diff --git a/include/blt/parse/argparse.h b/include/blt/parse/argparse.h
index b49ae82..5d72f3b 100644
--- a/include/blt/parse/argparse.h
+++ b/include/blt/parse/argparse.h
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ namespace blt
             static std::string filename(const std::string& path);
             
             // expects that the current flag has already been consumed (advanced past), leaves tokenizer in a state where the next element is 'current'
-            static bool consumeArguments(arg_tokenizer& tokenizer, const arg_properties_t& properties, std::vector<arg_data_internal_t>& v_out);
+            bool consumeArguments(arg_tokenizer& tokenizer, const std::string& flag, const arg_properties_t& properties, std::vector<arg_data_internal_t>& v_out) const;
             
             void handlePositionalArgument(arg_tokenizer& tokenizer, size_t& last_pos);
             
@@ -314,7 +314,8 @@ namespace blt
             
             arg_results parse_args(const std::vector<std::string>& args);
             
-            void printHelp();
+            void printUsage() const;
+            void printHelp() const;
             
             ~arg_parse()
             {
diff --git a/include/blt/std/string.h b/include/blt/std/string.h
index ae4a56f..4f9d65a 100755
--- a/include/blt/std/string.h
+++ b/include/blt/std/string.h
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <vector>
-#include <blt/std/logging.h>
 
 namespace blt::string {
     
diff --git a/src/blt/parse/argparse.cpp b/src/blt/parse/argparse.cpp
index c1a7ca6..00c4ff1 100644
--- a/src/blt/parse/argparse.cpp
+++ b/src/blt/parse/argparse.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See LICENSE file for license detail
  */
 #include <blt/parse/argparse.h>
-#include <blt/std/logging.h>
+#include <iostream>
 #include <blt/std/string.h>
 
 namespace blt
@@ -51,14 +51,17 @@ namespace blt
                 throw invalid_argument_exception("Flag '" + flag + "' must start with - or --");
     }
     
-    arg_vector_t::arg_vector_t(const char* str) {
+    arg_vector_t::arg_vector_t(const char* str)
+    {
         std::string as_string(str);
         if (as_string.starts_with('-'))
             flags.emplace_back(as_string);
         else
             name = as_string;
     }
-    arg_vector_t::arg_vector_t(const std::string& str) {
+    
+    arg_vector_t::arg_vector_t(const std::string& str)
+    {
         if (str.starts_with('-'))
             flags.emplace_back(str);
         else
@@ -89,9 +92,11 @@ namespace blt
     
     std::string to_string(const arg_data_internal_t& v)
     {
-        if (std::holds_alternative<std::string>(v)){
+        if (std::holds_alternative<std::string>(v))
+        {
             return std::get<std::string>(v);
-        } else if (std::holds_alternative<bool>(v)) {
+        } else if (std::holds_alternative<bool>(v))
+        {
             return std::get<bool>(v) ? "True" : "False";
         }
         return std::to_string(std::get<int32_t>(v));
@@ -146,7 +151,9 @@ namespace blt
         user_args.arg_properties_storage.push_back(properties);
     }
     
