diff --git a/source/ddbus/conv.d b/source/ddbus/conv.d
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72cd5be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/ddbus/conv.d
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+module ddbus.conv;
+
+import ddbus.c_lib;
+import ddbus.util;
+import std.string;
+import std.typecons;
+import std.range;
+
+void buildIter(TS...)(DBusMessageIter *iter, TS args) if(allCanDBus!TS) {
+  foreach(index, arg; args) {
+    alias TS[index] T;
+    static if(is(T == string)) {
+      immutable(char)* cStr = arg.toStringz();
+      dbus_message_iter_append_basic(iter,typeCode!T,&cStr);
+    } else static if(is(T==bool)) {
+      dbus_bool_t longerBool = arg; // dbus bools are ints
+      dbus_message_iter_append_basic(iter,typeCode!T,&longerBool);
+    } else static if(isTuple!T) {
+      DBusMessageIter sub;
+      dbus_message_iter_open_container(iter, 'r', null, &sub);
+      buildIter(&sub, arg.expand);
+      dbus_message_iter_close_container(iter, &sub);
+    } else static if(isInputRange!T) {
+      DBusMessageIter sub;
+      const(char)* subSig = (typeSig!(ElementType!T)()).toStringz();
+      dbus_message_iter_open_container(iter, 'a', subSig, &sub);
+      foreach(x; arg) {
+        buildIter(&sub, x);
+      }
+      dbus_message_iter_close_container(iter, &sub);
+    } else static if(basicDBus!T) {
+      dbus_message_iter_append_basic(iter,typeCode!T,&arg);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter *iter) if (canDBus!T) {
+  T ret;
+  static if(isTuple!T) {
+    assert(dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(iter) == 'r');
+  } else {
+    assert(dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(iter) == typeCode!T());
+  }
+  static if(is(T==string)) {
+    const(char)* cStr;
+    dbus_message_iter_get_basic(iter, &cStr);
+    ret = cStr.fromStringz().idup; // copy string
+  } else static if(is(T==bool)) {
+    dbus_bool_t longerBool;
+    dbus_message_iter_get_basic(iter, &longerBool);
+    ret = cast(bool)longerBool;
+  } else static if(isTuple!T) {
+    DBusMessageIter sub;
+    dbus_message_iter_recurse(iter, &sub);
+    readIterTuple!T(&sub, ret);
+  } else static if(is(T t : U[], U)) {
+    assert(dbus_message_iter_get_element_type(iter) == typeCode!U);
+    DBusMessageIter sub;
+    dbus_message_iter_recurse(iter, &sub);
+    while(dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(&sub) != 0) {
+      ret ~= readIter!U(&sub);
+    }
+  } else static if(basicDBus!T) {
+    dbus_message_iter_get_basic(iter, &ret);
+  }
+  dbus_message_iter_next(iter);
+  return ret;
+}
+
+void readIterTuple(Tup)(DBusMessageIter *iter, ref Tup tuple) if(isTuple!Tup && allCanDBus!(Tup.Types)) {
+  foreach(index, T; Tup.Types) {
+    tuple[index] = readIter!T(iter);
+  }
+}
+
+unittest {
+  import dunit.toolkit;
+  import ddbus.thin;
+  Message msg = new Message("org.example.wow","/wut","org.test.iface","meth");
+  bool[] emptyB;
+  auto args = tuple(5,true,"wow",[6,5],tuple(6.2,4,[["lol"]],emptyB));
+  msg.build(args.expand);
+  msg.signature().assertEqual("ibsai(diaasab)");
+  msg.readTuple!(typeof(args))().assertEqual(args);
+  DBusMessageIter iter;
+  dbus_message_iter_init(msg.msg, &iter);
+  readIter!int(&iter).assertEqual(5);
+  readIter!bool(&iter).assertEqual(true);
+  readIter!string(&iter).assertEqual("wow");
+  readIter!(int[])(&iter).assertEqual([6,5]);
+  readIter!(Tuple!(double,int,string[][],bool[]))(&iter).assertEqual(tuple(6.2,4,[["lol"]],emptyB));
+}
diff --git a/source/ddbus/thin.d b/source/ddbus/thin.d
index 2e56e68..7c7d1ec 100644
--- a/source/ddbus/thin.d
+++ b/source/ddbus/thin.d
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 module ddbus.thin;
 
 import ddbus.c_lib;
+import ddbus.conv;
+import ddbus.util;
 import std.string;
+import std.typecons;
 
