diff -r dbde25a5bc53 -r c03c338a7dcf ui/common/types.c
--- a/ui/common/types.c	Tue Jan 24 18:46:47 2017 +0100
+++ b/ui/common/types.c	Fri Nov 10 17:17:14 2017 +0100
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS HEADER.
  *
- * Copyright 2014 Olaf Wintermann. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright 2017 Olaf Wintermann. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
  * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
 #include "../../ucx/list.h"
@@ -93,6 +94,9 @@
     list->data = NULL;
     list->iter = NULL;
     
+    list->update = NULL;
+    list->obj = NULL;
+    
     return list;
 }
 
@@ -199,3 +203,118 @@
     ucx_mempool_free(ctx->mempool, mi->titles);
     ucx_mempool_free(ctx->mempool, mi);
 }
+
+// types
+
+// public functions
+UiInteger* ui_int_new(UiContext *ctx, char *name) {
+    UiInteger *i = ui_malloc(ctx, sizeof(UiInteger));
+    memset(i, 0, sizeof(UiInteger));
+    if(name) {
+        uic_reg_var(ctx, name, UI_VAR_INTEGER, i);
+    }
+    return i;
+}
+
+UiString* ui_string_new(UiContext *ctx, char *name) {
+    UiString *s = ui_malloc(ctx, sizeof(UiString));
+    memset(s, 0, sizeof(UiString));
+    if(name) {
+        uic_reg_var(ctx, name, UI_VAR_STRING, s);
+    }
+    return s;
+}
+
+UiText* ui_text_new(UiContext *ctx, char *name) {
+    UiText *t = ui_malloc(ctx, sizeof(UiText));
+    memset(t, 0, sizeof(UiText));
+    if(name) {
+        uic_reg_var(ctx, name, UI_VAR_TEXT, t);
+    }
+    return t;
+}
+
+
+// private functions
+void uic_int_copy(UiInteger *from, UiInteger *to) {
+    to->get = from->get;
+    to->set = from->set;
+    to->obj = from->obj;
+}
+
+void uic_string_copy(UiString *from, UiString *to) {
+    to->get = from->get;
+    to->set = from->set;
+    to->obj = from->obj;
+}
+
+void uic_text_copy(UiText *from, UiText *to) {
+    to->get = from->get;
+    to->set = from->set;
+    to->getsubstr = from->getsubstr;
+    to->insert = from->insert;
+    to->setposition = from->setposition;
+    to->position = from->position;
+    to->selection = from->selection;
+    to->length = from->length;
+    to->remove = from->remove;
+    
+    to->obj = from->obj;
+    // do not copy the undo manager
+}
+
+void uic_range_copy(UiRange *from, UiRange *to) {
+    to->get = from->get;
+    to->set = from->set;
+    to->setrange = from->setrange;
+    to->setextent = from->setextent;
+    to->obj = from->obj;
+}
+
+void uic_list_copy(UiList *from, UiList *to) {
+    to->update = from->update;
+    to->obj = from->obj;
+}
+
+
+void uic_int_unbind(UiInteger *i) {
+    i->value = i->get(i);
+    i->get = NULL;
+    i->set = NULL;
+    i->obj = NULL;
+}
+
+void uic_string_unbind(UiString *s) {
+    s->value = s->get(s);
+    s->get = NULL;
+    s->set = NULL;
+    s->obj = NULL;
+}
+
+void uic_text_unbind(UiText *t) {
+    t->value = t->get(t);
+    t->set = NULL;
+    t->get = NULL;
+    t->getsubstr = NULL;
+    t->insert = NULL;
+    t->setposition = NULL;
+    t->position = NULL;
+    t->selection = NULL;
+    t->length = NULL;
+    t->remove = NULL;
+    t->obj = NULL;
+}
+
+void uic_range_unbind(UiRange *r) {
+    r->value = r->get(r);
+    r->get = NULL;
+    r->set = NULL;
+    r->setextent = NULL;
+    r->setrange = NULL;
+    r->obj = NULL;
+}
+
+void uic_list_unbind(UiList *l) {
+    l->update = NULL;
+    l->obj = NULL;
+}