-    bool arg_parse::consumeArguments(arg_tokenizer& tokenizer, const arg_properties_t& properties, std::vector<arg_data_internal_t>& v_out)
+    bool arg_parse::consumeArguments(
+            arg_tokenizer& tokenizer, const std::string& flag, const arg_properties_t& properties, std::vector<arg_data_internal_t>& v_out
+    ) const
     {
         switch (properties.a_nargs.flags)
         {
@@ -156,13 +163,19 @@ namespace blt
                     // if we don't have another arg to consume we have a problem!
                     if (!tokenizer.hasCurrent())
                     {
-                        BLT_WARN("Expected %d arguments got %d instead!", properties.a_nargs.args, i);
+                        // TODO: S
+                        printUsage();
+                        std::cout << filename(loaded_args.program_name) << ": error: flag '" << flag << "' expected " << properties.a_nargs.args
+                                  << " argument(s) got " << i << " argument(s) instead!\n";
                         return false;
                     }
                     // if we do have one, but it is a flag then we also have a problem!
                     if (tokenizer.isFlag())
                     {
-                        BLT_WARN("Expected %d arguments, found flag instead!", properties.a_nargs.args);
+                        printUsage();
+                        std::cout << filename(loaded_args.program_name) << ": error: flag '" << flag << "' expected " << properties.a_nargs.args
+                                  << " argument(s) but found '" << tokenizer.get() << "' instead!\n";
+                        //BLT_WARN("Expected %d arguments, found flag instead!", properties.a_nargs.args);
                         return false;
                     }
                     // get the value and advance
@@ -194,7 +207,8 @@ namespace blt
             case arg_nargs_t::ALL_REQUIRED:
                 if (tokenizer.hasCurrent() && tokenizer.isFlag())
                 {
-                    BLT_WARN("At least one argument is required!");
+                    printUsage();
+                    std::cout << loaded_args.program_name << ": at least one argument is required for '" << flag << "'\n";
                     return false;
                 }
                 while (tokenizer.hasCurrent() && !tokenizer.isFlag())
@@ -232,14 +246,15 @@ namespace blt
         {
             // handle special args like -vvv
             if (!flag.starts_with('-'))
-                BLT_ERROR("Flag processed but does not start with '-'");
+                std::cerr << "Flag processed but does not start with '-' (this is a serious error!)\n";
             // make sure the flag only contains the same character
             auto type = flag[1];
             for (char c : flag.substr(1))
             {
                 if (c != type)
                 {
-                    BLT_ERROR("Processed flag '%s' expected %c found %c", flag.c_str(), type, c);
+                    printUsage();
+                    std::cout << "found different characters in flag '" << flag.c_str() << "' expected '" << type << "' but found '" << c << "'\n";
                     return;
                 }
             }
@@ -282,12 +297,14 @@ namespace blt
             {
                 arg_data_t& data = loaded_args.data[dest];
                 arg_data_vec_t v;
-                if (!consumeArguments(tokenizer, *properties, v))
+                if (!consumeArguments(tokenizer, flag, *properties, v))
                 {
                     printHelp();
                     return;
                 }
-                if (v.size() == 1)
+                if (v.empty())
+                    data = "";
+                else if (v.size() == 1)
                     data = v[0];
                 else
                     data = v;
@@ -318,7 +335,7 @@ namespace blt
             case arg_action_t::VERSION:
             {
                 auto file = filename(loaded_args.program_name);
-                BLT_INFO("%s, %s", file.c_str(), properties->a_version.c_str());
+                std::cout << file.c_str() << " " << properties->a_version << "\n";
                 break;
             }
             case arg_action_t::APPEND_CONST:
@@ -338,7 +355,7 @@ namespace blt
                 if (!holds_alternative<arg_data_vec_t>(data))
                     data = arg_data_vec_t();
                 auto& l = get<arg_data_vec_t>(data);
-                consumeArguments(tokenizer, *properties, l);
+                consumeArguments(tokenizer, flag, *properties, l);
                 break;
             }
         }
@@ -369,7 +386,8 @@ namespace blt
         }
         
         // load defaults for args which were not found
-        for (const auto* arg : user_args.arg_properties_storage) {
+        for (const auto* arg : user_args.arg_properties_storage)
+        {
             if (!to_string(arg->a_default).empty() && !loaded_args.contains(arg->a_dest))
                 loaded_args.data[arg->a_dest] = arg->a_default;
         }
@@ -389,16 +407,22 @@ namespace blt
         }
         // remove the last space caused by the for loop
         unrec = unrec.substr(0, unrec.size() - 1);
-        // TODO: use exceptions?
-        BLT_WARN("Unrecognized args: %s", unrec.c_str());
+        printUsage();
+        std::cout << loaded_args.program_name << ": error: unrecognized args: " << unrec << "\n";
         printHelp();
         
         return loaded_args;
     }
     
-    void arg_parse::printHelp()
+    void arg_parse::printHelp() const
     {
-        BLT_TRACE("I am helpful!");
+        std::cout << ("I am helpful!\n");
         std::exit(0);
     }
+    
+    void arg_parse::printUsage() const
+    {
+    
+    
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/tests/main.cpp b/src/tests/main.cpp
index 822b91e..43955fe 100755
--- a/src/tests/main.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/main.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ int (*func_func_in)(int) = &test_as_func;
 int main(int argc, const char** argv) {
     blt::arg_parse parser;
     parser.addArgument(blt::arg_builder({"--poo", "-p"}).build());
-    parser.addArgument(blt::arg_builder({"--foo", "-f"}).setAction(blt::arg_action_t::STORE_TRUE).setDefault(false).build());
+    parser.addArgument(blt::arg_builder("--foo").setAction(blt::arg_action_t::STORE_TRUE).setDefault(false).build());
     parser.addArgument(blt::arg_builder({"--goo", "-g"}).build());
     parser.addArgument(blt::arg_builder({"--oop", "-o"}).build());
     parser.addArgument(blt::arg_builder("Sexy_pos").build());