diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 53a9c92..2d66a65 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# emacs workspace config
+.projectile
 # lsp keeps state here
 .cache
 # typical build directory
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 427a56b..3231179 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
 
 project(xo_pyreflect VERSION 0.1)
-enable_language(CXX)
 
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake)
@@ -17,9 +16,7 @@ set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "")
 add_definitions(${PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS})
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# sources
 
-# note: library=pyreflect (not xo_pyreflect) -> establishes pyreflectTargets
 add_subdirectory(src/pyreflect)
 #add_subdirectory(utest)
 
@@ -27,3 +24,5 @@ add_subdirectory(src/pyreflect)
 # provide find_package() support
 
 xo_export_cmake_config(${PROJECT_NAME} ${PROJECT_VERSION} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets)
+
+# end CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
index 9659221..aba3116 100644
--- a/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
+++ b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
@@ -1,14 +1,35 @@
-if (("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "") OR ("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "prefix"))
-    # default to typical install location for xo-project-macros
-    set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/cmake)
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# for example:
+#   $ PREFIX=/usr/local   # for example
+#   $ cmake -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=prefix -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$PREFIX -B .build
+#
+# will get
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
+# from xo-cmake-config --cmake-module-path
+#
+# and expect .cmake macros in
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH/xo_macros/xo_cxx.cmake
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+find_program(XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE NAMES xo-cmake-config REQUIRED)
+
+if ("${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}" STREQUAL "XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE-NOT_FOUND")
+    message(FATAL "could not find xo-cmake-config executable")
 endif()
 
+message(STATUS "XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE=${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}")
+
 if (NOT XO_SUBMODULE_BUILD)
-    message("-- CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")
-    message("-- CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}")
+    if (("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "") OR ("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL prefix))
+        # default to typical install location for xo-project-macros
+        execute_process(COMMAND ${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE} --cmake-module-path OUTPUT_VARIABLE CMAKE_MODULE_PATH)
+        message(STATUS "CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}")
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 # needs to have been installed somewhere on CMAKE_MODULE_PATH,
 # (e.g. from xo-cmake with the same value for CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX)
 #
-include(xo_macros/xo-project-macros)
+include(xo_macros/xo_cxx)
+
+xo_cxx_bootstrap_message()
diff --git a/cmake/xo_pyreflectConfig.cmake.in b/cmake/xo_pyreflectConfig.cmake.in
index 9c15f36..eb9a3b1 100644
--- a/cmake/xo_pyreflectConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/xo_pyreflectConfig.cmake.in
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 @PACKAGE_INIT@
 
 include("${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/@PROJECT_NAME@Targets.cmake")
+include("${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/@PROJECT_NAME@Share.cmake")
 check_required_components("@PROJECT_NAME@")
diff --git a/src/pyreflect/CMakeLists.txt b/src/pyreflect/CMakeLists.txt
index 0dbd348..8be1e42 100644
--- a/src/pyreflect/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/pyreflect/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 set(SELF_LIB xo_pyreflect)
 set(SELF_SRCS pyreflect.cpp)
 
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
 xo_pybind11_library(${SELF_LIB} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets ${SELF_SRCS})
 xo_pybind11_dependency(${SELF_LIB} reflect)
 xo_pybind11_dependency(${SELF_LIB} xo_pyutil)
diff --git a/src/pyreflect/pyreflect.cpp b/src/pyreflect/pyreflect.cpp
index fc6e8fe..b230268 100644
--- a/src/pyreflect/pyreflect.cpp
+++ b/src/pyreflect/pyreflect.cpp
@@ -16,21 +16,44 @@
 namespace xo {
     using xo::time::utc_nanos;
     using xo::ref::unowned_ptr;
-    using xo::ref::rp;
+    using xo::rp;
     namespace py = pybind11;
 
     namespace reflect {
         PYBIND11_MODULE(PYREFLECT_MODULE_NAME(), m) {
 
+            m.doc() = "pybind11 plugin for xo-reflect";
+
+            py::enum_<Metatype>(m, "Metatype")
+                .value("invalid", Metatype::mt_invalid)
+                .value("atomic", Metatype::mt_atomic)
+                .value("pointer", Metatype::mt_pointer)
+                .value("vector", Metatype::mt_vector)
+                .value("struct", Metatype::mt_struct)
+                .value("function", Metatype::mt_function)
+                ;
+
             /* note: possibly move this to pytime/  if/when we provide it */
             //py::class_<utc_nanos>(m, "utc_nanos");
 
             //py::class_<TypeDescrImpl>(m, "TypeDescr");
+            /* TypeDescrBase instances are created automatically at library load time
+             * by static initializers.  The reflection library (xo-reflect) is responsible
+             * for lifetime of TypeDescrobjects.  Under no circumstances should python
+             * (or pybind11) directly destroy a TypeDescrImpl instance, hence use of
+             * unowned_ptr<TypeDescrBase> here.
+             */
             py::class_<TypeDescrBase,
                        unowned_ptr<TypeDescrBase>>(m, "TypeDescr")
+
+                .def_static("lookup_by_name", &TypeDescrBase::lookup_by_name)
                 .def_static("print_reflected_types",
                             [](){ TypeDescrBase::print_reflected_types(std::cout); })
+
                 .def_property_readonly("canonical_name", &TypeDescrBase::canonical_name)
+                .def_property_readonly("short_name", &TypeDescrBase::short_name)
+                .def_property_readonly("metatype", &TypeDescrBase::metatype)
+                .def_property_readonly("complete_flag", &TypeDescrBase::complete_flag)
                 .def("__repr__", &TypeDescrBase::display_string);
 
             /* note: this means python will use