[3])
+    if offset is None:
+        offset = 0
+    offset = ct.c_ulonglong(offset)
+    if strides is None:
+        strides = (1, idims[0], idims[0]*idims[1], idims[0]*idims[1]*idims[2])
+    while len(strides) < 4:
+        strides = strides + (strides[-1],)
+    strides = dim4(strides[0], strides[1], strides[2], strides[3])
+    if is_device:
+        location = Source.device
+    else:
+        location = Source.host
+    safe_call(backend.get().af_create_strided_array(ct.pointer(out_arr), ct.c_void_p(buf),
+                                                    offset, numdims, ct.pointer(c_dims),
+                                                    ct.pointer(strides), dtype.value,
+                                                    location.value))
+    return out_arr
+
 def _create_empty_array(numdims, idims, dtype):
     out_arr = ct.c_void_p(0)
     c_dims = dim4(idims[0], idims[1], idims[2], idims[3])
@@ -352,7 +373,7 @@ class Array(BaseArray):
 
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, src=None, dims=(0,), dtype=None, is_device=False):
+    def __init__(self, src=None, dims=(0,), dtype=None, is_device=False, offset=None, strides=None):
 
         super(Array, self).__init__()
 
@@ -409,8 +430,10 @@ def __init__(self, src=None, dims=(0,), dtype=None, is_device=False):
             if (type_char is not None and
                 type_char != _type_char):
                 raise TypeError("Can not create array of requested type from input data type")
-
-            self.arr = _create_array(buf, numdims, idims, to_dtype[_type_char], is_device)
+            if(offset is None and strides is None):
+                self.arr = _create_array(buf, numdims, idims, to_dtype[_type_char], is_device)
+            else:
+                self.arr = _create_strided_array(buf, numdims, idims, to_dtype[_type_char], is_device, offset, strides)
 
         else:
 
@@ -454,6 +477,26 @@ def __del__(self):
             backend.get().af_release_array(self.arr)
 
     def device_ptr(self):
+        """
+        Return the device pointer exclusively held by the array.
+
+        Returns
+        ------
+        ptr : int
+              Contains location of the device pointer
+
+        Note
+        ----
+        - This can be used to integrate with custom C code and / or PyCUDA or PyOpenCL.
+        - No other arrays will share the same device pointer. 
+        - A copy of the memory is done if multiple arrays share the same memory or the array is not the owner of the memory.
+        - In case of a copy the return value points to the newly allocated memory which is now exclusively owned by the array.
+        """
+        ptr = ct.c_void_p(0)
+        backend.get().af_get_device_ptr(ct.pointer(ptr), self.arr)
+        return ptr.value
+
+    def raw_ptr(self):
         """
         Return the device pointer held by the array.
 
@@ -466,11 +509,45 @@ def device_ptr(self):
         ----
         - This can be used to integrate with custom C code and / or PyCUDA or PyOpenCL.
         - No mem copy is peformed, this function returns the raw device pointer.
+        - This pointer may be shared with other arrays. Use this function with caution.
+        - In particular the JIT compiler will not be aware of the shared arrays.
+        - This results in JITed operations not being immediately visible through the other array.
         """
         ptr = ct.c_void_p(0)
-        backend.get().af_get_device_ptr(ct.pointer(ptr), self.arr)
+        backend.get().af_get_raw_ptr(ct.pointer(ptr), self.arr)
         return ptr.value
 
+    def offset(self):
+        """
+        Return the offset, of the first element relative to the raw pointer.
+
+        Returns
+        ------
+        offset : int
+                 The offset in number of elements
+        """
+        offset = ct.c_longlong(0)
+        safe_call(backend.get().af_get_offset(ct.pointer(offset), self.arr))
+        return offset.value
+
+    def strides(self):
+        """
+        Return the distance in bytes between consecutive elements for each dimension.
+
+        Returns
+        ------
+        strides : tuple
+                  The strides for each dimension
+        """
+        s0 = ct.c_longlong(0)
+        s1 = ct.c_longlong(0)
+        s2 = ct.c_longlong(0)
+        s3 = ct.c_longlong(0)
+        safe_call(backend.get().af_get_strides(ct.pointer(s0), ct.pointer(s1),
+                                   ct.pointer(s2), ct.pointer(s3), self.arr))
+        strides = (s0.value,s1.value,s2.value,s3.value)
+        return strides[:self.numdims()]
+
     def elements(self):
         """
         Return the number of elements in the array.
@@ -622,6 +699,22 @@ def is_bool(self):
         safe_call(backend.get().af_is_bool(ct.pointer(res), self.arr))
         return res.value
 
+    def is_linear(self):
+        """
+        Check if all elements of the array are contiguous.
+        """
+        res = ct.c_bool(False)
+        safe_call(backend.get().af_is_linear(ct.pointer(res), self.arr))
+        return res.value
+
+    def is_owner(self):
+        """
+        Check if the array owns the raw pointer or is a derived array.
+        """
+        res = ct.c_bool(False)
+        safe_call(backend.get().af_is_owner(ct.pointer(res), self.arr))
+        return res.value
+
     def __add__(self, other):
         """
         Return self + other.