diff --git a/lmod/pythonic/optparse.lua b/lmod/pythonic/optparse.lua
index 5bde91e..378ce54 100755
--- a/lmod/pythonic/optparse.lua
+++ b/lmod/pythonic/optparse.lua
@@ -41,13 +41,18 @@ API
   
     Create command line parser.
   
-  opt.add_options{shortflag, longflag, action=action, metavar=metavar, dest=dest, help=help}
+  opt.add_options{shortflag, longflag, action=action, metavar=metavar, dest=dest, help=help, default=default}
   
     Add command line option specification.  This may be called multiple times.
+     action: 'store'|'store_true'|'store_false'. Default is 'store'
+     dest: name of returned option table field. Default is the last option-name. 
+        '-' is replaced with '_' 
+     metavar: name used in help text
+     type: 'int'|'float'|'number'. Default is string
  
-  opt.parse_args() --> options, args
+  opt.parse_args(arglist) --> options, args
   
-    Perform argument parsing.
+    Perform argument parsing. arglist is optional, defaults to global varable 'arg'
  
 DEPENDENCIES
 
@@ -85,15 +90,10 @@ LICENSE
 
  --]]
 
- local M = {_TYPE='module', _NAME='pythonic.optparse', _VERSION='0.3.20111128'}
+ local M = {_TYPE='module', _NAME='pythonic.optparse', _VERSION='0.4.20120827'}
  
-local ipairs = ipairs
-local unpack = unpack
-local io = io
-local table = table
-local os = os
-local arg = arg
-
+local arg,assert,io,ipairs,math,os,table,tonumber,tostring,type,unpack
+    = arg,assert,io,ipairs,math,os,table,tonumber,tostring,type,unpack
 
 local function OptionParser(t)
   local usage = t.usage
@@ -108,17 +108,34 @@ local function OptionParser(t)
     os.exit(1)
   end
 
+  local function is_in_list(list,val) 
+    for _,v in ipairs(list) do 
+      if v == val then return true end
+    end
+  end 
+  
+  local function luatype(otype)
+     if (otype == 'int' or otype == 'float' or otype == 'number' ) then return 'number' end
+     return 'string'
+  end
+  
   function o.add_option(optdesc)
     option_descriptions[#option_descriptions+1] = optdesc
     for _,v in ipairs(optdesc) do
       option_of[v] = optdesc
     end
+    local dest = optdesc.dest or optdesc[#optdesc]:match('^%-+(.*)') -- fallback to last option
+    optdesc.dest = dest:gsub('-','_') 
+    optdesc.metavar = optdesc.metavar or dest:upper()
+    if optdesc.default then
+      assert( type( optdesc.default) == luatype(optdesc.type), 'default type mismatch, option '..optdesc[#optdesc] )
+    end
   end
-  function o.parse_args()
+  function o.parse_args(_arg)
     -- expand options (e.g. "--input=file" -> "--input", "file")
-    local arg = {unpack(arg)}
+    local arg = {unpack(_arg or arg)}
     for i=#arg,1,-1 do local v = arg[i]
-      local flag, val = v:match('^(%-%-%w+)=(.*)')
+      local flag, val = v:match('^(%-%-[%w_-]+)=(.*)')
       if flag then
         arg[i] = flag
         table.insert(arg, i+1, val)
@@ -137,6 +154,22 @@ local function OptionParser(t)
           i = i + 1
           val = arg[i]
           if not val then o.fail('option requires an argument ' .. v) end
+          if luatype(optdesc.type) == 'number' then
+            local num = tonumber(val)
+            if num then 
+              if optdesc.type == 'int' and (num ~= math.floor(num)) then
+                o.fail(('option %s: number %s not an int'):format(v,val)) 
+                num = nil
+              end
+            else
+            o.fail(('option %s: %s not a %s'):format(v,val,optdesc.type)) 
+            end
+            val = num 
+          end
+          if optdesc.choices and not is_in_list(optdesc.choices, val) then
+            o.fail(('illegal value for option %s: %s'):format(v,val)) 
+            val = nil
+          end
         elseif action == 'store_true' then
           val = true
         elseif action == 'store_false' then
@@ -157,6 +190,12 @@ local function OptionParser(t)
       io.stdout:write(t.version .. "\n")
       os.exit()
     end
+    for _,optdesc in ipairs(option_descriptions) do
+      local name = optdesc.dest
+      if optdesc.default and (options[name] == nil) then
+         options[name] = optdesc.default
+      end
+    end
     return options, args
   end
 
