diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a5b420c..ccc5e78 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,19 +9,19 @@ var form = require('terminal-forms.js').create(process.stdin, process.stdout);
 
 Input types presently supported:
 
-* `form.ask(prompt, handlers)`
-  * i.e. `form.ask("What is your quest? ", form.inputs.text).then(fn);`
+* `form.ask(label, type)` where `type` is one of `form.inputs`
+  * i.e. `form.ask("What is your quest? ", 'text').then(fn);`
 * `form.setStatus(msg)`
   * i.e. `form.setStatus("(hint: you seek the Grail!)")`
 * `form.inputs`
-  * `.text` (no constraints)
-  * `.email` (checks format and looks up MX records)
-  * `.url` (checks format and looks up A/AAAA/CNAME records)
+  * `text` (no constraints)
+  * `email` (checks format and looks up MX records)
+  * `url` (checks format and looks up A/AAAA/CNAME records)
 
 Handlers
 ========
 
-A handler may implement any or all of these interfaces:
+An input `type` handler may implement any or all of these interfaces:
 
 * `onReturnAsync(rs, ws, input, ch)`
 * `onDebounceAsync(rs, ws, input, ch)`
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index d35fd94..c934b4d 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@ var ARROW_LEFT = '\u001b[D';    // 37
 // \033[0m RESET
 
 var form = {
-  createWs: function (rrs, rws) {
+  PromiseA: PromiseA
+, createWs: function (rrs, rws) {
+    rws = PromiseA.promisifyAll(rws);
+
     // the user just hit enter to run a program, so the terminal is at x position 0,
     // however, we have no idea where y is, so we just make it really really negative
     var startY = -65537;
@@ -90,8 +93,7 @@ var form = {
           }
           ws._inputIndex += 1;
           ws._x = ws._prompt.length + ws._inputIndex;
-          rws.write(str);
-          return;
+          return rws.writeAsync(str);
 
           case ARROW_LEFT:
           form.setStatus(rrs, ws, colors.dim(
@@ -105,8 +107,7 @@ var form = {
           ws._inputIndex = Math.max(0, ws._inputIndex - 1);
           //ws._x = Math.max(0, ws._x - 1);
           ws._x = Math.max(0, ws._x - 1);
-          rws.write(str);
-          return;
+          return rws.writeAsync(str);
         }
 
         if (rows.length > 1) {
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ var form = {
           ws._x += len;
         }
 
-        rws.write(str);
+        return rws.writeAsync(str);
       }
     , moveCursor: function (dx, dy) {
         if ('number' !== typeof dx || (0 !== dx && !dx)) {
@@ -142,11 +143,30 @@ var form = {
     return ws;
   }
 
-, ask: function (rrs, ws, prompt, cbs) {
-    ws._prompt = prompt;
+, ask: function (rrs, ws, label, cbs) {
+    ws._prompt = label.label || label;
     ws._input = [];
     ws._inputIndex = 0;
 
+    if ('object' === typeof label) {
+      cbs = label;
+    }
+
+    if ('string' === typeof cbs) {
+      cbs = { type: cbs };
+    }
+
+    if (cbs.type) {
+      if (!form.inputs[cbs.type]) {
+        return form.PromiseA.reject(new Error("input type '" + cbs.type + "' is not implemented"));
+      }
+      Object.keys(form.inputs[cbs.type]).forEach(function (key) {
+        if (!cbs[key]) {
+          cbs[key] = form.inputs[cbs.type][key];
+        }
+      });
+    }
+
     return new PromiseA(function (resolve) {
       var ch;
 
@@ -203,7 +223,7 @@ var form = {
 
         rrs.pause();
 
-        (cbs.onReturnAsync||cbs.onReturn)(rrs, ws, ws._input.join(''), ch).then(function (normalInput) {
+        form.PromiseA.resolve((cbs.onReturnAsync||cbs.onReturn)(rrs, ws, ws._input.join(''), ch)).then(function (normalInput) {
           ws.write('\n');
           ws.clearLine(); // person just hit enter, they are on the next line
                           // (and this will clear the status, if any)
@@ -298,6 +318,7 @@ var form = {
       rrs.on('data', onData);
     });
   }
+
 , setStatus: function (rrs, ws, msg) {
     //var errlen = (' ' + err.message).length;
     var x = ws._x;
@@ -313,6 +334,10 @@ var form = {
     ws.cursorTo(x);
     ws.moveCursor(0, -1);
   }
+
+, println: function (rrs, ws, msg) {
+    return ws.write((msg||'') + '\n');
+  }
 };
 
 var inputs = {
@@ -376,6 +401,7 @@ var inputs = {
   }
 };
 
+form.inputs = inputs;
 module.exports.inputs = inputs;
 module.exports.form = form;
 module.exports.create = function (rrs, rws) {
@@ -400,6 +426,7 @@ module.exports.create = function (rrs, rws) {
   f.inputs = inputs;
   f.ws = ws;
   f.rrs = rrs;
+  f.PromiseA = PromiseA;
 
   return f;