diff --git a/src/data.cpp b/src/data.cpp
index a7a7cc4..187c6fd 100644
--- a/src/data.cpp
+++ b/src/data.cpp
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ void Value::copyIn(const void *ptr, StoreType type)
 
             } else if(src.original_type()==ArrayType::Value && desc->code.kind()==Kind::Compound) {
                 // assign array of Struct/Union/Any
-                auto tsrc  = shared_array_static_cast<const Value>(src);
+                auto tsrc  = src.castTo<const Value>();
 
                 if(desc->code!=TypeCode::AnyA) {
                     // enforce member type for Struct[] and Union[]
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ void Value::traverse(const std::string &expr, bool modify)
                 auto& varr = store->as<shared_array<const void>>();
                 shared_array<const Value> arr;
                 if((varr.original_type()==ArrayType::Value)
-                        && index < (arr = shared_array_static_cast<const Value>(varr)).size())
+                        && index < (arr = varr.castTo<const Value>()).size())
                 {
                     *this = arr[index];
                     pos = sep+1;
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ void show_Value(std::ostream& strm,
         if(varr.original_type()!=ArrayType::Value) {
             strm<<" = "<<varr<<"\n";
         } else {
-            auto arr = shared_array_static_cast<const Value>(varr);
+            auto arr = varr.castTo<const Value>();
             strm<<" [\n";
             for(auto& val : arr) {
                 show_Value(strm, std::string(), val._desc(), val._store(), level+1);
diff --git a/src/dataencode.cpp b/src/dataencode.cpp
index 642ddcb..962be5f 100644
--- a/src/dataencode.cpp
+++ b/src/dataencode.cpp
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ namespace {
 template<typename E, typename C = E>
 void to_wire(Buffer& buf, const shared_array<const void>& varr)
 {
-    auto arr = shared_array_static_cast<const E>(varr);
+    auto arr = varr.castTo<const E>();
     to_wire(buf, Size{arr.size()});
     for(auto i : range(arr.size())) {
         to_wire(buf, C(arr[i]));
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ void to_wire_field(Buffer& buf, const FieldDesc* desc, const FieldStorage* store
             to_wire<std::string, const std::string&>(buf, fld);
             return;
         case TypeCode::StructA:{
-            auto arr = shared_array_static_cast<const Value>(fld);
+            auto arr = fld.castTo<const Value>();
             to_wire(buf, Size{arr.size()});
             for(auto& elem : arr) {
                 if(!elem) {
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ void to_wire_field(Buffer& buf, const FieldDesc* desc, const FieldStorage* store
         }
             return;
         case TypeCode::UnionA: {
-            auto arr = shared_array_static_cast<const Value>(fld);
+            auto arr = fld.castTo<const Value>();
             to_wire(buf, Size{arr.size()});
             for(auto& elem : arr) {
                 if(!elem) {
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ void to_wire_field(Buffer& buf, const FieldDesc* desc, const FieldStorage* store
         }
             return;
         case TypeCode::AnyA:{
-            auto arr = shared_array_static_cast<const Value>(fld);
+            auto arr = fld.castTo<const Value>();
             to_wire(buf, Size{arr.size()});
             for(auto& elem : arr) {
                 if(!elem) {
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ void from_wire_field(Buffer& buf, TypeStore& ctxt,  const FieldDesc* desc, Field
                 }
             }
 
-            fld = shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr)));
+            fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
         }
             return;
         case TypeCode::UnionA: {
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ void from_wire_field(Buffer& buf, TypeStore& ctxt,  const FieldDesc* desc, Field
                 }
             }
 
-            fld = shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr)));
+            fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
         }
             return;
         case TypeCode::AnyA:{
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ void from_wire_field(Buffer& buf, TypeStore& ctxt,  const FieldDesc* desc, Field
                 }
             }
 
-            fld = shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr)));
+            fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
         }
             return;
         default: break;
diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
index 60d2272..544274f 100644
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const shared_array<const void>& arr
 {
     switch(arr.original_type()) {
     case ArrayType::Null: strm<<"[null]"; break;
-#define CASE(CODE, Type) case ArrayType::CODE: strm<<shared_array_static_cast<const Type>(arr); break
+#define CASE(CODE, Type) case ArrayType::CODE: strm<<arr.castTo<const Type>(); break
     CASE(Bool, bool);
     CASE(UInt8, uint8_t);
     CASE(UInt16, uint16_t);
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const shared_array<void>& arr)
 {
     switch(arr.original_type()) {
     case ArrayType::Null: strm<<"[null]"; break;
-#define CASE(CODE, Type) case ArrayType::CODE: strm<<shared_array_static_cast<Type>(arr); break
+#define CASE(CODE, Type) case ArrayType::CODE: strm<<arr.castTo<Type>(); break
     CASE(Bool, bool);
     CASE(UInt8, uint8_t);
     CASE(UInt16, uint16_t);
diff --git a/test/testdata.cpp b/test/testdata.cpp
index c36824b..b24864d 100644
--- a/test/testdata.cpp
+++ b/test/testdata.cpp
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ void testSerialize2()
         arr[0]["value"] = 0xdeadbeef;
         arr[1]["value"] = 0x1badface;
 
-        fld.from(shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr))));
+        fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
 
         testToBytes(true, [&val](Buffer& buf) {
             to_wire_valid(buf, val);
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ void testSerialize2()
         arr[0]["->x"] = "theX";
         arr[1]["->y"] = "theY";
 
-        fld.from(shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr))));
+        fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
 
         testToBytes(true, [&val](Buffer& buf) {
             to_wire_valid(buf, val);
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ void testSerialize2()
         arr[0] = 0x7b;
         arr[1]["q"] = "theq";
 
-        fld.from(shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr))));
+        fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
 
         testToBytes(true, [&val](Buffer& buf) {
             to_wire_valid(buf, val);
diff --git a/test/testtype.cpp b/test/testtype.cpp
index 636d120..0d41626 100644
--- a/test/testtype.cpp
+++ b/test/testtype.cpp
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ void testTypeDef()
     {
         shared_array<double> arr({1.0, 2.0});
 
-        val["value"].from(shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr))));
+        val["value"] = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
     }
     // Struct[]
     {
@@ -202,10 +202,7 @@ void testTypeDef()
         arr[0]["value"] = 1.0;
         arr[1]["value"] = 2.0;
 
-//        auto frozen = freeze(std::move(arr));
-//        auto varr = shared_array_static_cast<const void>(frozen);
-//        fld.from(varr);
-        fld.from(shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr))));
+        fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
 
         testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr[1]value"].as<double>(), 2.0);
     }
@@ -222,7 +219,7 @@ void testTypeDef()
         arr[0]["->x"] = 4.0;
         arr[1]["->y"] = 5.0;
 
-        fld.from(shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr))));
+        fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
 
         testEq(fld["[1]"].as<double>(), 5.0);
         testEq(val["achoice[1]"].as<double>(), 5.0);
@@ -250,7 +247,7 @@ void testTypeDef()
         arr[0] = 123;
         arr[1]["q"] = "theq";
 
-        fld.from(shared_array_static_cast<const void>(freeze(std::move(arr))));
+        fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
 
         testEq(fld["[0]"].as<uint64_t>(), 123u);
         testEq(fld["[1]q"].as<std::string>(), "theq");