diff --git a/.vscode/tasks.json b/.vscode/tasks.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..295b1d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+    // See https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558
+    // for the documentation about the tasks.json format
+    "version": "0.1.0",
+    "command": "make",
+    "isShellCommand": true,
+    "args": [],
+    "showOutput": "always"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/utils.nim b/utils.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92531b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+
+######## for value operations ##########
+
+proc vptr[VT](v:VT): ptr Value =
+    when v is Value:
+        return addr v
+    when v is ptr Value:
+        return v
+
+proc isUndefined*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_UNDEFINED
+
+proc isBool*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_BOOL
+
+proc isInt*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_INT
+
+proc isFloat*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_FLOAT
+
+proc isString*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_STRING
+
+proc isSymbol*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_STRING and v.u == UT_STRING_SYMBOL
+
+proc isDate*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_DATE
+
+proc isCurrency*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_CURRENCY
+
+proc isMap*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_MAP
+
+proc isArray*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_ARRAY
+
+proc isFunction*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_FUNCTION
+
+proc isNativeFunctor*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    var p = vptr(v)
+    return p.ValueIsNativeFunctor()
+
+proc isByte*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_BYTES
+
+proc isObject*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_OBJECT
+
+proc isObjectNative*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_OBJECT and v.u == UT_OBJECT_NATIVE
+
+proc isObjectArray*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_OBJECT and v.u == UT_OBJECT_ARRAY
+
+proc isObjectFunction*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_OBJECT and v.u == UT_OBJECT_FUNCTION
+
+proc isObjectObject*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_OBJECT and v.u == UT_OBJECT_OBJECT
+
+proc isObjectClass*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_OBJECT and v.u == UT_OBJECT_CLASS
+
+proc isObjectError*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_OBJECT and v.u == UT_OBJECT_ERROR
+
+proc isDomElement*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_DOM_OBJECT
+
+proc isNull*[VT](v:VT):bool =
+    return v.t == T_NULL
+
+proc nullValue*(): ptr Value =
+    var v = cast[ptr Value](alloc(sizeof(Value))) 
+    v.t = T_NULL
+    discard v.ValueInit()
+    return v
+
+proc clone*[VT](v:VT):ptr Value =
+    var src = vptr(v)
+    var dst = nullValue()
+    dst.ValueCopy(src)
+    return dst
+
+import typeinfo
+
+proc toInt32(x: Any):int32 =
+    return cast[int32](x.getBiggestInt())
+
+proc newValue*[T](x:var T): ptr Value =
+    result = cast[ptr Value](alloc(sizeof(Value)))
+    result.ValueInit()
+    var a = toAny(x)
+    var typekind = kind(a)
+    case typekind
+    of akInt, akInt8, akInt16, akInt32:
+        result.ValueIntDataSet(toInt32(a), T_INT, 0)
+    of akInt64: # for date and currency
+        result = nullValue()
+    of akString:
+        var ws = newWideCString(a.getString())
+        result.ValueStringDataSet(ws, uint32(ws.len()), uint32(0))
+    else:
+        result = nullValue()
+
+proc convertFromString*(v: ptr Value, s:string, how:VALUE_STRING_CVT_TYPE) =
+    var ws = newWideCString(s)
+    v.ValueFromString(ws, uint32(ws.len()), how)
+
+proc convertToString*(v: ptr Value, how:VALUE_STRING_CVT_TYPE):uint32 =
+    # converts value to T_STRING inplace
+    v.ValueToString(how)
+
+proc getString*(v:ptr Value):string =
+    var ws: WideCString
+    var n:uint32
+    v.ValueStringData(addr ws, addr n)
+    return $(ws)
+
+proc `$`*(v: ptr Value):string =
+    if v.isString():
+        return v.getString()
+    if v.isFunction() or v.isNativeFunctor():
+        return "<functor>"
+    var nv = v.clone()
+    discard nv.convertToString(CVT_SIMPLE)
+    return nv.getString()
+
+proc getInt32*[VT](v:VT): int32 =
+    discard ValueIntData(vptr(v), addr result)
+
+proc getInt*[VT](v:VT): int =
+    result = cast[int](getInt32(v))