diff --git a/sol/demangle.hpp b/sol/demangle.hpp
index 56a132ea..90bc0320 100644
--- a/sol/demangle.hpp
+++ b/sol/demangle.hpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ inline std::string demangle(const std::type_info& id) {
         while(found != std::string::npos) {
             realname.erase(found, removals[r].size());
             found = realname.find(removals[r]);
-       }
+        }
     }
 
     for(std::size_t r = 0; r < replacements.size(); r+=2) {
diff --git a/sol/deprecate.hpp b/sol/deprecate.hpp
index 0d20c23a..b59cc74a 100644
--- a/sol/deprecate.hpp
+++ b/sol/deprecate.hpp
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@
 
 namespace sol {
 namespace detail {
-   template <typename T>
-   struct SOL_DEPRECATED deprecate_type {
-       using type = T;
-   };
+    template <typename T>
+    struct SOL_DEPRECATED deprecate_type {
+        using type = T;
+    };
 } // detail
 } // sol
 
diff --git a/sol/function.hpp b/sol/function.hpp
index 06e12072..0aa8373f 100644
--- a/sol/function.hpp
+++ b/sol/function.hpp
@@ -110,11 +110,11 @@ private:
 
     function_result invoke(indices<>, types<>, std::ptrdiff_t n) const {
         const int stacksize = lua_gettop(state());
-	   const int firstreturn = std::max(0, stacksize - static_cast<int>(n) - 1);
+        const int firstreturn = std::max(0, stacksize - static_cast<int>(n) - 1);
         luacall(n, LUA_MULTRET);
         const int poststacksize = lua_gettop(state());
         const int returncount = poststacksize - firstreturn;
-	   return function_result(state(), firstreturn + 1, returncount);
+        return function_result(state(), firstreturn + 1, returncount);
     }
 
 public:
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ struct pusher<function_sig_t<Sigs...>> {
 
     template<typename Sig>
     static void set(lua_State* L, Sig* fxptr){
-       set_fx(std::false_type(), L, fxptr);
+        set_fx(std::false_type(), L, fxptr);
     }
 
     template<typename... Args, typename R, typename C, typename T>
diff --git a/sol/function_types.hpp b/sol/function_types.hpp
index 131c41a2..747fcf48 100644
--- a/sol/function_types.hpp
+++ b/sol/function_types.hpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ struct functor {
     functor(FxArgs&&... fxargs): item(nullptr), invocation(std::forward<FxArgs>(fxargs)...) {}
 
     bool check () const {
-         return invocation != nullptr;
+        return invocation != nullptr;
     }
 
     template<typename... Args>
diff --git a/sol/object.hpp b/sol/object.hpp
index 38db7243..02759208 100644
--- a/sol/object.hpp
+++ b/sol/object.hpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "reference.hpp"
 #include "stack.hpp"
+#include "function.hpp"
 
 namespace sol {
 class object : public reference {
@@ -32,10 +33,13 @@ public:
     object() = default;
 
     template<typename T>
-    auto as() const -> decltype(stack::get<T>(state())) {
+    auto as() const -> decltype(stack::get<T>(state())) const {
         push();
         type actual = stack::get<type>(state());
-        type_assert(state(), -1, type_of<T>(), actual);
+        // This code is actually present
+        // in almost all of the type-getters,
+        // and it thus insanely redundant
+        // type_assert(state(), -1, type_of<T>(), actual);
         return stack::pop<T>(state());
     }
 
@@ -46,25 +50,44 @@ public:
         return (expected == actual) || (expected == type::poly);
     }
 
-    explicit operator bool() const {
-        return !is<nil_t>();
+    bool valid() const {
+        return !this->is<nil_t>();
+    }
+
+    operator const char* () const {
+        return this->as<const char*>();
+    }
+
+    template<typename T, EnableIf<Not<std::is_same<Unqualified<T>, const char*>>, Not<std::is_same<Unqualified<T>, char>>, Not<std::is_same<Unqualified<T>, std::string>>, Not<std::is_same<Unqualified<T>, std::initializer_list<char>>>> = 0>
+    operator T () const {
+        return this->as<T>();
+    }
+
+    template<typename... Ret, typename... Args>
+    stack::get_return_or<function_result, Ret...> call( Args&&... args ) {
+        return this->as<function>()(types<Ret...>(), std::forward<Args>( args )...);
+    }
+
+    template<typename... Args>
+    function_result operator()( Args&&... args ) {
+        return this->as<function>()(std::forward<Args>( args )...);
     }
 };
 
