diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbCell.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbCell.cc
index cc6edee03..bd5bf1491 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbCell.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbCell.cc
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ struct cell_inst_array_defs
     return new C ();
   }
 
+  static C *
+  new_cell_inst_vector (db::cell_index_type ci, const vector_type &v)
+  {
+    return new C (db::CellInst (ci), trans_type (v));
+  }
+
   static C *
   new_cell_inst (db::cell_index_type ci, const trans_type &t)
   {
@@ -84,6 +90,13 @@ struct cell_inst_array_defs
     }
   }
 
+  static C *
+  new_cell_inst_array_vector (db::cell_index_type ci, const vector_type &v,
+                       const vector_type &a, const vector_type &b, unsigned int na, unsigned int nb)
+  {
+    return new C (db::CellInst (ci), trans_type (v), a, b, na, nb);
+  }
+
   static C *
   new_cell_inst_array (db::cell_index_type ci, const trans_type &t,
                        const vector_type &a, const vector_type &b, unsigned int na, unsigned int nb)
@@ -397,6 +410,12 @@ struct cell_inst_array_defs
       "@param cell_index The cell to instantiate\n"
       "@param trans The transformation by which to instantiate the cell\n"
     ) +
+    gsi::constructor ("new", &new_cell_inst_vector, gsi::arg ("cell_index"), gsi::arg ("disp"),
+      "@brief Creates a single cell instance\n"
+      "@param cell_index The cell to instantiate\n"
+      "@param disp The displacement\n"
+      "This convenience initializer has been introduced in version 0.28."
+    ) +
     gsi::constructor ("new", &new_cell_inst_cplx, gsi::arg ("cell_index"), gsi::arg ("trans"),
       "@brief Creates a single cell instance with a complex transformation\n"
       "@param cell_index The cell to instantiate\n"
@@ -415,6 +434,17 @@ struct cell_inst_array_defs
         "Starting with version 0.25 the displacements are of vector type."
       )
     ) +
+    gsi::constructor ("new", &new_cell_inst_array_vector, gsi::arg ("cell_index"), gsi::arg ("disp"), gsi::arg ("a"), gsi::arg ("b"), gsi::arg ("na"), gsi::arg ("nb"),
+      "@brief Creates a single cell instance\n"
+      "@param cell_index The cell to instantiate\n"
+      "@param disp The basic displacement of the first instance\n"
+      "@param a The displacement vector of the array in the 'a' axis\n"
+      "@param b The displacement vector of the array in the 'b' axis\n"
+      "@param na The number of placements in the 'a' axis\n"
+      "@param nb The number of placements in the 'b' axis\n"
+      "\n"
+      "This convenience initializer has been introduced in version 0.28."
+    ) +
     gsi::constructor ("new", &new_cell_inst_array_cplx, gsi::arg ("cell_index"), gsi::arg ("trans"), gsi::arg ("a"), gsi::arg ("b"), gsi::arg ("na"), gsi::arg ("nb"),
       "@brief Creates a single cell instance with a complex transformation\n"
       "@param cell_index The cell to instantiate\n"
diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbRecursiveInstanceIterator.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbRecursiveInstanceIterator.cc
index 48853b77c..dcce3a0dd 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbRecursiveInstanceIterator.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbRecursiveInstanceIterator.cc
@@ -511,7 +511,6 @@ Class<db::RecursiveInstanceIterator> decl_RecursiveInstanceIterator ("db", "Recu
   "  puts \"Instance of #{iter.inst_cell.name} in #{cell.name}: \" + (iter.dtrans * iter.inst_dtrans).to_s\n"
   "  iter.next\n"
   "end\n"
-  "@/code\n"
   "\n"
   "# or shorter:\n"
   "cell.begin_instances_rec.each do |iter|\n"
diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc
index b3d3ec8b9..c70423544 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc
@@ -609,8 +609,7 @@ Class<db::RecursiveShapeIterator> decl_RecursiveShapeIterator ("db", "RecursiveS
   "end\n"
   "\n"
   "# or shorter:\n"
-  "iter = cell.begin_shapes_rec(layer)\n"
-  "iter.each do |iter|\n"
+  "cell.begin_shapes_rec(layer).each do |iter|\n"
   "  if iter.shape.renders_polygon?\n"
   "    polygon = iter.shape.polygon.transformed(iter.itrans)\n"
   "    puts \"In cell #{iter.cell.name}: \" + polygon.to_s\n"
diff --git a/testdata/ruby/dbCellInstArrayTest.rb b/testdata/ruby/dbCellInstArrayTest.rb
index c57252a0d..c8beacd24 100644
--- a/testdata/ruby/dbCellInstArrayTest.rb
+++ b/testdata/ruby/dbCellInstArrayTest.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ class DBCellInst_TestClass < TestBase
     assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r90 0,0")
     assert_equal(a.cplx_trans.to_s, "r90 *1 0,0")
 
