diff --git a/src/merle.erl b/src/merle.erl
index 5845bb4..ae3d4f1 100644
--- a/src/merle.erl
+++ b/src/merle.erl
@@ -46,8 +46,9 @@
 
 %% gen_server API
 -export([
-    start_link/2, stats/0, stats/1, version/0, get/1, delete/2, set/4, add/4,
-    replace/4, cas/5, set/2, append/2, prepend/2, increment/2, decrement/2
+    start_link/2, stats/0, stats/1, version/0, getkey/1, delete/2, set/4, add/4,
+    replace/4, cas/5, set/2, flushall/0, flushall/1, verbosity/1, add/2, replace/2,
+    cas/3, getskey/1
 ]).
 
 %% gen_server callbacks
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ stats() ->
 	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {stats}).
 
 %% @doc retrieve memcached stats based on args
+stats(Args) when is_atom(Args)->
+	stats(atom_to_list(Args));
 stats(Args) ->
 	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {stats, {Args}}).
 
@@ -70,14 +73,45 @@ stats(Args) ->
 version() ->
 	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {version}).
 
+%% @doc set the verbosity level of the logging output
+verbosity(Args) when is_integer(Args) ->
+	verbosity(integer_to_list(Args));
+verbosity(Args)->
+	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {verbosity, {Args}}).
+
+%% @doc invalidate all existing items immediately
+flushall() ->
+	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {flushall}).
+
+%% @doc invalidate all existing items based on the expire time argument
+flushall(Args) when is_integer(Args) ->
+	flushall(integer_to_list(Args));
+flushall(Args) ->
+	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {flushall, {Args}}).
+
 %% @doc retrieve value based off of key
-get(Key) ->
+getkey(Key) when is_atom(Key) ->
+	getkey(atom_to_list(Key));
+getkey(Key) ->
 	case gen_server:call(?SERVER, {getkey,{Key}}) of
 	    ["END"] -> undefined;
 	    [X] -> X
 	end.
 
+%% @doc retrieve value based off of key for use with cas
+getskey(Key) when is_atom(Key) ->
+	getskey(atom_to_list(Key));
+getskey(Key) ->
+	case gen_server:call(?SERVER, {getskey,{Key}}) of
+	    ["END"] -> undefined;
+	    [X] -> X
+	end.
+
 %% @doc delete a key and specify time
+delete(Key, Time) when is_atom(Key) ->
+	delete(atom_to_list(Key), Time);
+delete(Key, Time) when is_integer(Time) ->
+	delete(Key, integer_to_list(Time));
 delete(Key, Time) ->
 	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {delete, {Key, Time}}).
 
@@ -105,9 +139,11 @@ delete(Key, Time) ->
 
 %% @doc Store a key/value pair.
 set(Key, Value) ->
-    Flag = random:uniform(65000),
-    set(Key, Flag, "0", Value).
+    Flag = random:uniform(65535),
+    set(Key, integer_to_list(Flag), "0", Value).
 
+set(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) when is_atom(Key) ->
+	set(atom_to_list(Key), Flag, ExpTime, Value);
 set(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) when is_integer(Flag) ->
     set(Key, integer_to_list(Flag), ExpTime, Value);
 set(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) when is_integer(ExpTime) ->
@@ -119,33 +155,49 @@ set(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) ->
 	end.
 
 %% @doc Store a key/value pair if it doesn't already exist.
+add(Key, Value) ->
+	Flag = random:uniform(65535),
+	add(Key, integer_to_list(Flag), "0", Value).
+
+add(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) when is_atom(Key) ->
+	add(atom_to_list(Key), Flag, ExpTime, Value);
+add(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) when is_integer(Flag) ->
+    add(Key, integer_to_list(Flag), ExpTime, Value);
+add(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) when is_integer(ExpTime) ->
+    add(Key, Flag, integer_to_list(ExpTime), Value);
 add(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) ->
 	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {add, {Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value}}).
 
 %% @doc Replace an existing key/value pair.
+replace(Key, Value) ->
+	Flag = random:uniform(65535),
+	replace(Key, integer_to_list(Flag), "0", Value).
+
+replace(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) when is_atom(Key) ->
+	replace(atom_to_list(Key), Flag, ExpTime, Value);
+replace(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) when is_integer(Flag) ->
+    replace(Key, integer_to_list(Flag), ExpTime, Value);
+replace(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) when is_integer(ExpTime) ->
+    replace(Key, Flag, integer_to_list(ExpTime), Value);
 replace(Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value) ->
 	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {replace, {Key, Flag, ExpTime, Value}}).
 
