diff --git a/cig.h b/cig.h
index 78364c2..4266874 100644
--- a/cig.h
+++ b/cig.h
@@ -117,10 +117,29 @@ typedef struct dyn_array_create_func_args {
 } dyn_array_create_func_args_t;
 void *dyn_array_create_func(dyn_array_create_func_args_t args);
 #define dyn_array_create(ALLOCATOR, TYPE, ...) ((TYPE*) dyn_array_create_func((dyn_array_create_func_args_t){.allocator=ALLOCATOR, .itemsize=sizeof(TYPE), .file=__FILE__, .line=__LINE__, __VA_ARGS__}))
-
 // Always reassign the array. if multiple variables reference the same growing
 // array, then you should be using pointer pointers.
-void *dyn_array_append_func(void *this, void *data);
+void *dyn_array_append_func(void *this, void *item, const char *file, int line);
+#define dyn_array_append(THIS, ITEM) dyn_array_append_func(THIS, &(ITEM), __FILE__, __LINE__)
+
+typedef struct dyn_array_create_non_crashing_func_args {
+    allocator_t allocator;
+    size_t itemsize;
+    size_t initial_capacity;
+} dyn_array_create_non_crashing_func_args_t;
+void *dyn_array_create_non_crashing_func(dyn_array_create_non_crashing_func_args_t args);
+// This version returns a NULL pointer instead of crashing if the allocator return NULL.
+// It is up to you to check that the pointer returned isn't NULL
+#define dyn_array_create_non_crashing(ALLOCATOR, TYPE, ...) ((TYPE*) dyn_array_create_func((dyn_array_create_non_crashing_func_args_t){.allocator=ALLOCATOR, .itemsize=sizeof(TYPE), __VA_ARGS__}))
+// This version returns a NULL pointer instead of crashing if the allocator return NULL.
+// It is up to you to check that the pointer returned isn't NULL
+// Always reassign the array. if multiple variables reference the same growing
+// array, then you should be using pointer pointers.
+void *dyn_array_append_non_crashing_func(void *this, void *item);
+#define dyn_array_append_non_crashing(THIS, ITEM) dyn_array_append_non_crashing_func(THIS, &(ITEM))
+
+size_t dyn_array_length(void *this);
+size_t dyn_array_capacity(void *this);
 
 #ifdef ALLOCATOR_IMPLEMENTATION
 
@@ -137,6 +156,7 @@ void allocator_free_func(allocator_t this, void *ptr, const char *file, int line
 #include "std_allocator.c"
 #include "buffer_allocator.c"
 #include "borrow_allocator.c"
+#include "dyn_array.c"
 
 #endif // ALLOCATOR_IMPLEMENTATION
 #endif // ALLOCATOR_H
diff --git a/dyn_array.c b/dyn_array.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e599ce1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dyn_array.c
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+#include "cig.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+void *dyn_array_create_func(dyn_array_create_func_args_t args) {
+    void *bytes = dyn_array_create_non_crashing_func(
+        (dyn_array_create_non_crashing_func_args_t) {
+            .allocator=args.allocator,
+            .itemsize=args.itemsize,
+            .initial_capacity=args.initial_capacity,
+        }
+    );
+    if (bytes == NULL) {
+        fprintf(
+            stderr,
+            "%s:%d: allocator returned NULL\n",
+            args.file,
+            args.line
+        );
+        exit(1);
+    }
+    return bytes;
+}
+
+void *dyn_array_append_func(void *this, void *item, const char *file, int line) {
+    void *bytes = dyn_array_append_non_crashing_func(this, item);
+    if (bytes == NULL) {
+        fprintf(
+            stderr,
+            "%s:%d: allocator returned NULL\n",
+            file,
+            line
+        );
+        exit(1);
+    }
+    return bytes;
+}
+
+void *dyn_array_create_non_crashing_func(dyn_array_create_non_crashing_func_args_t args) {
+    dyn_array_header_t *header = allocator_alloc(
+        args.allocator,
+        sizeof(dyn_array_header_t) + args.itemsize * args.initial_capacity
+    );
+    if (header == NULL) { return NULL; }
+    header->size = 0;
+    header->capacity = args.initial_capacity;
+    header->itemsize = args.itemsize;
+    header->allocator = args.allocator;
+    return &header->bytes;
+}
+
+void *dyn_array_append_non_crashing_func(void *this, void *item) {
+    dyn_array_header_t *header = PTR_FROM_FIELD_PTR(dyn_array_header_t, bytes, this);
+    if (header->capacity <= header->size) {
+        size_t new_capacity = header->capacity * 2;
+        if (new_capacity == 0) { new_capacity = 1; }
+        header = allocator_resize(
+            header->allocator,
+            header,
+            sizeof(dyn_array_header_t) + header->itemsize * new_capacity
+        );
+        if (header == NULL) { return NULL; }
+        header->capacity = new_capacity;
+    }
+    &header->bytes[header->itemsize*header->size]
+// typedef struct dyn_array_header {
+//     size_t size, capacity, itemsize;
+//     allocator_t allocator;
+//     uint8_t bytes[];
+// } dyn_array_header_t;
+
+// TODO: this is not good. the type has to be passed into the macro or
+// something because passing in an integer does not work. it won't know to cast
+// it to a char, int, long, whatever, so the bytes will be fucked. Either the
+// macro can take the type to cast the value into the type, or we can just have
+// some grow function instead...
+}
+
+size_t dyn_array_length(void *this) {
+    dyn_array_header_t *header = PTR_FROM_FIELD_PTR(dyn_array_header_t, bytes, this);
+}
+
+size_t dyn_array_capacity(void *this); {
+    dyn_array_header_t *header = PTR_FROM_FIELD_PTR(dyn_array_header_t, bytes, this);
+}
+
+