+    a = RBA::CellInstArray::new(0, RBA::Vector::new(42, -17))
+    assert_equal(a.is_complex?, false)
+    assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r0 42,-17")
+    assert_equal(a.cplx_trans.to_s, "r0 *1 42,-17")
+
     a = RBA::CellInstArray::new(0, RBA::ICplxTrans::new(1.5))
     assert_equal(a.is_complex?, true)
     assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r0 0,0")
@@ -106,6 +111,12 @@ class DBCellInst_TestClass < TestBase
     assert_equal(a.cplx_trans.to_s, "r90 *1 0,0")
     assert_equal(a.to_s, "#0 r90 0,0 [10,20*3;30,40*5]")
 
+    a = RBA::CellInstArray::new(0, RBA::Vector::new(42, -17), RBA::Vector::new(10, 20), RBA::Vector::new(30, 40), 3, 5)
+    assert_equal(a.is_complex?, false)
+    assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r0 42,-17")
+    assert_equal(a.cplx_trans.to_s, "r0 *1 42,-17")
+    assert_equal(a.to_s, "#0 r0 42,-17 [10,20*3;30,40*5]")
+
     a = RBA::CellInstArray::new(0, RBA::ICplxTrans::new(1.5), RBA::Vector::new(10, 20), RBA::Vector::new(30, 40), 3, 5)
     assert_equal(a.is_complex?, true)
     assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r0 0,0")
@@ -178,6 +189,11 @@ class DBCellInst_TestClass < TestBase
     assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r90 0,0")
     assert_equal(a.cplx_trans.to_s, "r90 *1 0,0")
 
+    a = RBA::DCellInstArray::new(0, RBA::DVector::new(42, -17))
+    assert_equal(a.is_complex?, false)
+    assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r0 42,-17")
+    assert_equal(a.cplx_trans.to_s, "r0 *1 42,-17")
+
     a = RBA::DCellInstArray::new(0, RBA::DCplxTrans::new(1.5))
     assert_equal(a.is_complex?, true)
     assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r0 0,0")
@@ -235,6 +251,12 @@ class DBCellInst_TestClass < TestBase
     assert_equal(a.cplx_trans.to_s, "r90 *1 0,0")
     assert_equal(a.to_s, "#0 r90 0,0 [10,20*3;30,40*5]")
 
+    a = RBA::DCellInstArray::new(0, RBA::DVector::new(42, -17), RBA::DVector::new(10, 20), RBA::DVector::new(30, 40), 3, 5)
+    assert_equal(a.is_complex?, false)
+    assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r0 42,-17")
+    assert_equal(a.cplx_trans.to_s, "r0 *1 42,-17")
+    assert_equal(a.to_s, "#0 r0 42,-17 [10,20*3;30,40*5]")
+
     a = RBA::DCellInstArray::new(0, RBA::DCplxTrans::new(1.5), RBA::DVector::new(10, 20), RBA::DVector::new(30, 40), 3, 5)
     assert_equal(a.is_complex?, true)
     assert_equal(a.trans.to_s, "r0 0,0")