diff --git a/include/libabacus.h b/include/libabacus.h
index f9f8f59..a5507fa 100644
--- a/include/libabacus.h
+++ b/include/libabacus.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ libab_result libab_init(libab* ab);
  * @param func the function that describes the functionality of the operator.
  * @return the result of the initialization.
  */
-libab_result libab_register_operator_infix(libab* ab, const char* op, int precedence, int associativity, const char* type, libab_function_ptr func);
+libab_result libab_register_operator_infix(libab* ab, const char* op, int precedence, int associativity, libab_ref* type, libab_function_ptr func);
 /**
  * Registers an operation with libabacus that appears
  * before its operand.
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ libab_result libab_register_operator_infix(libab* ab, const char* op, int preced
  * @param func the function that describes the functionality of the operator.
  * @return the result of the registration.
  */
-libab_result libab_register_operator_prefix(libab* ab, const char* op, const char* type, libab_function_ptr func);
+libab_result libab_register_operator_prefix(libab* ab, const char* op, libab_ref* type, libab_function_ptr func);
 /**
  * Registers an operation with libabacus that appears
  * after its operand.
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ libab_result libab_register_operator_prefix(libab* ab, const char* op, const cha
  * @param func the function that describes the functionality of the operator.
  * @return the result of the registration.
  */
-libab_result libab_register_operator_postfix(libab* ab, const char* op, const char* type, libab_function_ptr func);
+libab_result libab_register_operator_postfix(libab* ab, const char* op, libab_ref* type, libab_function_ptr func);
 
 /**
  * Registers a function with libabacus.
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ libab_result libab_register_operator_postfix(libab* ab, const char* op, const ch
  * @param func the function that describes the functionality of the function.
  * @return the result of the registration.
  */
-libab_result libab_register_function(libab* ab, const char* name, const char* type, libab_function_ptr func);
+libab_result libab_register_function(libab* ab, const char* name, libab_ref* type, libab_function_ptr func);
 /**
  * Registers a base type with abacus.
  * @param ab the libabacus instance used to keep state.
@@ -89,6 +89,15 @@ libab_result libab_register_function(libab* ab, const char* name, const char* ty
  * @return the result of the registration.
  */
 libab_result libab_register_basetype(libab* ab, const char* name, libab_basetype* basetype);
+/**
+ * Constructs and resolves a parse type, similarly to how it's done in the
+ * parser.
+ * @param ab the libab instance to use for constructing the type.
+ * @param into the reference to populate with the given type.
+ * @param type the type to parse.
+ * @return the result of the operation.
+ */
+libab_result libab_create_type(libab* ab, libab_ref* into, const char* type);
 /**
  * Releases all the resources allocated by libabacus.
  * @param ab the libabacus instance to release.
diff --git a/src/libabacus.c b/src/libabacus.c
index 94cdab0..cd6fd88 100644
--- a/src/libabacus.c
+++ b/src/libabacus.c
@@ -149,6 +149,19 @@ libab_result libab_register_basetype(libab* ab, const char* name, libab_basetype
     return result;
 }
 
+libab_result libab_create_type(libab* ab, libab_ref* into, const char* type) {
+    libab_result result;
+    ll tokens;
+    ll_init(&tokens);
+    result = libab_lexer_lex(&ab->lexer, type, &tokens);
+    if(result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
+        result = libab_parser_parse_type(&ab->parser, &tokens, type, into);
+    }
+    ll_foreach(&tokens, NULL, compare_always, libab_lexer_foreach_match_free);
+    ll_free(&tokens);
+    return result;
+}
+
 libab_result libab_free(libab* ab) {
     libab_table_free(&ab->table);
     libab_parser_free(&ab->parser);