diff --git a/wrap/system/qgetopt.cpp b/wrap/system/qgetopt.cpp
index 52fca14b..b68d0317 100644
--- a/wrap/system/qgetopt.cpp
+++ b/wrap/system/qgetopt.cpp
@@ -50,21 +50,21 @@ void GetOpt::addSwitch(char s, const QString &name, const QString &description,
   option.o = s;
   option.name = name;
   option.description = description;
-  option.b = b;
+  option.boolean_value = b;
   options.push_back(option);
 }
 
   //add a valued option (v will be left untouched if the option is not given)
 void GetOpt::addOption(char s, const QString &name, const QString &description, QVariant *v ) {
-  Option option;
-  assert(!findOption(s, option));
-  assert(!findArg(name, option));
-  option.type = Option::OPTION;
-  option.o = s;
-  option.name = name;
-  option.description = description;
+  Option option(Option::OPTION, s, name, description);
   option.value = v;
+
+  assert(!findOption(s, option)); //TODO make this check systematic
+  assert(!findArg(name, option));
+
   options.push_back(option);
+
+
 }
   //add an argument
 void GetOpt::addArgument(const QString &name, const QString &description, QVariant *v) {
@@ -76,6 +76,28 @@ void GetOpt::addArgument(const QString &name, const QString &description, QVaria
   option.value = v;
   options.push_back(option);
 }
+
+void GetOpt::addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, QString *v) {
+    Option option(Option::OPTION, s, longname, description);
+    option.string_value = v;
+    options.push_back(option);
+}
+void GetOpt::addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, double *v) {
+    Option option(Option::OPTION, s, longname, description);
+    option.double_value = v;
+    options.push_back(option);
+}
+void GetOpt::addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, int *v) {
+    Option option(Option::OPTION, s, longname, description);
+    option.int_value = v;
+    options.push_back(option);
+}
+void GetOpt::addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, bool *v) {
+    Option option(Option::OPTION, s, longname, description);
+    option.boolean_value = v;
+    options.push_back(option);
+}
+
   //add an optional agrument
 void GetOpt::addOptionalArgument(const QString &name, const QString &description, QVariant *v) {
   Option option;
@@ -127,7 +149,7 @@ QString GetOpt::usage() {
     Option &o = options[i];
     int len = o.name.size() + 2;
     switch(o.type) {
-      case Option::ARGUMENT: 
+      case Option::ARGUMENT:
       case Option::OPTIONAL: break;
       case Option::SWITCH:   len += 5; break;
       case Option::OPTION:   len += 16; break;
@@ -149,7 +171,7 @@ QString GetOpt::usage() {
     QString blank = "";
     blank.resize(maxlen - line.size());
     blank.fill(' ');
-    line += blank + formatDesc(o.description, maxlen) + "\n"; 
+    line += blank + formatDesc(o.description, maxlen) + "\n";
     u += line;
   }
   return u;
@@ -183,7 +205,7 @@ bool GetOpt::parse(QString &error) {
         return false;
       }
       if(o.type == Option::SWITCH) {
-        *(o.b) = true;
+        *(o.boolean_value) = true;
       } else { //OPTION
         i++;
         if(args.size() <= i) {
@@ -195,13 +217,25 @@ bool GetOpt::parse(QString &error) {
           error = "Missing argument after option '" + arg + "'";
           return false;
         }
+        QVariant::Type type;
+        if(o.value) type = o.value->type();
+        if(o.string_value) type = QVariant::String;
+        if(o.double_value) type = QVariant::Double;
+        if(o.int_value) type = QVariant::Int;
+        if(o.boolean_value) type = QVariant::Bool;
         QVariant v(arg);
-        if(!v.canConvert(o.value->type()) || !v.convert(o.value->type())) {
+
+        if(!v.canConvert(type) || !v.convert(type)) {
           error = "Error while parsing option " + o.name + ": cannot convert " +
-                  arg + " to: " + o.value->typeName();
+                  arg + " to: " + v.typeName();
           return false;
         }
-        *(o.value) = v;
+        if(o.value)
+          *(o.value) = v;
+        if(o.string_value) *(o.string_value) = v.toString();
+        if(o.double_value) *(o.double_value) = v.toDouble();
+        if(o.int_value) *(o.int_value) = v.toInt();
+        if(o.boolean_value) *(o.boolean_value) = v.toBool();
       }
 
     //option
@@ -216,7 +250,7 @@ bool GetOpt::parse(QString &error) {
         return false;
       }
       if(o.type == Option::SWITCH) {
-        *(o.b) = true;
+        *(o.boolean_value) = true;
       } else { //OPTION
         i++;
         if(args.size() <= i) {
@@ -239,7 +273,7 @@ bool GetOpt::parse(QString &error) {
     //argument
     } else {
       arguments.push_back(arg);
-    } 
+    }
   }
   //test arguments
   for(int i = 0; i < options.size(); i++) {
diff --git a/wrap/system/qgetopt.h b/wrap/system/qgetopt.h
index 6ae3a7d6..4141d86a 100644
--- a/wrap/system/qgetopt.h
+++ b/wrap/system/qgetopt.h
@@ -19,90 +19,104 @@
 * GNU General Public License (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt)          *
 * for more details.                                                         *
 *                                                                           *
-****************************************************************************/
-
-#ifndef GETOPT_H
-#define GETOPT_H
-
-#include <QString>
-#include <QStringList>
-#include <QMap>
-#include <QVariant>
-
-/* Example usage: 
-
-  QString file1, file2;
-  QString o_gamma = "10";
-  QString o_scale = "0.7";
-
-  GetOpt opt(argc, argv);
-  opt.addArgument("img1", "first image", &file1);
