diff --git a/src/kwil_generate.c b/src/kwil_generate.c
index 453f257..119649e 100644
--- a/src/kwil_generate.c
+++ b/src/kwil_generate.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ int kwil_typename_to_prefix(const char* restrict type_name, char* out_prefix, si
     if(len > out_size) {
         return 1;
     }
+
     // generate a function prefix for a type name
     strcpy(out_prefix, type_name);
 
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ int kwil_header_generate(struct kwil_header_t* self) {
     setvbuf(file, file_buffer, _IOLBF, 255);
 
     if(!file) {
-        printf("Failed to open kwil header for writing");
+        printf("Failed to open %s for writing", filename);
         free(filename);
         return 1;
     }
@@ -62,7 +63,8 @@ int kwil_header_generate(struct kwil_header_t* self) {
                 kwil_struct_generate_to_json(&type->struct_type, file, type->type_name);
                 break;
             case KWIL_TYPE_ENUM:
-                //kwil_enum_generate_to_string(&type->enum_type, file, type->type_name);
+                kwil_enum_generate_json_length(&type->enum_type, file, type->type_name);
+                kwil_enum_generate_to_json(&type->enum_type, file, type->type_name);
                 break;
         }
     }
@@ -184,3 +186,34 @@ int kwil_field_generate_to_json(struct kwil_field_t* self, FILE* file) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+int kwil_enum_generate_json_length(struct kwil_enum_t* self, FILE* file, const char* type_name) {
+    char prefix[48];
+    kwil_typename_to_prefix(type_name, prefix, 47);
+    fprintf(file, "size_t %s_json_length(enum %s* src) {\\\n"
+                  "    switch(*src) {\\\n", prefix, type_name);
+    for(int option_index = 0; option_index < self->enum_values_len; ++option_index) {
+        fprintf(file, "        case %s: return %zu;\\\n",
+                self->enum_values[option_index].name, strlen(self->enum_values[option_index].name));
+    }
+    fprintf(file, "    }\\\n"
+                  "}\\\n");
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int kwil_enum_generate_to_json(struct kwil_enum_t* self, FILE* file, const char* type_name) {
+    char prefix[48];
+    kwil_typename_to_prefix(type_name, prefix, 47);
+    fprintf(file, "size_t %s_to_json(enum %s* src, char* out) {\\\n"
+                  "    switch(*src) {\\\n", prefix, type_name);
+
+    for(int option_index = 0; option_index < self->enum_values_len; ++option_index) {
+        fprintf(file, "        case %s:\\\n"
+                      "            return sprintf(out, \"\\\"%s\\\"\");\\\n",
+                self->enum_values[option_index].name, self->enum_values[option_index].name);
+    }
+
+    fprintf(file, "    }\\\n"
+                  "}\\\n");
+    return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/kwil_generate.h b/src/kwil_generate.h
index c55ab19..2b4f468 100644
--- a/src/kwil_generate.h
+++ b/src/kwil_generate.h
@@ -6,8 +6,13 @@
 
 extern int kwil_header_generate(struct kwil_header_t* self);
 
+extern int kwil_struct_generate_json_length(struct kwil_struct_t* self, FILE* file, const char* type_name);
 extern int kwil_struct_generate_to_json(struct kwil_struct_t* self, FILE* file, const char* type_name);
+
 extern int kwil_field_generate_to_json(struct kwil_field_t* self, FILE* file);
+
+
+extern int kwil_enum_generate_json_length(struct kwil_enum_t* self, FILE* file, const char* type_name);
 extern int kwil_enum_generate_to_json(struct kwil_enum_t* self, FILE* file, const char* type_name);
 
 #endif // !_kwil_generate_H
diff --git a/src/kwil_parse.c b/src/kwil_parse.c
index e39e2c4..78f2088 100644
--- a/src/kwil_parse.c
+++ b/src/kwil_parse.c
@@ -56,18 +56,21 @@ int read_typename(FILE* file, char* out_buf, int max_size) {
     char buffer[7];
     buffer[6] = '\0';
 
