diff --git a/cwNumericConvert.h b/cwNumericConvert.h
index d110040..c1a1b52 100644
--- a/cwNumericConvert.h
+++ b/cwNumericConvert.h
@@ -136,12 +136,21 @@ namespace cw
     }
     return kOkRC;
   }
-  
 
   template< typename T >
-    void number_to_string( const T& v, const char* fmt, char* buf, int bufN  )
-  { snprintf(buf,bufN,fmt,v); }
+    int number_to_string( const T& v, char* buf, int bufN, const char* fmt=nullptr  )
+  { return snprintf(buf,bufN,fmt,v); }
 
+  template < > inline
+  int number_to_string( const int&      v, char* buf, int bufN, const char* fmt ) { return snprintf(buf,bufN,fmt==nullptr ? "%i" : fmt, v);  }
+  
+  template < > inline
+  int number_to_string( const unsigned& v, char* buf, int bufN, const char* fmt ) { return snprintf(buf,bufN,fmt==nullptr ? "%i" : fmt, v);  }
+  
+  template < > inline
+  int number_to_string( const double&   v, char* buf, int bufN, const char* fmt ) { return snprintf(buf,bufN,fmt==nullptr ? "%f" : fmt, v);  }
+
+  
   
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/cwObject.cpp b/cwObject.cpp
index 8b36822..974c9bc 100644
--- a/cwObject.cpp
+++ b/cwObject.cpp
@@ -57,18 +57,18 @@ namespace cw
 
 
   void _objTypeNullToString(   object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { snprintf(buf,bufN,"%s","NULL");  }
-  void _objTypeCharToString(   object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<char>(o->u.c,"%c",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeInt8ToString(   object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<int8_t>(o->u.i8,"%i",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeUInt8ToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<uint8_t>(o->u.u8,"%i",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeInt16ToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<int16_t>(o->u.i16,"%i",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeUInt16ToString( object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<uint16_t>(o->u.u16,"%i",buf,bufN); } 
-  void _objTypeInt32ToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<int32_t>(o->u.i32,"%i",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeUInt32ToString( object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<uint32_t>(o->u.u32,"%i",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeInt64ToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<int64_t>(o->u.i64,"%i",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeUInt64ToString( object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<uint64_t>(o->u.u64,"%i",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeBoolToString(   object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<bool>(o->u.b,"%i",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeFloatToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<float>(o->u.f,"%f",buf,bufN); }
-  void _objTypeDoubleToString( object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<double>(o->u.d,"%f",buf,bufN); }
+  void _objTypeCharToString(   object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<char>(o->u.c,buf,bufN,"%c"); }
+  void _objTypeInt8ToString(   object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<int8_t>(o->u.i8,buf,bufN,"%i"); }
+  void _objTypeUInt8ToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<uint8_t>(o->u.u8,buf,bufN,"%i"); }
+  void _objTypeInt16ToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<int16_t>(o->u.i16,buf,bufN,"%i"); }
+  void _objTypeUInt16ToString( object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<uint16_t>(o->u.u16,buf,bufN,"%i"); } 
+  void _objTypeInt32ToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<int32_t>(o->u.i32,buf,bufN,"%i"); }
+  void _objTypeUInt32ToString( object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<uint32_t>(o->u.u32,buf,bufN,"%i"); }
+  void _objTypeInt64ToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<int64_t>(o->u.i64,buf,bufN,"%i"); }
+  void _objTypeUInt64ToString( object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<uint64_t>(o->u.u64,buf,bufN,"%i"); }
+  void _objTypeBoolToString(   object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<bool>(o->u.b,buf,bufN,"%i"); }
+  void _objTypeFloatToString(  object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<float>(o->u.f,buf,bufN,"%f"); }
+  void _objTypeDoubleToString( object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { number_to_string<double>(o->u.d,buf,bufN,"%f"); }
   void _objTypeStringToString( object_t* o, char* buf, unsigned bufN ) { snprintf(buf,bufN,"%s",o->u.str); }