diff --git a/mysql_client.lua b/mysql_client.lua
index 8205eb7..ff0aa74 100644
--- a/mysql_client.lua
+++ b/mysql_client.lua
@@ -381,6 +381,24 @@ local mb_charsets = { --excluding ASCII supersets i.e. utf8* charsets.
 	gb18030=1,
 }
 
+local max_char_widths = {
+	utf8    = 3,
+	utf8mb4 = 4,
+	big5    = 2,
+	sjis    = 2,
+	euckr   = 2,
+	gb2312  = 2,
+	gbk     = 2,
+	ucs2    = 2,
+	cp932   = 2,
+	ujis    = 3, --eukjp
+	eucjpms = 3,
+	utf16   = 4,
+	utf16le = 4,
+	utf32   = 4,
+	gb18030 = 2,
+}
+
 local buffer_type_names = {
 	[  0] = 'decimal',
 	[  1] = 'tiny',
@@ -410,28 +428,25 @@ local buffer_type_names = {
 	[255] = 'geometry',
 }
 
-local num_types = {
+local bin_types = {
 	tiny        = 'tinyint',
-	short       = 'shortint',
-	long        = 'int',
+	short       = 'smallint',
 	int24       = 'mediumint',
+	long        = 'int',
 	longlong    = 'bigint',
 	newdecimal  = 'decimal',
-}
-
-local bin_types = {
-	tiny_blob   = 'tinyblob',
-	medium_blob = 'mediumblob',
-	long_blob   = 'longblob',
+	tiny_blob   = 'tinyblob',    --always selected as blob
+	medium_blob = 'mediumblob',  --always selected as blob
+	long_blob   = 'longblob',    --always selected as blob
 	blob        = 'blob',
 	var_string  = 'varbinary',
 	string      = 'binary',
 }
 
 local text_types = {
-	tiny_blob   = 'tinytext',
-	medium_blob = 'mediumtext',
-	long_blob   = 'longtext',
+	tiny_blob   = 'tinytext',    --always selected as text
+	medium_blob = 'mediumtext',  --always selected as text
+	long_blob   = 'longtext',    --always selected as text
 	blob        = 'text',
 	var_string  = 'varchar',
 	string      = 'char',
@@ -453,19 +468,23 @@ local string_types = {
 }
 
 local int_ranges = {
-	tinyint   = {-(2^ 7-1), 2^ 7, 0, 2^ 8-1},
-	shortint  = {-(2^15-1), 2^15, 0, 2^16-1},
-	mediumint = {-(2^23-1), 2^23, 0, 2^24-1},
-	int       = {-(2^31-1), 2^31, 0, 2^32-1},
-	bigint    = {-(2^51-1), 2^51, 0, 2^52-1},
+	tinyint   = {1, -(2^ 7-1), 2^ 7, 0, 2^ 8-1},
+	smallint  = {2, -(2^15-1), 2^15, 0, 2^16-1},
+	mediumint = {3, -(2^23-1), 2^23, 0, 2^24-1},
+	int       = {4, -(2^31-1), 2^31, 0, 2^32-1},
+	bigint    = {8, -(2^51-1), 2^51, 0, 2^52-1},
 }
 
 local conn = {}
 local conn_mt = {__index = conn}
 
-local to_lua = {
+function mysql.isconn(x)
+	return getmetatable(x) == conn_mt
+end
+
+local default_to_lua = {
 	tinyint   = tonumber,
-	shortint  = tonumber,
+	smallint  = tonumber,
 	mediumint = tonumber,
 	int       = tonumber,
 	bigint    = tonumber,
@@ -474,13 +493,6 @@ local to_lua = {
 	double    = tonumber,
 	decimal   = tonumber,
 }
-function mysql.to_lua(v, col)
-	local to_lua = col.to_lua or to_lua[col.type]
-	if to_lua then
-		v = to_lua(v)
-	end
-	return v
-end
 
