diff --git a/xenomorph/xenomorph/base.rkt b/xenomorph/xenomorph/base.rkt
index cbb1a9cf..75156cb0 100644
--- a/xenomorph/xenomorph/base.rkt
+++ b/xenomorph/xenomorph/base.rkt
@@ -70,6 +70,19 @@
 (define (symbol-append . syms)
   (string->symbol (apply string-append (map symbol->string syms))))
 
+;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; structing
+
+(define (->input-port arg)
+  (cond
+    [(bytes? arg) (open-input-bytes arg)]
+    [(input-port? arg) arg]
+    [else (raise-argument-error '->port "byte string or input port" arg)]))
+
+(define (reverse-bytes bstr) (apply bytes (reverse (bytes->list bstr))))
+
+
+;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
+
 (define xenomorph-base%
   (class* object% (codable<%> sizable<%>)
     (super-new)
@@ -79,7 +92,7 @@
     (define/pubment (decode port [parent #f] . args)
       ;; todo: is `indexable?` really a necessary condition? doesn't seem to break anything withou it
       #;(when parent (unless (indexable? parent)
-                     #;(raise-argument-error (symbol-append (get-class-name) ':decode) "indexable" parent)))
+                       #;(raise-argument-error (symbol-append (get-class-name) ':decode) "indexable" parent)))
       (define ip (cond
                    [(bytes? port) (open-input-bytes port)]
                    [(input-port? port) port]
@@ -90,7 +103,7 @@
       #;(report* port val-in parent)
       (define val (pre-encode val-in port))
       #;(when parent (unless (indexable? parent)
-                     (raise-argument-error (symbol-append (get-class-name) ':encode) "indexable" parent)))
+                       (raise-argument-error (symbol-append (get-class-name) ':encode) "indexable" parent)))
       (define op (cond
                    [(output-port? port) port]
                    [(not port) (open-output-bytes)]
diff --git a/xenomorph/xenomorph/number.rkt b/xenomorph/xenomorph/number.rkt
index b555c926..4a124c45 100644
--- a/xenomorph/xenomorph/number.rkt
+++ b/xenomorph/xenomorph/number.rkt
@@ -28,6 +28,53 @@ https://github.com/mbutterick/restructure/blob/master/src/Number.coffee
 (define (exact-if-possible x) (if (integer? x) (inexact->exact x) x))
 (define system-endian (if (system-big-endian?) 'be 'le))
 
+;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; structing
+
+(struct $integer (bytes signed endian) #:transparent)
+
+(define (+$integer [bytes 2] [signed #false] [endian system-endian])
+  ($integer bytes signed endian))
+
+(define $int16 (+$integer))
+
+(define ($bits int) (* ($integer-bytes int) 8))
+
+(define ($bounds int)
+  ;; if a signed integer has n bits, it can contain a number
+  ;; between - (expt 2 (sub1 n)) and (sub1 (expt 2 (sub1 n)).
+  (let* ([signed-max (sub1 (arithmetic-shift 1 (sub1 ($bits int))))]
+         [signed-min (sub1 (- signed-max))]
+         [delta (if ($integer-signed int) 0 signed-min)])
+    (values (- signed-min delta) (- signed-max delta))))
+
+(define ($decode int [port-arg (current-input-port)])
+  (define bstr (read-bytes ($integer-bytes int) (->input-port port-arg)))
+  (define bs ((if (eq? ($integer-endian int) system-endian)
+                  values
+                  reverse-bytes) bstr))
+  (define uint (for/sum ([b (in-bytes bs)]
+                         [i (in-naturals)])
+                        (arithmetic-shift b (* 8 i))))
+  (if ($integer-signed int) (unsigned->signed uint ($bits int)) uint))
+
+(define ($encode int val [port-arg #f])
+  (define-values (bound-min bound-max) ($bounds int))
+  (unless (<= bound-min val bound-max)
+    (raise-argument-error '$encode (format "value within range of ~a ~a-byte int (~a to ~a)" (if ($integer-signed int) "signed" "unsigned") ($integer-bytes int) bound-min bound-max) val))
+  (define-values (bs _)
+    (for/fold ([bs null]
+               [n (exact-if-possible val)])
+              ([i (in-range ($integer-bytes int))])
+      (values (cons (bitwise-and n #xff) bs) (arithmetic-shift n -8))))
+  (define res (apply bytes ((if (eq? ($integer-endian int) 'be) values reverse) bs)))
+  (if (and port-arg (output-port? port-arg))
+      (write-bytes res port-arg)
+      res))
+
+($decode $int16 ($encode $int16 123))
+
+;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
+
 (define-subclass xenomorph-base% (Integer [type 'uint16] [endian system-endian])
   (getter-field [number-type (string->symbol (format "~a~a" type (if (ends-with-8? type) "" endian)))])
   (define _signed? (signed-type? type))
diff --git a/xenomorph/xenomorph/redo/base.rkt b/xenomorph/xenomorph/redo/base.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf13ad87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xenomorph/xenomorph/redo/base.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#lang racket/base
+(provide (all-defined-out))
+
+(define (->input-port arg)
+  (cond
+    [(bytes? arg) (open-input-bytes arg)]
+    [(input-port? arg) arg]
+    [else (raise-argument-error '->port "byte string or input port" arg)]))
+
+(define (reverse-bytes bstr) (apply bytes (reverse (bytes->list bstr))))
+
+(define (unsigned->signed uint bits)
+  (define most-significant-bit-mask (arithmetic-shift 1 (sub1 bits)))
+  (- (bitwise-xor uint most-significant-bit-mask) most-significant-bit-mask))
+
+(define (signed->unsigned sint bits)
+  (bitwise-and sint (arithmetic-shift 1 bits)))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/xenomorph/xenomorph/redo/number.rkt b/xenomorph/xenomorph/redo/number.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8103a261
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xenomorph/xenomorph/redo/number.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+#lang racket/base
+(require "base.rkt")
+(provide (all-defined-out))
+
+(define (exact-if-possible x) (if (integer? x) (inexact->exact x) x))
+
+(define system-endian (if (system-big-endian?) 'be 'le))
+
+(struct int (bytes signed endian) #:transparent)
+
+(define (+integer [bytes 2] [signed #false] [endian system-endian])
+  (unless (exact-positive-integer? bytes)
+    (raise-argument-error '+integer "exact positive integer" bytes))
+  (unless (boolean? signed)
+    (raise-argument-error '+integer "boolean" signed))
+  (unless (memq endian '(le be))
+    (raise-argument-error '+integer "'le or 'be" endian))
+  (int bytes signed endian))
+
+(define (type-tag i)
+  (string->symbol
+   (string-append (if (int-signed i) "" "u")
+                  "int"
+                  (number->string (bits i))
+                  (if (> (int-bytes i) 1) (symbol->string (int-endian i)) ""))))
+
+(define (bits i) (* (int-bytes i) 8))
+
+(define (bounds i)
+  ;; if a signed integer has n bits, it can contain a number
+  ;; between - (expt 2 (sub1 n)) and (sub1 (expt 2 (sub1 n)).
