diff --git a/src/userland/buffersTests/include/buffers.h b/src/userland/buffersTests/include/buffers.h
index 2351129..4b2ed31 100644
--- a/src/userland/buffersTests/include/buffers.h
+++ b/src/userland/buffersTests/include/buffers.h
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
     ReadElements,
 } ReadTypes;
 
+typedef enum IntegerType {
+    Signed,
+    Unsigned
+} IntegerType;
+
 #define DATA_TYPES(X, S) \
     X(INTEGER) S \
     X(NIL) S \
@@ -87,4 +92,40 @@
 extern Formats FirstByteToFormat[256];
 extern FormatInfo formatInfo[];
 
+// macros for initializing a buffer
+#define ABS(x) (x >= 0 ? x : -x)
+#define EMPTY(...)
+#define DEFER(...) __VA_ARGS__ EMPTY()
+#define OBSTRUCT(...) __VA_ARGS__ DEFER(EMPTY)()
+
+#define EXPAND3(...) __VA_ARGS__
+#define EXPAND2(...) EXPAND3(EXPAND3(EXPAND3(EXPAND3(__VA_ARGS__))))
+#define EXPAND1(...) EXPAND2(EXPAND2(EXPAND2(EXPAND2(__VA_ARGS__))))
+#define EXPAND(...) EXPAND1(EXPAND1(EXPAND1(EXPAND1(__VA_ARGS__))))
+
+#define STRING_Length(x) 1+strlen(x)
+
+#define ONE(...) 1
+
+#define ARRAY_Length_id() ARRAY_Length
+#define _INTEGER_LENGTH(x, type, ...) integerLength(x, type)
+#define INTEGER_Length(x, ...) _INTEGER_LENGTH(x, ##__VA_ARGS__ , Unsigned)
+#define INTEGER_Length_id() INTEGER_Length
+#define STRING_Length_id() STRING_Length
+#define MAP_Length_id() MAP_Length
+
+#define LENGTH(type, ...) DEFER(type##_Length_id)()(__VA_ARGS__)
+
+
+#define CONTENTS contents (LENGTH, +)
+
+#define ARRAY_Length(contents) arrayLength(contents(ONE, +)) + contents(LENGTH, +)
+#define MAP_Length(contents) mapLength(contents(ONE, +)) + contents(LENGTH, +)
+
+#define CREATE(name, definition) \
+    uint32_t name##Length = EXPAND(definition(LENGTH)); \
+    void *name = malloc(name##Length);
+
+// TODO: assign values here!
+
 #endif // BUFFERS_H
\ No newline at end of file

diff --git a/src/userland/buffersTests/include/buffers.h b/src/userland/buffersTests/include/buffers.h
index 2351129..4b2ed31 100644
--- a/src/userland/buffersTests/include/buffers.h
+++ b/src/userland/buffersTests/include/buffers.h
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
     ReadElements,
 } ReadTypes;
 
+typedef enum IntegerType {
+    Signed,
+    Unsigned
+} IntegerType;
+
 #define DATA_TYPES(X, S) \
     X(INTEGER) S \
     X(NIL) S \
@@ -87,4 +92,40 @@
 extern Formats FirstByteToFormat[256];
 extern FormatInfo formatInfo[];
 
+// macros for initializing a buffer
+#define ABS(x) (x >= 0 ? x : -x)
+#define EMPTY(...)
+#define DEFER(...) __VA_ARGS__ EMPTY()
+#define OBSTRUCT(...) __VA_ARGS__ DEFER(EMPTY)()
+
+#define EXPAND3(...) __VA_ARGS__
+#define EXPAND2(...) EXPAND3(EXPAND3(EXPAND3(EXPAND3(__VA_ARGS__))))
+#define EXPAND1(...) EXPAND2(EXPAND2(EXPAND2(EXPAND2(__VA_ARGS__))))
+#define EXPAND(...) EXPAND1(EXPAND1(EXPAND1(EXPAND1(__VA_ARGS__))))
+
+#define STRING_Length(x) 1+strlen(x)
+
+#define ONE(...) 1
+
+#define ARRAY_Length_id() ARRAY_Length
+#define _INTEGER_LENGTH(x, type, ...) integerLength(x, type)
+#define INTEGER_Length(x, ...) _INTEGER_LENGTH(x, ##__VA_ARGS__ , Unsigned)
+#define INTEGER_Length_id() INTEGER_Length
+#define STRING_Length_id() STRING_Length
+#define MAP_Length_id() MAP_Length
+
+#define LENGTH(type, ...) DEFER(type##_Length_id)()(__VA_ARGS__)
+
+
+#define CONTENTS contents (LENGTH, +)
+
+#define ARRAY_Length(contents) arrayLength(contents(ONE, +)) + contents(LENGTH, +)
+#define MAP_Length(contents) mapLength(contents(ONE, +)) + contents(LENGTH, +)
+
+#define CREATE(name, definition) \
+    uint32_t name##Length = EXPAND(definition(LENGTH)); \
+    void *name = malloc(name##Length);
+
+// TODO: assign values here!
+
 #endif // BUFFERS_H
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/userland/buffersTests/main.c b/src/userland/buffersTests/main.c
index 54d3cc5..aae4ecf 100644
--- a/src/userland/buffersTests/main.c
+++ b/src/userland/buffersTests/main.c
@@ -140,12 +140,6 @@
     return next;
 }
 