 local function return_arg1(v) return v end
 
@@ -867,26 +879,26 @@ end
 
 local UNSIGNED_FLAG = 32
 
-function mysql.num_range(type, unsigned, digits, decimals)
-	if digits and decimals then
-		local max = 10^(digits - decimals) - 1 / 10^decimals
-		local min = unsigned and 0 or -max --unsigned decimals is deprecated!
-		return min, max
-	else
-		local range = int_ranges[type]
-		if range then
-			if unsigned then
-				return range[3], range[4]
-			else
-				return range[1], range[2]
-			end
+function mysql.int_range(type, unsigned) --min, max, size
+	local range = int_ranges[type]
+	if range then
+		if unsigned then
+			return range[4], range[5], range[1]
+		else
+			return range[2], range[3], range[1]
 		end
 	end
 end
 
+function mysql.dec_range(digits, decimals, unsigned) --min, max, digits
+	local max = 10^(digits - decimals) - 10^-decimals
+	local min = unsigned and 0 or -max --unsigned decimals is deprecated!
+	return min, max, digits
+end
+
 --NOTE: MySQL doesn't give enough metadata to generate a form in a UI,
 --you'll have to query `information_schema` to get the rest like enum values
---and defaults. So we only keep enough info for formatting the values.
+--and defaults. So we gather only what we need for display, not for editing.
 local function get_field_packet(buf)
 	local col = {}
 	local _              = get_name(buf) --always "def"
@@ -896,39 +908,68 @@ local function get_field_packet(buf)
 	col.name             = get_name(buf) --alias column name
 	col.col              = get_name(buf) --name of column in origin table
 	local _              = get_uint(buf) --0x0c
-	local collation      = get_u16(buf)
-	col.max_char_w       = get_u32(buf)
+	local collation      = get_u16(buf) --connection's collation, not field's.
+	local display_size   = get_u32(buf) --in bytes, not in characters.
 	local buf_type_code  = get_u8(buf)
 	local flags          = get_u16(buf)
 	local decimals       = get_u8(buf)
 	local buf_type       = buffer_type_names[buf_type_code]
-	if collation == 63 then
-		local type = bin_types[buf_type]
-		if not type then
-			type = num_types[buf_type]
-			if type then
-				col.decimals = decimals
-			end
+	local mysql_type
+	if collation == 63 then --binary
+		mysql_type = bin_types[buf_type] or buf_type
+		local unsigned = band(flags, UNSIGNED_FLAG) ~= 0 or nil --for val decoding
+		if mysql_type == 'tinyint' or mysql_type == 'smallint'
+			or mysql_type == 'mediumint' or mysql_type == 'int'
+			or mysql_type == 'bigint'
+		then
+			col.type = 'number'
+			col.decimals = 0
+			col.unsigned = unsigned
+		elseif mysql_type == 'decimal' then
+			col.type = 'number'
+			col.decimals = decimals
+			col.unsigned = unsigned
+		elseif mysql_type == 'float' then
+			col.type = 'number'
+		elseif mysql_type == 'double' then
+			col.type = 'number'
+		elseif mysql_type == 'year' then
+			col.type = 'number'
+		elseif mysql_type == 'timestamp' then
+			col.type = 'date'
+			col.has_time = true
+		elseif mysql_type == 'date' then
+			col.type = 'date'
+		elseif mysql_type == 'datetime' then
+			col.type = 'date'
+			col.has_time = true
+		elseif mysql_type == 'binary' then
+			col.padded = true
 		end
-		col.type = type or buf_type
+		col.display_width = display_size
 	else
-		col.type = text_types[buf_type]
-		col.collation = collation_names[collation]
-		col.charset = col.collation and col.collation:match'^[^_]+'
+		mysql_type = text_types[buf_type] or buf_type
+		local collation = collation_names[collation]
+		local charset = collation and collation:match'^[^_]+'
+		col.mysql_display_collation = collation
+		col.mysql_display_charset = charset
+		col.padded = mysql_type == 'char' or nil
+		col.display_width = math.ceil(display_size / (max_char_widths[charset] or 1))
 	end
-	col.buffer_type = buf_type
-	col.buffer_type_code = buf_type_code
-	col.unsigned = band(flags, UNSIGNED_FLAG) ~= 0 or nil
-	col.min, col.max = mysql.num_range(col.type, col.unsigned, nil, col.decimals)
+	col.mysql_display_type = mysql_type
+	col.mysql_buffer_type = buf_type --for param encoding
+	col.mysql_buffer_type_code = buf_type_code --for val decoding
 	return col
 end
 