@@ -166,7 +205,7 @@ local function OptionParser(t)
     for _,flag in ipairs(optdesc) do
       local sflagend
       if action == nil or action == 'store' then
-        local metavar = optdesc.metavar or optdesc.dest:upper()
+        local metavar = optdesc.metavar
         sflagend = #flag == 2 and ' ' .. metavar
                               or  '=' .. metavar
       else
@@ -178,7 +217,7 @@ local function OptionParser(t)
   end
 
   function o.print_help()
-    io.stdout:write("Usage: " .. usage:gsub('%%prog', arg[0]) .. "\n")
+    io.stdout:write("Usage: " .. usage:gsub('%%prog', arg[0] or '') .. "\n")
     io.stdout:write("\n")
     io.stdout:write("Options:\n")
     local maxwidth = 0
@@ -186,8 +225,24 @@ local function OptionParser(t)
       maxwidth = math.max(maxwidth, #flags_str(optdesc))
     end
     for _,optdesc in ipairs(option_descriptions) do
+      local help = optdesc.help or ''
+      if optdesc.choices or optdesc.default then 
+        if #help>0 then help = help .. ' ' end
+        help = help .. '('
+        if  optdesc.choices then
+          for i,v in ipairs(optdesc.choices) do
+            if i>1 then help = help.. '|' end
+            help = help..tostring(v)
+          end
+        end
+        if optdesc.choices and optdesc.default then help = help..' ; ' end
+        if optdesc.default then
+          help = help .. 'default: '.. tostring(optdesc.default)
+        end
+       help = help .. ')'
+      end
       io.stdout:write("  " .. ('%-'..maxwidth..'s  '):format(flags_str(optdesc))
-                      .. optdesc.help .. "\n")
+                      .. help .. "\n")
     end
   end
   if t.add_help_option == nil or t.add_help_option == true then
diff --git a/test/test.lua b/test/test.lua
index 3b15d33..b269425 100644
--- a/test/test.lua
+++ b/test/test.lua
@@ -1,7 +1,62 @@
 package.path = './lmod/?.lua;'..package.path
 
+arg = { '-d', '-l', 'DEBUG' , 'localhost', '60000', [0] = 'testdeamon'}  -- set global arg
+
 local OP = require 'pythonic.optparse'
 
--- TODO: add tests
+local opt = OP.OptionParser{usage="%prog [options] address port \n", version='0.0', add_help_option=false}
+opt.add_option{'-h', '--help',          help = 'show this help message and exit', action='store_true' }
+opt.add_option{'-d', '--daemon',        help = 'Run as daemon', action='store_true' }
+opt.add_option{'-l', '--log-level',     choices = {'DEBUG', 'INFO', 'WARN', 'ERROR', 'FATAL'},   default = 'INFO', metavar='LEVEL' }
+opt.add_option{      '--logfile',       help = 'Name of logfile', metavar='FILE' }
+opt.add_option{'-c', '--config',        help = 'Name of configfile',  default = '/etc/opt/test', metavar='FILE' }
+opt.add_option{'-s', '--check-interval',help = 'Seconds between checking config',  type='int',  dest='ci', default = 15 , metavar='SEC'}
+opt.add_option{      '--check-float',   help = 'Check floating raft',  type='float', metavar='liters'}
+--opt.print_help()
+
+local options, args = opt.parse_args() -- use global arg
+
+assert(options.log_level=='DEBUG')
+assert(options.config=='/etc/opt/test') -- default value
+assert(options.daemon==true)            -- -d
+assert(options.logfile == nil)
+assert(options.ci == 15)           -- dest, default
+assert(options.check_float == nil)
+assert(#args == 2)
+assert(args[1] == 'localhost')
+assert(args[2] == '60000')
+
+-- Next case, now passing arg as paramenter
+options, args = opt.parse_args{ 'localhost',  '60001', '-l', 'FATAL', '-s', '60' , 
+   '--config', '/home/test/config', '--logfile', '/var/log/test', '--check-float=3.14' }
+assert(options.log_level=='FATAL')
+assert(options.config=='/home/test/config') -- config
+assert(options.logfile == '/var/log/test')
+assert(options.daemon==nil) 
+assert(options.ci == 60)            -- dest, default
+assert(options.check_float == 3.14) -- float and --name=var syntax
+assert(#args == 2)
+assert(args[1] == 'localhost')
+assert(args[2] == '60001')
+
+
+-- harness for error cases: 
+opt.fail=error
+local function check_errorcase(args, errtext)
+  local res, err = pcall(opt.parse_args, args)
+  assert(res==false, 'Illegal parameter not caught')
+  if errtext then
+    assert(err:find(errtext, nil, true), 'Unexpected error text')
+  else
+    print("'"..err.."'")
+  end
+end
+
+-- test error cases: 
+check_errorcase({  '--bogous', 'foo'},  'invalid option --bogous')
+check_errorcase({  '-l' },              'option requires an argument -l')
+check_errorcase({  '-l', 'DEADLY' },    'illegal value for option -l: DEADLY')
+check_errorcase({  '-s', '6f' },        'option -s: 6f not a int')
+check_errorcase({  '-s', '3.14' },      'option -s: number 3.14 not an int')
 
 print 'DONE'