diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/adaptivescalar.py b/src/nupic/encoders/adaptivescalar.py
index 6f8f70fb55..329bde911d 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/adaptivescalar.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/adaptivescalar.py
@@ -195,22 +195,9 @@ def topDownCompute(self, encoded):
     return super(AdaptiveScalarEncoder, self).topDownCompute(encoded)
 
 
-  def dump(self):
-    """
-    Prints details about current state to stdout.
-    """
-    print "AdaptiveScalarEncoder:"
-    print "  min: %f" % self.minval
-    print "  max: %f" % self.maxval
-    print "  w:   %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:   %d" % self.n
-    print "  resolution: %f" % self.resolution
-    print "  radius:     %f" % self.radius
-    print "  periodic: %s" % self.periodic
-    print "  nInternal: %d" % self.nInternal
-    print "  rangeInternal: %f" % self.rangeInternal
-    print "  padding: %d" % self.padding
-
+  def __str__(self):
+    return "AdaptiveScalarEncoder\n  min: %f\n  max: %f\n  w: %d\n  n: %d\n  resolution: %f\n  radius: %f\n  periodic: %f\n  nInternal: %f\n  rangeInternal: %f\n  padding: %d" \
+            % (self.minval, self.maxval, self.w, self.n, self.resolution, self.radius, self.periodic, self.nInternal, self.rangeInternal, self.padding)
 
   @classmethod
   def read(cls, proto):
diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/coordinate.py b/src/nupic/encoders/coordinate.py
index dc24714506..418caf1469 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/coordinate.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/coordinate.py
@@ -185,10 +185,8 @@ def _bitForCoordinate(cls, coordinate, n):
     return rng.getUInt32(n)
 
 
-  def dump(self):
-    print "CoordinateEncoder:"
-    print "  w:   %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:   %d" % self.n
+  def __str__(self):
+    return "CoordinateEncoder:\n  w:   %d\n  n:   %d" %(self.w, self.n)
 
 
   @classmethod
diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/geospatial_coordinate.py b/src/nupic/encoders/geospatial_coordinate.py
index a1cbd4a4d2..aea6bda93e 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/geospatial_coordinate.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/geospatial_coordinate.py
@@ -132,10 +132,8 @@ def radiusForSpeed(self, speed):
     return max(radius, minRadius)
 
 
-  def dump(self):
-    print "GeospatialCoordinateEncoder:"
-    print "  w:   %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:   %d" % self.n
+  def __str__(self):
+    return "GeospatialCoordinateEncoder:\n  w:   %d\n  n:   %d" %(self.w, self.n)
 
 
   @classmethod
diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/random_distributed_scalar.py b/src/nupic/encoders/random_distributed_scalar.py
index 334b9fb0e5..66d2bb773b 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/random_distributed_scalar.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/random_distributed_scalar.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Numenta Platform for Intelligent Computing (NuPIC)
 # Copyright (C) 2013-2015, Numenta, Inc.  Unless you have an agreement
@@ -441,18 +442,8 @@ def _permutation(n):
 
 
   def dump(self):
-    print "RandomDistributedScalarEncoder:"
-    print "  minIndex:   %d" % self.minIndex
-    print "  maxIndex:   %d" % self.maxIndex
-    print "  w:          %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:          %d" % self.getWidth()
-    print "  resolution: %g" % self.resolution
-    print "  offset:     %s" % str(self._offset)
-    print "  numTries:   %d" % self.numTries
-    print "  name:       %s" % self.name
-    if self.verbosity > 2:
-      print "  All buckets:     "
-      pprint.pprint(self.bucketMap)
+    return "RandomDistributedScalarEncoder\n  minIndex:   %d\n  maxIndex:   %d\n  w:          %d\n  n:          %d\n  resolution: %g\n  offset:     %s\n  numTries:   %d\n  name:       %s" \
+          % (self.minIndex, self.maxIndex, self.w, self.getWidth(), self.resolution, str(self._offset), self.numTries, self.name)
 
 
   @classmethod
diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/scalar.py b/src/nupic/encoders/scalar.py
index a5eedd739b..a5699ec48a 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/scalar.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/scalar.py
@@ -700,18 +700,8 @@ def closenessScores(self, expValues, actValues, fractional=True):
 
 
   def dump(self):
-    print "ScalarEncoder:"
-    print "  min: %f" % self.minval
-    print "  max: %f" % self.maxval
-    print "  w:   %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:   %d" % self.n
-    print "  resolution: %f" % self.resolution
-    print "  radius:     %f" % self.radius
-    print "  periodic: %s" % self.periodic
-    print "  nInternal: %d" % self.nInternal
-    print "  rangeInternal: %f" % self.rangeInternal
-    print "  padding: %d" % self.padding
-
+    return "ScalarEncoder:\n  min: %f\n  max: %f\n  w:   %d\n  n:   %d\n  resolution: %f\n  radius:     %f\n  periodic: %s\n  nInternal: %d\n  rangeInternal: %f\n  padding: %d" \
+            % (self.minval, self.maxval, self.w, self.n, self.resolution, self.radius, self.periodic, self.nInternal, self.rangeInternal, self.padding)
 
   @classmethod
   def read(cls, proto):