-local function recv_field_packets(self, field_count, field_attrs)
+local function recv_field_packets(self, field_count, field_attrs, to_lua)
 	local fields = {}
+	to_lua = to_lua or self.to_lua
 	for i = 1, field_count do
 		local typ, buf = recv_packet(self)
 		checkp(self, typ == 'DATA', 'bad packet type')
 		local field = get_field_packet(buf)
+		field.to_lua = to_lua or default_to_lua[field.mysql_type]
 		field.index = i
 		fields[i] = field
 		fields[field.name] = field
@@ -969,6 +1010,10 @@ function mysql.note (...) mysql.log('note', ...) end
 
 function mysql.connect(opt)
 
+	if mysql.isconn(opt) then --pass-through
+		return opt
+	end
+
 	local host = opt.host
 	local port = opt.port or 3306
 
@@ -1115,7 +1160,7 @@ local function read_result(self, opt)
 	local field_count = get_uint(buf)
 	local extra = buf_len(buf) > 0 and get_uint(buf) or nil
 
-	local cols = recv_field_packets(self, field_count, opt and opt.field_attrs)
+	local cols = recv_field_packets(self, field_count, opt and opt.field_attrs, opt and opt.to_lua)
 
 	local compact         = opt and opt.compact
 	local to_array        = opt and opt.to_array and #cols == 1
@@ -1123,7 +1168,6 @@ local function read_result(self, opt)
 	local datetime_format = opt and opt.datetime_format or self.datetime_format
 	local date_format     = opt and opt.date_format     or self.date_format
 	local time_format     = opt and opt.time_format     or self.time_format
-	local to_lua          = opt and opt.to_lua          or self.to_lua
 
