diff --git a/flags.cpp b/flags.cpp
index 508e458..bffbbc3 100644
--- a/flags.cpp
+++ b/flags.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "flags.h"
 #include <sstream>
+#include <iostream>
 
 namespace Flags {
 
@@ -14,7 +15,110 @@ std::vector<std::string> split(const std::string &input, const char separator) {
 }
 
 bool starts_with(const std::string &input, const std::string &start) {
-  return (input.length() >= start.length() && input.substr(0, 2) == start);
+  return (input.size() >= start.size() && input.substr(0, 2) == start);
+}
+
+PARSER(StringFlag, std::string, {
+  set_found(true);
+  set_parsed(true);
+  value = arg;
+})
+
+PARSER(IntFlag, int, {
+  set_found(true);
+  try {
+    value = std::stoi(arg);
+    set_parsed(true);
+  } catch (std::exception &) {
+  }
+})
+
+PARSER(LongIntFlag, long int, {
+  set_found(true);
+  try {
+    value = std::stol(arg);
+    set_parsed(true);
+  } catch (std::exception &) {
+  }
+})
+
+PARSER(LongLongIntFlag, long long int, {
+  set_found(true);
+  try {
+    value = std::stoll(arg);
+    set_parsed(true);
+  } catch (std::exception &) {
+  }
+})
+
+PARSER(UnsignedLongIntFlag, unsigned long int, {
+  set_found(true);
+  try {
+    value = std::stoul(arg);
+    set_parsed(true);
+  } catch (std::exception &) {
+  }
+})
+
+PARSER(UnsignedLongLongIntFlag, unsigned long long int, {
+  set_found(true);
+  try {
+    value = std::stoull(arg);
+    set_parsed(true);
+  } catch (std::exception &) {
+  }
+})
+
+PARSER(FloatFlag, float, {
+  set_found(true);
+  try {
+    value = std::stof(arg);
+    set_parsed(true);
+  } catch (std::exception &) {
+  }
+})
+
+PARSER(DoubleFlag, double, {
+  set_found(true);
+  try {
+    value = stod(arg);
+    set_parsed(true);
+  } catch (std::exception &) {
+  }
+})
+
+PARSER(LongDoubleFlag, long double, {
+  set_found(true);
+  try {
+    value = stold(arg);
+    set_parsed(true);
+  } catch (std::exception &) {
+  }
+})
+
+PARSER(BoolFlag, bool, {
+  std::string copy(arg);
+  std::transform(copy.begin(), copy.end(), copy.begin(),
+                 [](const char c) { return std::tolower(c); });
+  if (copy == "false")
+    value = false;
+  else
+    value = true;
+})
+
+Parser::Parser(const std::string &prefix, const std::string &help_text)
+    : prefix(prefix), help_text(help_text) {
+  set_parser<std::string>(flag_constructor_t(StringFlag::make));
+  set_parser<int>(flag_constructor_t(IntFlag::make));
+  set_parser<long int>(flag_constructor_t(LongIntFlag::make));
+  set_parser<long long int>(flag_constructor_t(LongLongIntFlag::make));
+  set_parser<unsigned long int>(flag_constructor_t(UnsignedLongIntFlag::make));
+  set_parser<unsigned long long int>(
+      flag_constructor_t(UnsignedLongLongIntFlag::make));
+  set_parser<float>(flag_constructor_t(FloatFlag::make));
+  set_parser<double>(flag_constructor_t(DoubleFlag::make));
+  set_parser<long double>(flag_constructor_t(LongDoubleFlag::make));
+  set_parser<bool>(flag_constructor_t(BoolFlag::make));
 }
 
 bool Parser::parse(int argc, char **argv) {
@@ -22,7 +126,7 @@ bool Parser::parse(int argc, char **argv) {
   std::vector<std::string> args;
   for (int i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
     std::string arg(argv[i]);
-    if (starts_with(arg, prefix) && arg.length() > prefix.length()) {
+    if (starts_with(arg, prefix) && arg.size() > prefix.size()) {
       std::vector<std::string> parts = split(arg, '=');
       args.insert(args.end(), parts.begin(), parts.end());
     } else {
@@ -33,27 +137,27 @@ bool Parser::parse(int argc, char **argv) {
   // search for flags
   for (size_t i = 1; i < args.size() - 1; i++) {
     const std::string &arg = args[i];
-    if (starts_with(arg, prefix) && arg.length() > prefix.length()) {
-      flags[arg.substr(prefix.length())]->parse(args[i + 1]);
+    if (starts_with(arg, prefix) && arg.size() > prefix.size()) {
+      flags[arg.substr(prefix.size())]->parse(args[i + 1]);
     }
   }
 
