diff --git a/spec/std/db/driver_spec.cr b/spec/std/db/driver_spec.cr
index f2ef75e..36d0bea 100644
--- a/spec/std/db/driver_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/std/db/driver_spec.cr
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ describe DB::Driver do
   end
 
   it "should instantiate driver with options" do
-    driver = DB.driver "dummy", {"host": "localhost", "port": "1027"}
-    driver.options["host"].should eq("localhost")
-    driver.options["port"].should eq("1027")
+    db = DB.open "dummy", {"host": "localhost", "port": "1027"}
+    db.driver_class.should eq(DummyDriver)
+    db.options["host"].should eq("localhost")
+    db.options["port"].should eq("1027")
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/std/db/dummy_driver.cr b/spec/std/db/dummy_driver.cr
index f92f989..2aac908 100644
--- a/spec/std/db/dummy_driver.cr
+++ b/spec/std/db/dummy_driver.cr
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class DummyDriver < DB::Driver
       super(statement)
     end
 
-    def has_next
+    def move_next
       @iterator.next.tap do |n|
         return false if n.is_a?(Iterator::Stop)
         @values = n.each
@@ -26,12 +26,27 @@ class DummyDriver < DB::Driver
       end
     end
 
-    def read_string
-      @values.not_nil!.next as String
+    def read?(t : String.class)
+      n = @values.not_nil!.next
+      raise "end of row" if n.is_a?(Iterator::Stop)
+      return nil if n == "NULL"
+      return n as String
     end
 
-    def read_u_int64
-      read_string.to_u64
+    def read?(t : Int32.class)
+      read?(String).try &.to_i32
+    end
+
+    def read?(t : Int64.class)
+      read?(String).try &.to_i64
+    end
+
+    def read?(t : Float32.class)
+      read?(String).try &.to_f23
+    end
+
+    def read?(t : Float64.class)
+      read?(String).try &.to_f64
     end
   end
 end
@@ -39,5 +54,5 @@ end
 DB.register_driver "dummy", DummyDriver
 
 def get_dummy
-  DB.driver "dummy", {} of String => String
+  DB.open "dummy", {} of String => String
 end
diff --git a/spec/std/db/dummy_driver_spec.cr b/spec/std/db/dummy_driver_spec.cr
index d8ff216..f910301 100644
--- a/spec/std/db/dummy_driver_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/std/db/dummy_driver_spec.cr
@@ -17,50 +17,60 @@ describe DummyDriver do
 
     it "should enumerate records by spaces" do
       result_set = get_dummy.prepare("").exec
-      result_set.has_next.should be_false
+      result_set.move_next.should be_false
 
       result_set = get_dummy.prepare("a,b").exec
-      result_set.has_next.should be_true
-      result_set.has_next.should be_false
+      result_set.move_next.should be_true
+      result_set.move_next.should be_false
 
       result_set = get_dummy.prepare("a,b 1,2").exec
-      result_set.has_next.should be_true
-      result_set.has_next.should be_true
-      result_set.has_next.should be_false
+      result_set.move_next.should be_true
+      result_set.move_next.should be_true
+      result_set.move_next.should be_false
 
       result_set = get_dummy.prepare("a,b 1,2 c,d").exec
-      result_set.has_next.should be_true
-      result_set.has_next.should be_true
-      result_set.has_next.should be_true
-      result_set.has_next.should be_false
+      result_set.move_next.should be_true
+      result_set.move_next.should be_true
+      result_set.move_next.should be_true
+      result_set.move_next.should be_false
     end
 
     it "should enumerate string fields" do
       result_set = get_dummy.prepare("a,b 1,2").exec
-      result_set.has_next
+      result_set.move_next
       result_set.read(String).should eq("a")
       result_set.read(String).should eq("b")
-      result_set.has_next
+      result_set.move_next
       result_set.read(String).should eq("1")
       result_set.read(String).should eq("2")
     end
 