-  opt.addArgument("img2", "second image", &file2);
-  opt.addOption('g', "gamma", "weigth to derivatives of images (default: 10)", &o_gamma);
-  opt.addOption('s', "scale", "scale [0.5-0.99] for multiscale approach (default: 0.7)", &o_scale);
-
-  opt.parse();          */
-
-class GetOpt {
- protected:
-  struct Option {
-    enum Type { SWITCH, OPTION, ARGUMENT, OPTIONAL };
-    Type type;
-    char o;
-    QString name;
-    QString description;
-    QVariant *value;
-    bool *b;
-  };
-  bool unlimitedArgs;
-  QList<Option> options;
-
- public:
-  QString appname;          //application name
-  QString help;             //help text
-  QStringList args;         //original argument vector
-  QStringList arguments;    //arbitrary long list of arguments if unlimitedArgs is true
-
-  GetOpt(): unlimitedArgs(false) {}
-  GetOpt(int argc, char *argv[] );
-  GetOpt(const QStringList &a);
-
-  //add an option without a value
-  void addSwitch(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, bool *b );
-
-  //add a valued option (v will be left untouched if the option is not given)
-  void addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, QVariant *v);
-
-  //add an argument
-  void addArgument(const QString &name, const QString &description, QVariant *v);
-
-  //add an optional agrument
-  void addOptionalArgument(const QString &name, const QString &description, QVariant *v);
- 
-  //allow an unlimited number of optional arguments
-  void allowUnlimitedArguments(bool allow) { unlimitedArgs = allow; }
-
-  //set help if someone uses -h or --help option
-  void setHelp(QString &_help) { help = _help; }
-
-  //parses the command line and fill variables or print an error message and exits
-  void parse();
-
-  //return usage string
-  QString usage();
-
-  //return argv[0]
-  QString &applicationName();
-
- protected:
-  //parses and return true on success
-  bool parse(QString &error);
-  //return options or switch
-  bool findOption(char c, Option &option);
-  //return any named argument
-  bool findArg(const QString &name, Option &option);
-  //split desc into n pieces of the right length TODO: check for newlines also
-  QString formatDesc(QString desc, int len);
-};
-
-#endif
+****************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef GETOPT_H
+#define GETOPT_H
+
+#include <QString>
+#include <QStringList>
+#include <QMap>
+#include <QVariant>
+
+/* Example usage:
+
+  QString file1, file2;
+  QString o_gamma = "10";
+  QString o_scale = "0.7";
+
+  GetOpt opt(argc, argv);
+  opt.addArgument("img1", "first image", &file1);
+  opt.addArgument("img2", "second image", &file2);
+  opt.addOption('g', "gamma", "weigth to derivatives of images (default: 10)", &o_gamma);
+  opt.addOption('s', "scale", "scale [0.5-0.99] for multiscale approach (default: 0.7)", &o_scale);
+
+  opt.parse();          */
+
+class GetOpt {
+ protected:
+  struct Option {
+    enum Type { SWITCH, OPTION, ARGUMENT, OPTIONAL };
+    Type type;
+    char o;
+    QString name;
+    QString description;
+    QVariant *value;
+    QString *string_value;
+    double *double_value;
+    int *int_value;
+    bool *boolean_value;
+
+    Option(): value(NULL), string_value(NULL), double_value(NULL), int_value(NULL), boolean_value(NULL) {}
+    Option(Type _type, char _o, QString _name, QString _descr):
+        type(_type), o(_o), name(_name), description(_descr),
+        value(NULL), string_value(NULL), double_value(NULL), int_value(NULL), boolean_value(NULL) {}
+  };
+
+  bool unlimitedArgs;
+  QList<Option> options;
+
+ public:
+  QString appname;          //application name
+  QString help;             //help text
+  QStringList args;         //original argument vector
+  QStringList arguments;    //arbitrary long list of arguments if unlimitedArgs is true
+
+  GetOpt(): unlimitedArgs(false) {}
+  GetOpt(int argc, char *argv[] );
+  GetOpt(const QStringList &a);
+
+  //add an option without a value
+  void addSwitch(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, bool *b );
+
+  //add a valued option (v will be left untouched if the option is not given)
+  void addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, QVariant *v);
+  void addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, QString *v);
+  void addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, double *v);
+  void addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, int *v);
+  void addOption(char s, const QString &longname, const QString &description, bool *v);
+
+
+  //add an argument
+  void addArgument(const QString &name, const QString &description, QVariant *v);
+
+  //add an optional agrument
+  void addOptionalArgument(const QString &name, const QString &description, QVariant *v);
+
+  //allow an unlimited number of optional arguments
+  void allowUnlimitedArguments(bool allow) { unlimitedArgs = allow; }
+
+  //set help if someone uses -h or --help option
+  void setHelp(QString &_help) { help = _help; }
+
+  //parses the command line and fill variables or print an error message and exits
+  void parse();
+
+  //return usage string
+  QString usage();
+
+  //return argv[0]
+  QString &applicationName();
+
+ protected:
+  //parses and return true on success
+  bool parse(QString &error);
+  //return options or switch
+  bool findOption(char c, Option &option);
+  //return any named argument
+  bool findArg(const QString &name, Option &option);
+  //split desc into n pieces of the right length TODO: check for newlines also
+  QString formatDesc(QString desc, int len);
+};
+
+#endif