 	local rows = {}
 	local i = 0
@@ -1155,7 +1199,7 @@ local function read_result(self, opt)
 				local is_null = band(nulls[null_byte], shl(1, null_bit)) ~= 0
 				local v
 				if not is_null then
-					local bt = col.buffer_type
+					local bt = col.mysql_buffer_type
 					local unsigned = col.unsigned
 					if string_types[bt] then
 						v = get_str(buf)
@@ -1193,7 +1237,10 @@ local function read_result(self, opt)
 			for i, col in ipairs(cols) do
 				local v = get_str(buf)
 				if v ~= nil then
-					v = to_lua(v, col)
+					local to_lua = col.to_lua
+					if to_lua then
+						v = to_lua(v, col)
+					end
 				else
 					v = null_value
 				end
@@ -1268,8 +1315,8 @@ function conn:prepare(query, opt)
 	local param_count  = get_u16(buf)
 	buf(1) --filler
 	stmt.warning_count = get_u16(buf)
-	stmt.params = recv_field_packets(self, param_count, opt and opt.param_attrs)
-	stmt.cols = recv_field_packets(self, col_count, opt and opt.field_attrs)
+	stmt.params = recv_field_packets(self, param_count, opt and opt.param_attrs, opt and opt.to_lua)
+	stmt.cols   = recv_field_packets(self, col_count  , opt and opt.field_attrs, opt and opt.to_lua)
 	stmt.cursor = assert(cursor_types[opt and opt.cursor or 'none'])
 	return stmt
 end
@@ -1309,13 +1356,13 @@ function stmt:exec(...)
 		set_bytes(buf, nulls, nulls_len)
 		set_u8(buf, 1) --new-params-bound-flag
 		for i, param in ipairs(stmt.params) do
-			set_u8(buf, param.buffer_type_code)
+			set_u8(buf, param.mysql_buffer_type_code)
 			set_u8(buf, param.unsigned and 0x80 or 0)
 		end
 		for i, param in ipairs(stmt.params) do
 			local val = select(i, ...)
 			if val ~= nil then
-				local bt = param.buffer_type
+				local bt = param.mysql_buffer_type
 				local unsigned = param.unsigned
 				if string_types[bt] then
 					set_str(buf, tostring(val))
@@ -1390,34 +1437,14 @@ local qmap = {
 	['\26'] = '\\Z',
 	['\"' ] = '\\"',
 }
+local function esc_utf8(s)
+	return s:gsub('[\\\'%z\b\n\r\t\26\"]', qmap)
+end
+mysql.esc_utf8 = esc_utf8
 function conn:esc(s)
 	--MBCS that are not ASCII supersets need decoding for correct quoting.
 	assert(self.charset_is_ascii_superset, 'NYI')
-	return s:gsub('[\\\'%z\b\n\r\t\26\"]', qmap)
-end
-
-
-if not ... then --demo
-
-	local sock = require'sock'
-	local pp = require'pp'
-	sock.run(function()
-		local conn = assert(mysql.connect{
-			host = '127.0.0.1',
-			port = 3307,
-			user = 'root',
-			password = 'abcd12',
-			schema = 'sp',
-			collation = 'server',
-		})
-		print(conn.charset, conn.collation)
-		--pp(conn:query'select * from val where val = 1')
-		local stmt = assert(conn:prepare('select min_price from vari where val = ?'))
-		assert(stmt:exec())
-		pp(conn:read_result({datetime_format = '*t'}))
-		assert(stmt:free())
-	end)
-
+	return esc_utf8(s)
 end
 
 return mysql
diff --git a/mysql_client.md b/mysql_client.md
index 21e89b6..8b9018a 100644
--- a/mysql_client.md
+++ b/mysql_client.md
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 
 ## `local mysql = require'mysql_client'`
 
-MySQL client protocol in Lua.
-Stolen from OpenResty, modified to work with [sock] and added prepared statements.
+MySQL client protocol in Lua. Ripped from OpenResty, modified to work with
+[sock], added prepared statements, better interpretation of field metadata
+(consistent with [sqlpp], [schema] and [xrowset][x-widges]), and other minor
+changes.
 
 ## Example
 
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ The `options` arg can contain:
   * `to_array  = true` -- return an array of values for single-column results.
   * `null_value = val` -- value to use for `null` (defaults to `nil`).
   * `to_lua = f(v, col) -> v` -- custom value converter.
+  * `field_attrs = {name -> attr}` -- extra field attributes.
 
 For queries that return a result set, it returns an array of rows.
 For other queries it returns a Lua table with information such as
@@ -99,8 +102,10 @@ the `sqlstate` return value contains the standard SQL error code that consists
 of 5 characters. Note that, the `errcode` and `sqlstate` might be `nil`
 if MySQL does not return them.
 
-NOTE: 64 bit integers and decimals are converted to Lua numbers by default.
+__NOTE:__ decimals and 64 bit integers are converted to Lua numbers by default.
 That limits the useful range of number types to 15 significant digits.
+If you have other needs, provide your own `to_lua` (which you can set at
+module, connection and query level, and even per field with `field_attrs`).
 
 ### `cn:query(query, [options]) -> res,nil,cols | nil,err,errcode,sqlstate`
 
@@ -111,7 +116,6 @@ You should always check if the `err` return value  is `again` in case of
 success because this method will only call [read_result](#read_result)
 once for you.
 
-
 ### `cn:prepare(query, [opt]) -> stmt`
 
 Prepare a statement. Options can contain:
@@ -130,10 +134,15 @@ Free statement.
 
