diff --git a/schala-lang/language/src/symbol_table.rs b/schala-lang/language/src/symbol_table.rs
index 7ca1a16..b845c17 100644
--- a/schala-lang/language/src/symbol_table.rs
+++ b/schala-lang/language/src/symbol_table.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use std::fmt;
 use std::fmt::Write;
 
 use crate::ast;
-use crate::ast::Signature;
+use crate::ast::{TypeBody, TypeSingletonName, Signature};
 use crate::typechecking::TypeName;
 
 //cf. p. 150 or so of Language Implementation Patterns
@@ -60,42 +60,14 @@ impl SymbolTable {
   /* note: this adds names for *forward reference* but doesn't actually create any types. solve that problem
    * later */
   pub fn add_top_level_symbols(&mut self, ast: &ast::AST) -> Result<(), String> {
-    use self::ast::{Statement, TypeIdentifier, Variant, TypeSingletonName, TypeBody};
+    use self::ast::Statement;
     use self::ast::Declaration::*;
     for statement in ast.0.iter() {
       let statement = statement.node();
       if let Statement::Declaration(decl) = statement {
         match decl {
-          FuncSig(signature) | FuncDecl(signature, _) => self.add_function_signature(signature),
-          //TODO figure out why _params isn't being used here
-          TypeDecl { name: TypeSingletonName { name, params: _params}, body: TypeBody(variants), mutable: _mutable, } => {
-            for (index, var) in variants.iter().enumerate() {
-              match var {
-                Variant::UnitStruct(variant_name) => {
-                  let spec = SymbolSpec::DataConstructor {
-                    index,
-                    type_name: name.clone(),
-                    type_args: vec![],
-                  };
-                  self.values.insert(variant_name.clone(), Symbol { name: variant_name.clone(), spec });
-                },
-                Variant::TupleStruct(variant_name, tuple_members) => {
-                  let type_args = tuple_members.iter().map(|type_name| match type_name {
-                    TypeIdentifier::Singleton(TypeSingletonName { name, ..}) => name.clone(),
-                    TypeIdentifier::Tuple(_) => unimplemented!(),
-                  }).collect();
-                  let spec = SymbolSpec::DataConstructor {
-                    index,
-                    type_name: name.clone(),
-                    type_args
-                  };
-                  let symbol = Symbol { name: variant_name.clone(), spec };
-                  self.values.insert(variant_name.clone(), symbol);
-                },
-                e => return Err(format!("{:?} not supported in typing yet", e)),
-              }
-            }
-          },
+          FuncSig(signature) | FuncDecl(signature, _) => self.add_function_signature(signature)?,
+          TypeDecl { name, body, mutable } => self.add_type_decl(name, body, mutable)?,
           _ => ()
         }
       }
@@ -110,7 +82,7 @@ impl SymbolTable {
     output
   }
 
-  fn add_function_signature(&mut self, signature: &Signature) {
+  fn add_function_signature(&mut self, signature: &Signature) -> Result<(), String> {
     let mut local_type_context = LocalTypeContext::new();
     let types = signature.params.iter().map(|param| match param {
       (_, Some(type_identifier)) => Rc::new(format!("{:?}", type_identifier)),
@@ -121,6 +93,41 @@ impl SymbolTable {
       signature.name.clone(),
       Symbol { name: signature.name.clone(), spec }
     );
+    Ok(())
+  }
+
+  fn add_type_decl(&mut self, type_name: &TypeSingletonName, body: &TypeBody, _mutable: &bool) -> Result<(), String> {
+    use crate::ast::{TypeIdentifier, Variant};
+    let TypeBody(variants) = body;
+    let TypeSingletonName { name, .. } = type_name;
+    //TODO figure out why _params isn't being used here
+    for (index, var) in variants.iter().enumerate() {
+      match var {
+        Variant::UnitStruct(variant_name) => {
+          let spec = SymbolSpec::DataConstructor {
+            index,
+            type_name: name.clone(),
+            type_args: vec![],
+          };
+          self.values.insert(variant_name.clone(), Symbol { name: variant_name.clone(), spec });
+        },
+        Variant::TupleStruct(variant_name, tuple_members) => {
+          let type_args = tuple_members.iter().map(|type_name| match type_name {
+            TypeIdentifier::Singleton(TypeSingletonName { name, ..}) => name.clone(),
+            TypeIdentifier::Tuple(_) => unimplemented!(),
+          }).collect();
+          let spec = SymbolSpec::DataConstructor {
+            index,
+            type_name: name.clone(),
+            type_args
+          };
+          let symbol = Symbol { name: variant_name.clone(), spec };
+          self.values.insert(variant_name.clone(), symbol);
+        },
+        Variant::Record { .. } => return Err(format!("Record types not supported yet")),
+      }
+    }
+    Ok(())
   }
 }