 inline bool operator==(const object& lhs, const nil_t&) {
-    return lhs.is<nil_t>();
+    return !lhs.valid();
 }
 
 inline bool operator==(const nil_t&, const object& rhs) {
-    return rhs.is<nil_t>();
+    return !rhs.valid();
 }
 
 inline bool operator!=(const object& lhs, const nil_t&) {
-    return !lhs.is<nil_t>();
+    return lhs.valid();
 }
 
 inline bool operator!=(const nil_t&, const object& rhs) {
-    return !rhs.is<nil_t>();
+    return rhs.valid();
 }
 } // sol
 
diff --git a/sol/proxy.hpp b/sol/proxy.hpp
index a314a017..1a69dc57 100644
--- a/sol/proxy.hpp
+++ b/sol/proxy.hpp
@@ -31,18 +31,13 @@ template<typename Table, typename Key>
 struct proxy {
 private:
     Table& tbl;
-    Key& key;
+    If<std::is_array<Unqualified<Key>>, Key&, Unqualified<Key>> key;
 
 public:
 
     template<typename T>
     proxy(Table& table, T&& key) : tbl(table), key(std::forward<T>(key)) {}
 
-    template<typename T>
-    T get() const {
-        return tbl.template get<T>(key);
-    }
-
     template<typename T>
     proxy& set(T&& item) {
         tbl.set(key, std::forward<T>(item));
@@ -56,13 +51,20 @@ public:
     }
 
     template<typename U, EnableIf<Function<Unqualified<U>>> = 0>
-    void operator=(U&& other) {
+    proxy& operator=(U&& other) {
         tbl.set_function(key, std::forward<U>(other));
+        return *this;
     }
 
     template<typename U, DisableIf<Function<Unqualified<U>>> = 0>
-    void operator=(U&& other) {
+    proxy& operator=(U&& other) {
         tbl.set(key, std::forward<U>(other));
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    template<typename T>
+    T get() const {
+        return tbl.template get<T>( key );
     }
 
     operator const char* () const {
diff --git a/sol/resolve.hpp b/sol/resolve.hpp
index e8702b5c..8fa8aafd 100644
--- a/sol/resolve.hpp
+++ b/sol/resolve.hpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ inline auto resolve_f(std::true_type, F&& f)
 template<typename F>
 inline void resolve_f(std::false_type, F&&) {
     static_assert(has_deducible_signature<F>::value,
-                  "Cannot use no-template-parameter call with an overloaded functor: specify the signature");
+                    "Cannot use no-template-parameter call with an overloaded functor: specify the signature");
 }
 
 template<typename F, typename U = Unqualified<F>>
diff --git a/sol/stack.hpp b/sol/stack.hpp
index 4c9610f7..138bc851 100644
--- a/sol/stack.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack.hpp
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ struct pusher {
 
     template<typename U = T, EnableIf<std::is_base_of<reference, U>> = 0>
     static int push(lua_State*, T& ref) {
-       return ref.push();
+        return ref.push();
     }
 
     template<typename U = Unqualified<T>, EnableIf<Not<has_begin_end<U>>, Not<std::is_base_of<reference, U>>, Not<std::is_integral<U>>, Not<std::is_floating_point<U>>> = 0>
diff --git a/sol/state.hpp b/sol/state.hpp
index f339e3ec..9e39b240 100644
--- a/sol/state.hpp
+++ b/sol/state.hpp
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ public:
     template<typename... Args, typename... Keys>
     auto get(Keys&&... keys) const
     -> decltype(global.get<Args...>(std::forward<Keys>(keys)...)) {
-       return global.get<Args...>(std::forward<Keys>(keys)...);
+        return global.get<Args...>(std::forward<Keys>(keys)...);
     }
 
     template<typename T, typename U>
diff --git a/sol/table.hpp b/sol/table.hpp
index a35a1cb5..174bee83 100644
--- a/sol/table.hpp
+++ b/sol/table.hpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public:
 