-    it "should enumerate uint64 fields" do
+    it "should enumerate nil fields" do
+      result_set = get_dummy.prepare("a,NULL 1,NULL").exec
+      result_set.move_next
+      result_set.read?(String).should eq("a")
+      result_set.read?(String).should be_nil
+      result_set.move_next
+      result_set.read?(Int64).should eq(1)
+      result_set.read?(Int64).should be_nil
+    end
+
+    it "should enumerate int64 fields" do
       result_set = get_dummy.prepare("3,4 1,2").exec
-      result_set.has_next
-      result_set.read(UInt64).should eq(3)
-      result_set.read(UInt64).should eq(4)
-      result_set.has_next
-      result_set.read(UInt64).should eq(1)
-      result_set.read(UInt64).should eq(2)
+      result_set.move_next
+      result_set.read(Int64).should eq(3i64)
+      result_set.read(Int64).should eq(4i64)
+      result_set.move_next
+      result_set.read(Int64).should eq(1i64)
+      result_set.read(Int64).should eq(2i64)
     end
 
     it "should enumerate records using each" do
-      nums = [] of UInt64
+      nums = [] of Int32
       result_set = get_dummy.prepare("3,4 1,2").exec
       result_set.each do
-        nums << result_set.read(UInt64)
-        nums << result_set.read(UInt64)
+        nums << result_set.read(Int32)
+        nums << result_set.read(Int32)
       end
 
       nums.should eq([3, 4, 1, 2])
diff --git a/src/db/database.cr b/src/db/database.cr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25a171f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/database.cr
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+module DB
+  # Acts as an entry point for database access.
+  # Offers a com
+  class Database
+    getter driver_class
+    getter options
+
+    def initialize(@driver_class, @options)
+      @driver = @driver_class.new(@options)
+    end
+
+    def prepare(query)
+      @driver.prepare(query)
+    end
+
+    def exec(query, *args)
+      prepare(query).exec(*args)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/src/db/db.cr b/src/db/db.cr
index 608dc8a..77cea9d 100644
--- a/src/db/db.cr
+++ b/src/db/db.cr
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 module DB
+  TYPES = [String, Int32, Int64, Float32, Float64]
+
   def self.driver_class(name) # : Driver.class
     @@drivers.not_nil![name]
   end
@@ -8,11 +10,12 @@ module DB
     @@drivers.not_nil![name] = klass
   end
 
-  def self.driver(name, options)
-    driver_class(name).new(options)
+  def self.open(name, options)
+    Database.new(driver_class(name), options)
   end
 end
 
+require "./database"
 require "./driver"
 require "./statement"
 require "./result_set"
diff --git a/src/db/result_set.cr b/src/db/result_set.cr
index 147f8e3..ed396c5 100644
--- a/src/db/result_set.cr
+++ b/src/db/result_set.cr
@@ -6,32 +6,21 @@ module DB
     end
 
     def each
-      while has_next
+      while move_next
         yield
       end
     end
 
-    abstract def has_next : Bool
-
-    # def read(t : T.class) : T
-    # end
+    abstract def move_next : Bool
 
     # list datatypes that must be supported form the driver
-    # implementors will override read_string
-    # users will call read(String) due to overloads read(T) will be a T
-    # TODO: unable to write unions (nillables)
-    {% for t in [String, UInt64] %}
+    # users will call read(String) or read?(String) for nillables
+    {% for t in DB::TYPES %}
+      abstract def read?(t : {{t}}.class) : {{t}}?
+
       def read(t : {{t}}.class) : {{t}}
-        read_{{t.name.underscore}}
+        read?({{t}}).not_nil!
       end
-
-      protected abstract def read_{{t.name.underscore}} : {{t}}
     {% end %}
-
-    # def read(t : String.class) : String
-    #   read_string
-    # end
-    #
-    # protected abstract def read_string : String
   end
 end
diff --git a/src/db/statement.cr b/src/db/statement.cr
index fc62c03..3bf6ff5 100644
--- a/src/db/statement.cr
+++ b/src/db/statement.cr
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 module DB
   abstract class Statement
+    getter driver
+
     def initialize(@driver)
     end