diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e61051f..faad3eb 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 /node_modules/
 /coverage/
+*.lock
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index dc61dae..dfd6b48 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
   "name": "@uci-utils/type",
-  "version": "0.2.3",
-  "description": "A variable type check utility - extentsion of TypeChecker package",
-  "main": "src/type.js",
+  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "description": "A variable type check and casting utility - extension of typechecker package plus type casting",
+  "main": "src/",
   "scripts": {
     "test": "./node_modules/.bin/mocha -r esm --timeout 30000",
     "testd": "UCI_ENV=dev ./node_modules/.bin/nodemon --exec './node_modules/.bin/mocha -r esm --timeout 30000' || exit 0",
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
   "keywords": [
     "node.js",
     "type",
+    "typecast",
+    "cast",
     "typeof",
     "typechecker",
     "variables"
@@ -28,12 +30,13 @@
   },
   "homepage": "https://github.com/uCOMmandIt/uci-utils#readme",
   "dependencies": {
-    "typechecker": "^5.0.0"
+    "@uci-utils/to-boolean": "^0.1.5",
+    "typechecker": "^6.3.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "^4.2.0",
     "esm": "^3.2.25",
-    "mocha": "^6.2.2",
-    "nodemon": "^1.19.4"
+    "mocha": "^7.1.0",
+    "nodemon": "^2.0.2"
   }
 }
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index c37ff89..22287fc 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -1,3 +1,29 @@
 ### uCOMmandIt Type Library
 
-Extension of TypeChecker Package
+Extends the type checker Library
+All includes some simple type casting including using uci to-boolean for boolean type casting.
+
+See type checker api http://master.typechecker.bevry.surge.sh/docs/
+
+exentions are
+
+`.isPromise`
+`.isBuffer`
+
+TODO add
+
+import isObservable from 'is-observable'
+import isPromise from 'p-is-promise'
+
+```
+function isEmitter(emitter) {
+  if (!emitter) return false
+  let check = ['on','emit']
+  return check.reduce((acc,fn)=> acc && typeof emitter[fn] ==='function',true)
+}
+
+function isAsync(fn) {
+  if (typeof fn !== 'function') return false
+  return (isPromise(fn) || fn.constructor.name === 'AsyncFunction')
+}
+```
diff --git a/src/cast.js b/src/cast.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d87a747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cast.js
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import { toBoolean } from '@uci-utils/to-boolean'
+// adapted from  "https://github.com/eivindfjeldstad/const git"
+
+/**
+ * Cast `val` to `String`
+ *
+ * @param {Mixed} val
+ * @api public
+ */
+
+const toString = function (val) {
+  if (null == val) return ''
+  return val.toString()
+}
+
+/**
+ * Cast `val` to `Number`
+ *
+ * @param {Mixed} val
+ * @api public
+ */
+
+const toNumber = function (val) {
+  var num = parseFloat(val)
+  return isNaN(num)
+    ? 0
+    : num
+}
+
+/**
+ * Cast `val` to a`Date`
+ *
+ * @param {Mixed} val
+ * @api public
+ */
+
+const toDate = function () {
+  var date = new Date(...arguments)
+  return isNaN(date.getTime())
+    ? new Date(0)
+    : date
+}
+
+/**
+ * Cast `val` to `Array`
+ *
+ * @param {Mixed} val
+ * @api public
+ */
+
+const toArray = function (val) {
+  if (val == null) return []
+  if (val instanceof Array) return val
+  if (typeof val != 'string') return [val]
+
+  var arr = val.split(',')
+  for (var i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
+    arr[i] = arr[i].trim()
+  }
+
+  return arr
+}
+
+/**
+ * Cast given `val` to `type`
+ *
+ * @param {Mixed} val
+ * @param {String} type
+ * @api public
+ */
+
+const typecast={string:toString,number:toNumber,date:toDate,boolean:toBoolean,array:toArray}
+
+function cast (val, type) {
+  var fn = typecast[type]
+  if (typeof fn != 'function') throw new Error('cannot cast to ' + type)
+  return fn(val)
+}
+
+export { cast, typecast, toBoolean, toArray, toDate, toNumber, toString  }
+
+
+// TODO support registering alternative casting functions with a register function
+/**
+ * Cast `val` to `Boolean`
+ *
+ * @param {Mixed} val
+ * @api public
+ */
+
+// const toBoolean = function (val) {
+//   return !! val && val !== 'false' && val !== '0'
+// }
diff --git a/src/type.js b/src/check.js
similarity index 90%
rename from src/type.js
rename to src/check.js
index 3429592..51d4e37 100644
--- a/src/type.js
+++ b/src/check.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import * as typechecker from 'typechecker'
 
+// TODO add observable types and other custom uci types
+
 const customTypeChecker = Object.assign({}, typechecker)  // typechecker is frozen
 