-    for(int i = 0; i < 6; ++i) {
-        buffer[i] = fgetc(file);
+    c = next_non_whitespace(file);
+    for(int i = 0; i < 6 && (ispunct(c) || isalnum(c)); ++i) {
+        buffer[i] = c;
+        c = fgetc(file);
     }
 
     // next line is not a compatible type declaration,
     // write null terminator and return zero
-    if(strncmp(buffer, "struct", 7) != 0 && strncmp(buffer, "enum", 4) != 0) {
+    if(strncmp(buffer, "struct ", 6) != 0 && strncmp(buffer, "enum ", 4) != 0) {
         *out_buf = '\0';
+        printf("WARNING: KWIL_ENUM or KWIL_STRUCT specifier before incompatible declaration.\n");
         return 0;
     }
 
-    // ignore the whitespace after "struct"
+    // ignore the whitespace after "struct" or "enum"
     c = next_non_whitespace(file);
 
     // write all text until the next whitespace or '{' to the out buffer
diff --git a/test_files/header.kwil.h b/test_files/header.kwil.h
index 049a99f..123b03d 100644
--- a/test_files/header.kwil.h
+++ b/test_files/header.kwil.h
@@ -1,7 +1,24 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #define KWIL_GEN_IMPL(...)\
-int struct_A_to_json(struct struct_A* src, char** out_json) {\
-    int json_capacity = 2; \
+size_t enum_A_json_length(enum enum_A* src) {\
+    switch(*src) {\
+        case VALUE_A: return 7;\
+        case VALUE_B: return 7;\
+        case VALUE_C: return 7;\
+    }\
+}\
+size_t enum_A_to_json(enum enum_A* src, char* out) {\
+    switch(*src) {\
+        case VALUE_A:\
+            return sprintf(out, "\"VALUE_A\"");\
+        case VALUE_B:\
+            return sprintf(out, "\"VALUE_B\"");\
+        case VALUE_C:\
+            return sprintf(out, "\"VALUE_C\"");\
+    }\
+}\
+size_t struct_A_json_length(struct struct_A* src) {\
+    size_t json_capacity = 2;\
     /* length of b */\
     json_capacity += 5+ snprintf(NULL, 0, "%d", src->b);\
     /* length of a */\
@@ -10,10 +27,11 @@ int struct_A_to_json(struct struct_A* src, char** out_json) {\
     json_capacity += 5 + snprintf(NULL, 0, "%du", src->u);\
     /* length of dyn_str */\
     json_capacity += 11 + strlen(src->dyn_str);\
-    char* json = malloc(json_capacity);\
+    return json_capacity;\
+}\
+int struct_A_to_json(struct struct_A* src, char* json) {\
     int json_len = 1;\
     strcpy(json, "{");\
-    *out_json = json;\
     /* field: b */\
     json_len += sprintf(json + json_len, "\"b\":");\
     json_len += sprintf(json + json_len, "%d", src->b);\
@@ -37,10 +55,10 @@ int struct_A_to_json(struct struct_A* src, char** out_json) {\
     strcpy(json + json_len, ",");\
     ++json_len;\
     strcpy(json + json_len - 1, "}");\
-    return json_capacity;\
+    return json_len;\
 }\
-int struct_B_to_json(struct struct_B* src, char** out_json) {\
-    int json_capacity = 2; \
+size_t struct_B_json_length(struct struct_B* src) {\
+    size_t json_capacity = 2;\
     /* length of f */\
     json_capacity += 5 + snprintf(NULL, 0, "%f", src->f);\
     /* length of i */\
@@ -50,17 +68,18 @@ int struct_B_to_json(struct struct_B* src, char** out_json) {\
     /* length of str_static */\
     json_capacity += 14 + strlen(src->str_static);\
     /* length of other_struct */\
-    json_capacity += 16;\
+    json_capacity += 16 + struct_A_json_length(&src->other_struct);\
     /* length of other_struct_typedef */\
-    json_capacity += 24;\
+    json_capacity += 24 + struct_A_json_length(&src->other_struct_typedef);\
     /* length of other_enum */\
-    json_capacity += 14;\
+    json_capacity += 14 + enum_A_json_length(&src->other_enum);\
     /* length of other_enum_typedef */\
-    json_capacity += 22;\
-    char* json = malloc(json_capacity);\
+    json_capacity += 22 + enum_A_json_length(&src->other_enum_typedef);\
+    return json_capacity;\
+}\
+int struct_B_to_json(struct struct_B* src, char* json) {\
     int json_len = 1;\
     strcpy(json, "{");\
-    *out_json = json;\
     /* field: f */\
     json_len += sprintf(json + json_len, "\"f\":");\
     json_len += sprintf(json + json_len, "%f", src->f);\
@@ -87,21 +106,25 @@ int struct_B_to_json(struct struct_B* src, char** out_json) {\
     ++json_len;\
     /* field: other_struct */\
     json_len += sprintf(json + json_len, "\"other_struct\":");\
+    json_len += struct_A_to_json(&src->other_struct, json + json_len);\
     strcpy(json + json_len, ",");\
     ++json_len;\
     /* field: other_struct_typedef */\
     json_len += sprintf(json + json_len, "\"other_struct_typedef\":");\
+    json_len += struct_A_to_json(&src->other_struct_typedef, json + json_len);\
     strcpy(json + json_len, ",");\
     ++json_len;\
     /* field: other_enum */\
     json_len += sprintf(json + json_len, "\"other_enum\":");\
+    json_len += enum_A_to_json(&src->other_enum, json + json_len);\
     strcpy(json + json_len, ",");\
     ++json_len;\
     /* field: other_enum_typedef */\
     json_len += sprintf(json + json_len, "\"other_enum_typedef\":");\
+    json_len += enum_A_to_json(&src->other_enum_typedef, json + json_len);\
     strcpy(json + json_len, ",");\
     ++json_len;\
     strcpy(json + json_len - 1, "}");\
-    return json_capacity;\
+    return json_len;\
 }\
 