 The MySQL server version string.
 
+### `mysql.esc_utf8(s) -> s`
+
+Escape string to be used inside SQL string literals. Only works on connections
+for which the charset is ASCII or an ASCII superset (ascii, utf8).
+
 ### `cn:esc(s) -> s`
 
-Escape string to be used inside SQL string literals. This only works if current
-collation is known (ses `collation` arg on `connect()`).
+Escape string to be used inside SQL string literals. This only works
+if the current collation is known (see `collation` arg on `connect()`).
 
 ### Multiple result set support
 
diff --git a/mysql_client_test.lua b/mysql_client_test.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9710671
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql_client_test.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+
+local mysql = require'mysql_client'
+local sock = require'sock'
+local pp = require'pp'
+require'$'
+
+sock.run(function()
+
+	local conn = assert(mysql.connect{
+		host = '127.0.0.1',
+		port = 3307,
+		user = 'root',
+		password = 'root',
+		schema = 'sp',
+		collation = 'server',
+	})
+
+	assert(conn:query[[
+	create table if not exists test (
+		f1 decimal(20, 6),
+		f2 tinyint(1),
+		f2b tinyint unsigned,
+		f3 smallint(2),
+		f3a mediumint(3),
+		f4 int(4),
+		f5 bigint(5),
+		f6 float(2), /* (2) ignored */
+		f7 double, /* can't even give (2) here */
+		f8 timestamp,
+		f9 date,
+		f10 time,
+		f11 datetime,
+		f12 varchar(100),
+		f12a varchar(100) not null collate ascii_bin,
+		f13 char(100),
+		f14 varbinary(100),
+		f15 binary(100),
+		f16 year,
+		f17 bit(12),
+		f18 enum('apple', 'bannana'),
+		f19 set('a', 'b', 'c'),
+		f20 tinyblob,
+		f21 mediumblob,
+		f22 longblob,
+		f23 blob,
+		f24 tinytext,
+		f25 mediumtext,
+		f26 longtext,
+		f27 text(5),
+		f28 varchar(10),
+		f29 char(10)
+	);
+	]])
+
+	local function pr(cols, h)
+		local t = {}
+		for _,k in ipairs(h) do
+			add(t, fmt('%20s', k))
+		end
+		print(cat(t))
+		for _,col in ipairs(cols) do
+			local t = {}
+			for _,k in ipairs(h) do
+				local v = col[k]
+				v = isnum(v) and fmt('%0.17g', v) or v
+				add(t, fmt('%20s', repl(v, nil, '')))
+			end
+			print(cat(t))
+		end
+	end
+
+	--pp(conn:query'select * from val where val = 1')
+	local stmt = assert(conn:prepare
+		--'select cast(123 as tinyint) union select cast(123 as tinyint)')
+		'select * from test')
+		-- ('select min_price from vari where val = ?'))
+	assert(stmt:exec())
+	local rows, _, cols = conn:read_result({datetime_format = '*t'})
+	pr(cols, {
+		'name',
+		'mysql_display_type',
+		'type',
+		'display_width',
+		'decimals',
+		'has_time',
+		'padded',
+		'mysql_display_charset',
+		'mysql_display_collation',
+		'mysql_buffer_type',
+	})
+	assert(stmt:free())
+
+	local spp = require'sqlpp'.new()
+	require'sqlpp_mysql'
+	spp.import'mysql'
+	local cn = spp.connect(conn)
+	local rows, cols = cn:query({get_table_defs=1}, 'select * from test')
+	print()
+	pr(cols, {
+		'name',
+		'mysql_type',
+		'mysql_display_type',
+		'type',
+		'display_width',
+		'decimals',
+		'has_time',
+		'padded',
+		'mysql_charset',
+		'mysql_display_charset',
+		'mysql_collation',
+		'mysql_display_collation',
+		'mysql_buffer_type',
+	})
+	--cn:close()
+
+end)
+