-struct Message {
+class Message {
   this(string dest, string path, string iface, string method) {
     msg = dbus_message_new_method_call(dest.toStringz(), path.toStringz(), iface.toStringz(), method.toStringz());
   }
@@ -12,5 +15,44 @@ struct Message {
     dbus_message_unref(msg);
   }
 
+  void build(TS...)(TS args) if(allCanDBus!TS) {
+    DBusMessageIter iter;
+    dbus_message_iter_init_append(msg, &iter);
+    buildIter(&iter, args);
+  }
+
+  T read(T)() if(canDBus!T) {
+    DBusMessageIter iter;
+    dbus_message_iter_init(msg, &iter);
+    return readIter!T(&iter);
+  }
+
+  Tup readTuple(Tup)() if(isTuple!Tup && allCanDBus!(Tup.Types)) {
+    DBusMessageIter iter;
+    dbus_message_iter_init(msg, &iter);
+    Tup ret;
+    readIterTuple(&iter, ret);
+    return ret;
+  }
+
+  const(char)[] signature() {
+    const(char)* cSig = dbus_message_get_signature(msg);
+    return fromStringz(cSig);
+  }
+
   DBusMessage *msg;
 }
+
+// class MessageBuilder {
+//   DBusMessageIter iter;
+//   // kept around for GC reasons, iterators need parent message.
+//   Message parent;
+//   this(Message msg) {
+//     parent = msg;
+//     dbus_message_iter_init(parent.msg, &iter);
+//   }
+
+//   void doBasic(int type, void *v) {
+//     dbus_message_iter_append_basic(&iter, type, v);
+//   }
+// }
diff --git a/source/ddbus/util.d b/source/ddbus/util.d
index 29ccb12..04560ef 100644
--- a/source/ddbus/util.d
+++ b/source/ddbus/util.d
@@ -12,12 +12,19 @@ template allCanDBus(TS...) {
   }
 }
 
-template canDBus(T) {
+template basicDBus(T) {
   static if(is(T == byte) || is(T == short) || is (T == ushort) || is (T == int)
             || is (T == uint) || is (T == long) || is (T == ulong)
             || is (T == double) || is (T == string) || is(T == bool)) {
+    enum basicDBus = true;
+  } else {
+    enum basicDBus = false;
+  }
+}
+
+template canDBus(T) {
+  static if(basicDBus!T) {
     enum canDBus = true;
-    
   } else static if(isTuple!T) {
     enum canDBus = allCanDBus!(T.Types);
   } else static if(isInputRange!T) {
@@ -77,6 +84,11 @@ string typeSigAll(TS...)() if(allCanDBus!TS) {
   return sig;
 }
 
+int typeCode(T)() if(canDBus!T) {
+  string sig = typeSig!T();
+  return sig[0];
+}
+
 unittest {
   import dunit.toolkit;
   // basics
@@ -91,6 +103,9 @@ unittest {
   typeSig!(Tuple!(byte)[][]).assertEqual("aa(y)");
   // multiple arguments
   typeSigAll!(int,bool).assertEqual("ib");
+  // type codes
+  typeCode!int().assertEqual(cast(int)('i'));
+  typeCode!bool().assertEqual(cast(int)('b'));
   // ctfe-capable
   static string sig = typeSig!ulong();
   sig.assertEqual("t");