+  (let* ([signed-max (sub1 (arithmetic-shift 1 (sub1 (bits i))))]
+         [signed-min (sub1 (- signed-max))]
+         [delta (if (int-signed i) 0 signed-min)])
+    (values (- signed-min delta) (- signed-max delta))))
+
+(define (decode i [port-arg (current-input-port)])
+  (define bstr (read-bytes (int-bytes i) (->input-port port-arg)))
+  (define bs ((if (eq? (int-endian i) system-endian)
+                  values
+                  reverse-bytes) bstr))
+  (define uint (for/sum ([b (in-bytes bs)]
+                         [i (in-naturals)])
+                        (arithmetic-shift b (* 8 i))))
+  (if (int-signed i) (unsigned->signed uint (bits i)) uint))
+
+(define (encode int val [port #f])
+  (define-values (bound-min bound-max) (bounds int))
+  (unless (<= bound-min val bound-max)
+    (raise-argument-error 'encode (format "value that fits within ~a ~a-byte int (~a to ~a)" (if (int-signed int) "signed" "unsigned") (int-bytes int) bound-min bound-max) val))
+  (unless (or (not port) (output-port? port))
+    (raise-argument-error 'encode "output port or #f" port))
+  (define bs (for/fold ([bs null]
+                        [val (exact-if-possible val)]
+                        #:result bs)
+                       ([i (in-range (int-bytes int))])
+               (values (cons (bitwise-and val #xff) bs) (arithmetic-shift val -8))))
+  (define res (apply bytes ((if (eq? (int-endian int) 'be) values reverse) bs)))
+  (if port (write-bytes res port) res))
+
+
+(define uint8 (+integer 1))
+(define int8 (+integer 1 #t))
+(define uint16 (+integer 2))
+
+(module+ test
+  (require rackunit)
+  (check-exn exn:fail:contract? (λ () (+integer 'not-a-valid-type)))
+  (check-exn exn:fail:contract? (λ () (encode uint8 256)))
+  (check-not-exn (λ () (encode uint8 255)))
+  (check-exn exn:fail:contract? (λ () (encode int8 256)))
+  (check-exn exn:fail:contract? (λ () (encode int8 255)))
+  (check-not-exn (λ () (encode int8 127)))
+  (check-not-exn (λ () (encode int8 -128)))
+  (check-exn exn:fail:contract? (λ () (encode int8 -129)))
+  (check-exn exn:fail:contract? (λ () (encode uint16 (add1 #xffff))))
+  (check-not-exn (λ () (encode uint16 #xffff)))
+
+  (let ([i (+integer 2 #false 'le)]
+        [ip (open-input-bytes (bytes 1 2 3 4))]
+        [op (open-output-bytes)])
+    (check-equal? (decode i ip) 513)  ;; 1000 0000 0100 0000
+    (check-equal? (decode i ip) 1027) ;; 1100 0000 0010 0000
+    (encode i 513 op)
+    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes op) (bytes 1 2))
+    (encode i 1027 op)
+    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes op) (bytes 1 2 3 4)))
+
+  (let ([i (+integer 2 #false 'be)]
+        [ip (open-input-bytes (bytes 1 2 3 4))]
+        [op (open-output-bytes)])
+    (check-equal? (decode i ip) 258) ;; 0100 0000 1000 0000 
+    (check-equal? (decode i ip) 772) ;; 0010 0000 1100 0000
+    (encode i 258 op)
+    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes op) (bytes 1 2))
+    (encode i 772 op)
+    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes op) (bytes 1 2 3 4)))
+#|
+  (check-equal? (size (+integer 1) ) 1)
+  (check-equal? (size (+integer)) 2)
+  (check-equal? (size (+integer 4)) 4)
+  (check-equal? (size (+integer 8)) 8)
+
+  (check-equal? (size (+number 1)) 1)
+  (check-equal? (size (+number)) 2)
+  (check-equal? (size (+number 4)) 4)
+  (check-equal? (size (+number 8)) 8)
+|#
+  )
\ No newline at end of file