-uint8_t demo1[] = {0x92, 1, 5}; // fixarray
-uint8_t demo2[] = {0xDE, 2, 0, 0xA2, 'h', 'i', 1, 0xA2, ';', ')', 0xC3 }; // map16
-uint8_t demo3[] = {0xC3}; // true
-uint8_t demo4[] = {0xA2, 'h', 'i'}; // fixstring
-uint8_t demo5[] = {0xD9, 5, 'w', 'o', 'r', 'l', 'd'}; // str8
-
 void fillSpots(uint16_t from, uint16_t to, Formats value) {
     for (uint16_t i = from; i <= to; i++) {
         FirstByteToFormat[i] = value;
@@ -157,16 +151,26 @@
     FORMATS(FILL_SPOTS_X, NOTHING);
 }
 
-uint32_t INTEGER_Length(int32_t value) {
-    if ((value & 0x7F) == value) {
+uint32_t integerLength(int32_t value, IntegerType integerType) {
+    if ((value & 0x7F) == value || ((~value) & 0x1F) == ~value) {
         // fixint
         return 1;
     }
+    value = ABS(value);
     if ((value & 0xFF) == value) {
-        // uint8
+        // int8
         return 2;
     }
-    return 3;
+    if ((value & 0xFFFF) == value) {
+        // int16
+        return 3;
+    }
+    if ((value & 0xFFFFFFFF) == value) {
+        // int32
+        return 5;
+    }
+    // int64
+    return 9;;
 }
 
 uint32_t arrayLength(uint32_t elementCount) {
@@ -179,30 +183,8 @@
     return 1;
 }
 
-# define EMPTY(...)
-# define DEFER(...) __VA_ARGS__ EMPTY()
-# define OBSTRUCT(...) __VA_ARGS__ DEFER(EMPTY)()
-# define EXPAND(...) __VA_ARGS__
-
-#define STRING_Length(x) 1+strlen(x)
-
-#define ONE(Type, value) 1
-
-#define ARRAY_Length_id() ARRAY_Length
-#define INTEGER_Length_id() INTEGER_Length
-#define STRING_Length_id() STRING_Length
-#define MAP_Length_id() MAP_Length
-
-#define LENGTH(type, value) DEFER(type##_Length_id)()(value)
-
-
-#define CONTENTS contents (LENGTH, +)
-
-#define ARRAY_Length(contents) arrayLength(contents(ONE, +)) + contents(LENGTH, +)
-#define MAP_Length(contents) mapLength(contents(ONE, +)) + contents(LENGTH, +)
-
 #define SAMPLE_1(X) \
-    X(INTEGER, 1)
+    X(INTEGER, 1, Signed)
 
 #define SAMPLE_2_ARRAY_CONTENTS(X, S) \
     X(INTEGER, 1) S \
@@ -225,12 +207,8 @@
         initialize();
     }
     printf("dumping test data...\n");
-    uint32_t length = EXPAND(SAMPLE_1(LENGTH));
-    uint32_t length2 = EXPAND(EXPAND(SAMPLE_2(LENGTH)));
-    uint32_t length3 = EXPAND(EXPAND(EXPAND(SAMPLE_3(LENGTH))));
-    dumpPack(demo1, 0);
-    dumpPack(demo2, 0);
-    dumpPack(demo3, 0);
-    dumpPack(demo4, 0);
-    dumpPack(demo5, 0);
+    CREATE(test, SAMPLE_1);
+    printf("test 1 length: %i\n", testLength);
+    dumpPack(test, 0);
+    free(test);
 }
\ No newline at end of file