diff --git a/aosc/private/defines.rkt b/aosc/private/defines.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9c0692
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aosc/private/defines.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#lang racket/base
+
+(require racket/contract
+         "macro.rkt")
+
+; TODO: limit abtype and abhost to a set of valid values with contract
+(define-vars #f string? pkgname pkgsec abhost abtype)
+(define-vars #t string? pkgdes)
+(define-vars #f (listof string?)
+             pkgdep builddep pkgrecom pkgbreak pkgsug pkgconfl pkgrep)
+(define-vars #f (listof string?)
+             autotools-def cmake-def waf-def qtproj-def)
+(define-vars #t (listof string?)
+             autotools-after cmake-after waf-after qtproj-after go-build-after
+             cargo-after)
+(define-vars #f boolean?
+             ab-flags-o3 ab-flags-specs ab-flags-ssp ab-flags-ftf ab-flags-rro
+             nolto useclang ab-flags-pie ab-flags-pic abshadow abconfighack
+             abclean noparallel abstrip absplitdbg)
+(define-vars #f boolean? reconf nopython2 nopython3)
+(define-vars #f exact-nonnegative-integer?
+             abthreads)
+
+(struct defines-type (opts) #:transparent)
+
+(define/contract (defines opts)
+  (-> (listof pair?) defines-type?)
+  ;; TODO: checks here
+  (defines-type opts))
+
+(define/contract (defines->string defines)
+  (-> defines-type? string?)
+  ;; TODO: ->string here, apply ->string to each opt
+  "")
diff --git a/aosc/private/macro.rkt b/aosc/private/macro.rkt
index dfbc09e..01f5133 100644
--- a/aosc/private/macro.rkt
+++ b/aosc/private/macro.rkt
@@ -3,27 +3,49 @@
 (require racket/contract
          racket/format
          racket/string
+         "arch.rkt"
+         "utils.rkt"
          (for-syntax racket/base
                      racket/syntax))
 
 (define-syntax (define-vars stx)
   (syntax-case stx ()
-    [(_ array contract a)
-     (with-syntax
-       ([a-val (format-id #'a "~a-val" #'a)]
+    [(_ array/quote contract a)
+     (with-syntax*
+       ([a (if (equal? (syntax->datum #'contract) 'boolean?)
+               (format-id #'a "~a?" #'a)
+               #'a)]
+        [a-val (format-id #'a "~a-val" #'a)]
         [a? (format-id #'a "~a?" #'a)]
         [a->string (format-id #'a "~a->string" #'a)] )
        #`(begin
            (struct a (val) #:transparent)
-           (define/contract (a->string val)
-             (-> a? string?)
+           (define/contract (a->string val [arch 'any])
+             (->* (a?) (arch?) string?)
              (format "~a=~a"
-                     'a
-                     (if (equal? 'contract string?)
-                         (a-val val)
-                         (if 'array 
-                             (format "(~a)" (string-join (map ~v (a-val val))))
-                             (format "\"~a\"" (string-join (a-val val)))))))
+                     (string-upcase
+                      (format "~a~a"
+                              (string-replace
+                               (if (equal? 'contract 'boolean?)
+                                  (string-trim (symbol->string 'a) "?" #:left? #f)
+                                  (symbol->string 'a))
+                               "-" "_")
+                              (if (equal? arch 'any)
+                                  ""   
+                                  (string-append "__" (symbol->string arch)))))
+                     (cond
+                       [(equal? 'contract 'string?)
+                        (if 'array/quote
+                            (~v (a-val val))
+                            (a-val val))]
+                       [(equal? 'contract 'boolean?)
+                        (boolean->exact-nonnegative-integer (a-val val))]
+                       [(equal? 'contract 'exact-nonnegative-integer?)
+                        (a-val val)]
+                       [(equal? 'contract '(listof string?))
+                        (if 'array/quote
+                           (format "(~a)" (string-join (map ~v (a-val val))))
+                           (format "\"~a\"" (string-join (a-val val))))])))
            ))]
     [(_ array contract a b ...)
      #'(begin
diff --git a/aosc/private/utils.rkt b/aosc/private/utils.rkt
index 3321a55..28e314a 100644
--- a/aosc/private/utils.rkt
+++ b/aosc/private/utils.rkt
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
   (->* (string? any/c) (boolean? arch?) string?)
   (string-append entry-name
                  (if (equal? arch 'any)
-                     ""
+                     "" 
                      (string-append "__" (string-upcase (symbol->string arch))))
                  (if quote? "=\"" "=")
                  (~a value)