diff --git a/include/shad/extensions/data_types/data_types.h b/include/shad/extensions/data_types/data_types.h
index fd5f9b7f..33391148 100644
--- a/include/shad/extensions/data_types/data_types.h
+++ b/include/shad/extensions/data_types/data_types.h
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ namespace data_types {
   template <typename ENC_t, typename IN_t>
   ENC_t encode(IN_t &in);
 
+  template <typename ENC_t, typename IN_t>
+  ENC_t encode(IN_t &in, data_t dt);
+
   template <typename ENC_t, size_t MAX_s, data_t ST>
   std::array<ENC_t, MAX_s> encode(std::string &str) {
     std::array<ENC_t, MAX_s> res;
@@ -116,7 +119,7 @@ namespace data_types {
   }
 
   template <typename ENC_t, typename DEC_t>
-  typename std::enable_if<std::is_arithmetic<DEC_t>::value, DEC_t>::type
+  typename std::enable_if<(std::is_arithmetic<DEC_t>::value or (sizeof(DEC_t) == sizeof(ENC_t))), DEC_t>::type
   decode(ENC_t encvalue) {
     DEC_t val;
     memcpy(&val, &encvalue, sizeof(DEC_t));
@@ -129,16 +132,38 @@ namespace data_types {
   template <typename ENC_t, data_t ST>
   typename std::enable_if<(ST==data_t::INT), int64_t>::type 
   decode(ENC_t encvalue) {
-    int64_t val;
-    memcpy(&val, &encvalue, sizeof(int64_t));
-    return val;
+    return decode<ENC_t, int64_t>(encvalue);
   }
 
-  // template <typename ENC_t, typename DEC_t, data_t ST>
-  // DEC_t decode(ENC_t value);
-  
-  // template <typename ENC_t, typename DEC_t>
-  // DEC_t decode (ENC_t value);
+  template <typename ENC_t, data_t ST>
+  typename std::enable_if<(ST==data_t::UINT), uint64_t>::type 
+  decode(ENC_t encvalue) {
+    return decode<ENC_t, uint64_t>(encvalue);
+  }
+
+  template <typename ENC_t, data_t ST>
+  typename std::enable_if<(ST==data_t::FLOAT), float>::type 
+  decode(ENC_t encvalue) {
+    return decode<ENC_t, float>(encvalue);
+  }
+
+  template <typename ENC_t, data_t ST>
+  typename std::enable_if<(ST==data_t::DOUBLE), double>::type 
+  decode(ENC_t encvalue) {
+    return decode<ENC_t, double>(encvalue);
+  }
+
+  template <typename ENC_t, data_t ST>
+  typename std::enable_if<(ST==data_t::BOOL), bool>::type 
+  decode(ENC_t encvalue) {
+    return decode<ENC_t, bool>(encvalue);
+  }
+
+  template <typename ENC_t, data_t ST>
+  typename std::enable_if<(ST==data_t::DATE), std::time_t>::type 
+  decode(ENC_t encvalue) {
+    return decode<ENC_t, std::time_t>(encvalue);
+  }
   
   template <typename ENC_t, size_t MAX_s, data_t ST>
   std::string decode(std::array<ENC_t, MAX_s> &val) {
@@ -295,6 +320,35 @@ uint64_t data_types::encode<uint64_t,
   return value;
 }
 
+template <typename ENC_t, typename IN_t>
+ENC_t data_types::encode(IN_t &in, data_types::data_t dt) {
+  switch (dt) {
+//     case data_types::STRING :
+//       return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::STRING>(in);
+//     case data_types::CHARS :
+//       return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::CHARS>(in);
+    case data_types::UINT :
+      return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::UINT>(in);
+    case data_types::INT :
+      return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::INT>(in);
+    case data_types::FLOAT :
+      return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::FLOAT>(in);
+    case data_types::DOUBLE :
+      return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::DOUBLE>(in);
+    case data_types::BOOL :
+      return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::BOOL>(in);
+    case data_types::DATE :
+      return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::DATE>(in);
+    case data_types::USDATE :
+      return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::USDATE>(in);
+    case data_types::DATE_TIME :
+      return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::DATE_TIME>(in);
+    case data_types::IP_ADDRESS :
+      return data_types::encode<ENC_t, IN_t, data_types::IP_ADDRESS>(in);
+  }
+  return data_types::kNullValue<ENC_t>;
+}
+
 template<>
 std::string data_types::decode<uint64_t,
                                std::string,
@@ -333,6 +387,17 @@ std::string data_types::decode<uint64_t,
   return std::to_string(v);
 }
 
+template<>
+std::string data_types::decode<uint64_t,
+                               std::string,
+                               data_types::IP_ADDRESS>(uint64_t value) {
+  std::string ipAddr = "";
+  uint64_t octets[4];
+  for (uint64_t k = 0; k < 4; k ++) {octets[k] = value & 255; value = value >> 8;}
+  for (uint64_t k = 3; k >= 1; k --) ipAddr += std::to_string(octets[k]) + '.';
+  return ipAddr + std::to_string(octets[0]);
+}
+
 template<>
 std::string data_types::decode<uint64_t,
                                std::string,
@@ -341,6 +406,16 @@ std::string data_types::decode<uint64_t,
   return std::to_string(value);
 }
 
+template<>
+std::string data_types::decode<uint64_t,
+                               std::string,
+                               data_types::DATE>(uint64_t value) {
+  time_t t = data_types::decode<uint64_t, data_types::DATE>(value);
+  char dateString[11];
+  strftime(dateString, 11, "%Y-%m-%d", std::localtime(&t));
+  return std::string(dateString);
+}
+
 template<>
 std::string data_types::decode<uint64_t,
                                std::string,
@@ -355,35 +430,8 @@ uint64_t data_types::decode<uint64_t, uint64_t>(uint64_t encvalue) {
 }
 
 
-// template <>
-// int64_t data_types::decode<uint64_t, int64_t>(uint64_t encvalue) {
-//   int64_t val;
-//   memcpy(&val, &encvalue, sizeof(val));
-//   return val;
-// }
-
-// template <>
-// float data_types::decode<uint64_t, float>(uint64_t encvalue) {
-//   float val;
-//   memcpy(&val, &encvalue, sizeof(val));
-//   return val;
-// }
-
-// template <>
-// double data_types::decode<uint64_t, double>(uint64_t encvalue) {
-//   double val;
-//   memcpy(&val, &encvalue, sizeof(val));
-//   return val;
-// }
-
-// template <>
-// bool data_types::decode<uint64_t, bool>(uint64_t encvalue) {
-//   float val;
-//   memcpy(&val, &encvalue, sizeof(val));
-//   return val;
-// }
 
 
 }  // namespace shad
 
-#endif  // INCLUDE_SHAD_EXTENSIONS_DATA_TYPES_DATA_TYPES_H_
+#endif  // INCLUDE_SHAD_EXTENSIONS_DATA_TYPES_DATA_TYPES_H_
\ No newline at end of file