   // check for the last argument
   if (starts_with(args[args.size() - 1], prefix) &&
-      args[args.size() - 1].length() > prefix.length()) {
-    flags[args[args.size() - 1].substr(prefix.length())]->parse("");
+      args[args.size() - 1].size() > prefix.size()) {
+    flags[args[args.size() - 1].substr(prefix.size())]->parse("");
   }
 
   return get_found() == flags.size();
 }
 
-const unsigned Parser::get_parsed() const {
+unsigned Parser::get_parsed() const {
   return std::count_if(
       flags.begin(), flags.end(),
       [](std::pair<std::string, Flag *> f) { return f.second->get_parsed(); });
 }
 
-const unsigned Parser::get_found() const {
+unsigned Parser::get_found() const {
   return std::count_if(
       flags.begin(), flags.end(),
       [](std::pair<std::string, Flag *> f) { return f.second->get_found(); });
diff --git a/flags.h b/flags.h
index 535b59c..a667a8a 100644
--- a/flags.h
+++ b/flags.h
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef FLAGS_H
 #define FLAGS_H
 
-#include <algorithm>
 #include <functional>
-#include <iostream>
 #include <map>
 #include <string>
 #include <typeindex>
@@ -31,41 +29,44 @@ public:
   Flag(const std::string &description, const bool required)
       : description(description), found(!required), parsed(false) {}
 
-  virtual ~Flag() {};
+  virtual ~Flag(){};
 
   const std::string &get_description() const { return description; }
-  const bool get_found() const { return found; }
-  const bool get_parsed() const { return parsed; }
+  bool get_found() const { return found; }
+  bool get_parsed() const { return parsed; }
 
-  virtual void parse(const std::string &arg) {}
+  virtual void parse(const std::string &arg) = 0;
 };
 
 // type of flag based parser classes' factory functions
 typedef std::function<Flag *(const void *, const std::string &, const bool)>
     flag_constructor_t;
 
-class StringFlag : public Flag {
-  std::string value;
+// use this class to create your own parser
+template <typename T> class FlagTemplate : public Flag {
+protected:
+  T value;
 
 public:
-  StringFlag(const void *default_value, const std::string &description,
-             const bool required)
-      : Flag(description, required), value(*(std::string *)default_value) {}
-
-  static Flag *make(const void *default_value, const std::string &description,
-                    const bool required) {
-    return new StringFlag(default_value, description, required);
-  }
+  explicit FlagTemplate<T>(const void *default_value,
+                           const std::string &description, const bool required)
+      : Flag(description, required), value(*(T *)default_value) {}
 
   const void *get_value_ptr() const override { return &value; };
-
-  void parse(const std::string &arg) override {
-    set_found(true);
-    set_parsed(true);
-    value = arg;
-  }
 };
 
+#define PARSER(name, type, func)                                               \
+  class name : public FlagTemplate<type> {                                     \
+    using FlagTemplate<type>::FlagTemplate;                                    \
+                                                                               \
+  public:                                                                      \
+    static Flag *make(const void *default_value,                               \
+                      const std::string &description, const bool required) {   \
+      return new name(default_value, description, required);                   \
+    }                                                                          \
+    void parse(const std::string &arg) override func                           \
+  }; // namespace Flags
+
 // flag holder, parsing orchestrator
 class Parser {
 private:
@@ -76,10 +77,7 @@ private:
   std::map<std::type_index, flag_constructor_t> constructors;
 
 public:
-  Parser(const std::string &prefix, const std::string &help_text)
-      : prefix(prefix), help_text(help_text) {
-    set_parser<std::string>(flag_constructor_t(StringFlag::make));
-  }
+  Parser(const std::string &prefix, const std::string &help_text);
 
   Parser() : Parser("--", "Help:") {}
 
@@ -89,7 +87,8 @@ public:
     }
   }
 
-  template <typename T> void set_parser(flag_constructor_t constructor_function) {
+  template <typename T>
+  void set_parser(flag_constructor_t constructor_function) {
     constructors[typeid(T)] = constructor_function;
   }
 
@@ -101,9 +100,9 @@ public:
     return (T *)flags[name]->get_value_ptr();
   }
 
-  const unsigned get_found() const;
+  unsigned get_found() const;
 
-  const unsigned get_parsed() const;
+  unsigned get_parsed() const;
 
   bool parse(int argc, char **argv);