diff --git a/test_files/implementation.c b/test_files/implementation.c
index 4a75219..06d5d4d 100644
--- a/test_files/implementation.c
+++ b/test_files/implementation.c
@@ -9,27 +9,42 @@ KWIL_GEN_IMPL()
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
     printf("running kwil test\n");
-    struct struct_A b = {
+
+    struct struct_A a = {
         .b = -10,
         .u = 13,
         .a = 1.0,
         .dyn_str = "WHOOAAAAA"
     };
-    char* json = NULL;
-    int json_len = struct_A_to_json(&b, &json);
 
-    printf("allocated %d bytes for json of struct_A\n", json_len);
-    printf("struct_A as json:\n%s\n", json);
+    struct struct_B b = {
+        .f = 123.0,
+        .f_NOT_KWIL = 0,
+        .i_NOT_KWIL = 0,
+        .i = 3,
+        .str = "SNALE!!",
+        .other_struct = a,
+        .other_struct_typedef = {
+            .b = -20, .u = 13, .a = -3.14, .dyn_str = "AWESOMEE"
+        }
+    };
+
+    int required = struct_B_json_length(&b);
+    char* json = malloc(required);
+    int json_len = struct_B_to_json(&b, json);
+
+    printf("allocated %d bytes for json of struct_B\n", required);
+    printf("struct_B as json:\n%s\n", json);
 
     int real_len = strlen(json);
 
     free(json);
-
     if(real_len != json_len) {
-        printf("Json Length (%d) does not match allocated space %d\n", real_len, json_len);
+        printf("Json Length (%d) does not match allocated space (%d)\n", required, json_len);
         return 1;
     }
 
+
     return 0;
 }