     template<typename... Ret, typename... Keys>
     stack::get_return<Ret...> get( Keys&&... keys ) const {
-	    return tuple_get(types<Ret...>(), build_indices<sizeof...(Ret)>(), std::tie(keys...));
+        return tuple_get(types<Ret...>(), build_indices<sizeof...(Ret)>(), std::tie(keys...));
     }
 
     template<typename T, typename U>
@@ -114,16 +114,16 @@ public:
         size_t result = lua_rawlen(state(), -1);
         pop();
         return result;
-    }
-
-    template<typename T>
+    }
+
+    template<typename T>
     proxy<table, T> operator[]( T&& key ) {
-	    return proxy<table, T>( *this, std::forward<T>( key ) );
-    }
-
-    template<typename T>
+        return proxy<table, T>( *this, std::forward<T>( key ) );
+    }
+
+    template<typename T>
     proxy<const table, T> operator[]( T&& key ) const {
-	    return proxy<const table, T>( *this, std::forward<T>( key ) );
+        return proxy<const table, T>( *this, std::forward<T>( key ) );
     }
 
     void pop(int n = 1) const noexcept {
diff --git a/sol/traits.hpp b/sol/traits.hpp
index 22ebcc14..1bdf99cb 100644
--- a/sol/traits.hpp
+++ b/sol/traits.hpp
@@ -286,8 +286,8 @@ struct member_traits : detail::member_traits<Signature> {
 
 struct has_begin_end_impl {
     template<typename T, typename U = Unqualified<T>,
-                         typename B = decltype(std::declval<U&>().begin()),
-                         typename E = decltype(std::declval<U&>().end())>
+        typename B = decltype(std::declval<U&>().begin()),
+        typename E = decltype(std::declval<U&>().end())>
     static std::true_type test(int);
 
     template<typename...>
@@ -299,9 +299,9 @@ struct has_begin_end : decltype(has_begin_end_impl::test<T>(0)) {};
 
 struct has_key_value_pair_impl {
     template<typename T, typename U = Unqualified<T>,
-             typename V = typename U::value_type,
-             typename F = decltype(std::declval<V&>().first),
-             typename S = decltype(std::declval<V&>().second)>
+        typename V = typename U::value_type,
+        typename F = decltype(std::declval<V&>().first),
+        typename S = decltype(std::declval<V&>().second)>
     static std::true_type test(int);
 
     template<typename...>
diff --git a/sol/types.hpp b/sol/types.hpp
index f4e8e69c..9bbb350a 100644
--- a/sol/types.hpp
+++ b/sol/types.hpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ enum class type : int {
     userdata      = LUA_TUSERDATA,
     lightuserdata = LUA_TLIGHTUSERDATA,
     table         = LUA_TTABLE,
-    poly          = none   | nil     | string   | number   | thread       |
+    poly          = none   | nil     | string   | number   | thread          |
                     table  | boolean | function | userdata | lightuserdata
 };
 
@@ -96,14 +96,14 @@ inline void type_error(lua_State* L, type expected, type actual) {
 
 inline void type_assert(lua_State* L, int index, type expected, type actual) {
     if (expected != type::poly && expected != actual) {
-        type_panic(L, index, expected, actual);
+           type_panic(L, index, expected, actual);
     }
 }
 
 inline void type_assert(lua_State* L, int index, type expected) {
     int actual = lua_type(L, index);
     if(expected != type::poly && static_cast<int>(expected) != actual) {
-        type_error(L, static_cast<int>(expected), actual);
+           type_error(L, static_cast<int>(expected), actual);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/sol/usertype.hpp b/sol/usertype.hpp
index 77d8538e..c9eaccca 100644
--- a/sol/usertype.hpp
+++ b/sol/usertype.hpp
@@ -358,11 +358,11 @@ public:
         // but leave the regular T table on last
         // so it can be linked to a type for usage with `.new(...)` or `:new(...)`
         push_metatable(L, usertype_traits<T*>::metatable,
-                       metafunctions, ptrmetafunctiontable);
+            metafunctions, ptrmetafunctiontable);
         lua_pop(L, 1);
 
         push_metatable(L, usertype_traits<T>::metatable,
-                       metafunctions, metafunctiontable);
+            metafunctions, metafunctiontable);
         set_global_deleter(L);
         return 1;
     }