 // add custom types
@@ -24,4 +26,4 @@ customTypeChecker.getType = function customGetType(value, _typeMap) {
 }
 
 export default customTypeChecker
-export { customTypeChecker as type }
+export { customTypeChecker as check }
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..189a00e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+// import { cast, typecast, } from './cast'
+import check from  './check'
+
+export  * from './cast'
+export { check } from './check'
+export default check  // default is just the typechecker only
diff --git a/test/cast.test.js b/test/cast.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d42874
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cast.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+import  assert from 'assert'
+import { check, typecast, cast, toString, toBoolean }  from '../src'
+
+console.log(typecast.boolean)
+console.log(toBoolean)
+
+describe('.string()', function () {
+  it('should return a string', function () {
+    assert(typecast.string(2) === '2')
+    assert(check.isString(typecast.string(2)))
+  })
+
+  it('should return an empty string when given a null-ish value', function () {
+    assert(typecast.string(null) === '')
+    assert(typecast.string(undefined) === '')
+  })
+
+  it('should support toString', function () {
+    assert(toString(2) === '2')
+    assert(check.isString(toString(2)))
+  })
+
+})
+
+
+
+describe('.number()', function () {
+  it('should return a number', function () {
+    assert(typecast.number('123') === 123)
+  })
+
+  it('should return 0 if typecasting fails', function () {
+    assert(typecast.number('abc') === 0)
+  })
+
+  it('should return an 0 when given a null-ish value', function () {
+    assert(typecast.number(null) === 0)
+    assert(typecast.number(undefined) === 0)
+  })
+})
+
+const adate = [1995, 11, 17, 3, 24, 0]
+const sdate = 'December 17, 1995 03:24:00'
+
+describe('.date()', function () {
+  it('should return a date from a string', function () {
+    assert(typecast.date(sdate).getTime() === 819199440000)
+  })
+
+  it('should return a date from an array of values', function () {
+    assert(typecast.date(...adate).getTime() === 819199440000)
+  })
+
+  it('should return default date if typecasting fails', function () {
+    assert(typecast.date('abc') instanceof Date)
+    assert(typecast.date('abc').valueOf() == 0)
+  })
+
+  it('should return default date when given a null-ish value', function () {
+    assert(typecast.date(null) instanceof Date)
+    assert(typecast.date(null).valueOf() == 0)
+
+    assert(typecast.date(undefined) instanceof Date)
+    assert(typecast.date(undefined).valueOf() == 0)
+  })
+})
+
+describe('.array()', function () {
+  it('should return an array', function () {
+    var arr = [1, 2, 3]
+    assert(typecast.array(arr) === arr)
+    assert(typecast.array(1) instanceof Array)
+    assert(typecast.array('a, b, c').length == 3)
+    assert(typecast.array('a, b, c')[1] === 'b')
+  })
+
+  it('should preserve non-string objects', function () {
+    var now = new Date()
+    assert(Array.isArray(typecast.array(now)))
+    assert(typecast.array(now).length == 1)
+    assert(typecast.array(now)[0] === now)
+  })
+
+  it('should return an empty array when given a null-ish value', function () {
+    assert(Array.isArray(typecast.array(null)))
+    assert(typecast.array(null).length == 0)
+
+    assert(Array.isArray(typecast.array(undefined)))
+    assert(typecast.array(undefined).length == 0)
+  })
+})
+
+describe('.boolean()', function () {
+  it('should be using UCI to-boolean', function () {
+    assert(typecast.boolean('true') === true)
+    assert(typecast.boolean('nope') === false)
+    assert(typecast.boolean('sure') === true)
+    assert(typecast.boolean('bogus') === false)
+    assert(typecast.boolean() === false) // undefined is false
+    assert(typecast.boolean(-1) === false)
+    assert(typecast.boolean(4) === true)
+  })
+})
+
+describe('generic cast function', function () {
+  it('should work', function () {
+    assert(cast(123, 'string') === '123')
+  })
+
+  it('should throw when given an invalid type', function () {
+    var err
+    try {
+      typecast(1, 'invalid')
+    } catch (e) {
+      err = e
+    }
+    assert(err)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/test/type.test.js b/test/check.test.js
similarity index 81%
rename from test/type.test.js
rename to test/check.test.js
index 0d81533..078398c 100644
--- a/test/type.test.js
+++ b/test/check.test.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai'
-import u  from '../src/type'
+import u from '../src'
 
-describe('Variable Types Library - ', function () {
+describe('Type Check Library - ', function () {
 
   it('Should include custom types', function () {
     expect(u.isBuffer(Buffer.from('this is a test'))).to.equal(true)
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ describe('Variable Types Library - ', function () {
     expect(u.getType(Promise.resolve(2))).to.equal('promise')
   })
 
-  it('Should load typechecker', function () {
+  it('Should include typechecker methods', function () {
     expect(u.isPlainObject([1])).to.equal(false)
     expect(u.getType(true)).to.equal('boolean')
     expect(u.getObjectType('a string')).to.equal('[object String]')