 %% @doc Store a key/value pair if possible.
+cas(Key, CasUniq, Value) ->
+	Flag = random:uniform(65535),
+	cas(Key, integer_to_list(Flag), "0", CasUniq, Value).
+
+cas(Key, Flag, ExpTime, CasUniq, Value) when is_atom(Key) ->
+	cas(atom_to_list(Key), Flag, ExpTime, CasUniq, Value);
+cas(Key, Flag, ExpTime, CasUniq, Value) when is_integer(Flag) ->
+    cas(Key, integer_to_list(Flag), ExpTime, CasUniq, Value);
+cas(Key, Flag, ExpTime, CasUniq, Value) when is_integer(ExpTime) ->
+    cas(Key, Flag, integer_to_list(ExpTime), CasUniq, Value);
+cas(Key, Flag, ExpTime, CasUniq, Value) when is_integer(CasUniq) ->
+    cas(Key, Flag, ExpTime, integer_to_list(CasUniq), Value);
 cas(Key, Flag, ExpTime, CasUniq, Value) ->
 	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {cas, {Key, Flag, ExpTime, CasUniq, Value}}).
 
-%% @doc Append data to already existing value.
-append(Key, Value) ->
-	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {append, {Key, Value}}).
-
-%% @doc Prepend data to already existing value.
-prepend(Key, Value) ->
-	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {prepend, {Key, Value}}).
-
-%% @doc Increment already existing value.
-increment(Key, Value) ->
-	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {increment, {Key, Value}}).
-
-%% @doc Decrement already existing value.
-decrement(Key, Value) ->
-	gen_server:call(?SERVER, {decrement, {Key, Value}}).
-
 %% @private
 start_link(Host, Port) ->
     gen_server:start_link({local, ?SERVER}, ?MODULE, [Host, Port], []).
@@ -167,10 +219,26 @@ handle_call({version}, _From, Socket) ->
     Reply = send_generic_cmd(Socket, iolist_to_binary([<<"version">>])),
     {reply, Reply, Socket};
 
+handle_call({verbosity, {Args}}, _From, Socket) ->
+    Reply = send_generic_cmd(Socket, iolist_to_binary([<<"verbosity ">>, Args])),
+    {reply, Reply, Socket};
+
+handle_call({flushall}, _From, Socket) ->
+    Reply = send_generic_cmd(Socket, iolist_to_binary([<<"flush_all">>])),
+    {reply, Reply, Socket};
+
+handle_call({flushall, {Args}}, _From, Socket) ->
+    Reply = send_generic_cmd(Socket, iolist_to_binary([<<"flush_all ">>, Args])),
+    {reply, Reply, Socket};
+
 handle_call({getkey, {Key}}, _From, Socket) ->
     Reply = send_get_cmd(Socket, iolist_to_binary([<<"get ">>, Key])),
     {reply, Reply, Socket};
 
+handle_call({getskey, {Key}}, _From, Socket) ->
+    Reply = send_gets_cmd(Socket, iolist_to_binary([<<"gets ">>, Key])),
+    {reply, [Reply], Socket};
+
 handle_call({delete, {Key, Time}}, _From, Socket) ->
     Reply = send_generic_cmd(
         Socket,
@@ -226,40 +294,6 @@ handle_call({cas, {Key, Flag, ExpTime, CasUniq, Value}}, _From, Socket) ->
         ]),
         Bin
     ),
-    {reply, Reply, Socket};
-
-handle_call({append, {Key, Value}}, _From, Socket) ->
-	Bin = term_to_binary(Value),
-	Bytes = integer_to_list(size(Bin)),
-    Reply = send_storage_cmd(
-        Socket,
-        iolist_to_binary([<<"append ">>, Key, <<" 0 0 ">>, Bytes]),
-        Bin
-    ),
-    {reply, Reply, Socket};
-
-handle_call({prepend, {Key, Value}}, _From, Socket) ->
-	Bin = term_to_binary(Value),
-	Bytes = integer_to_list(size(Bin)),
-    Reply = send_storage_cmd(
-        Socket,
-        iolist_to_binary([<<"prepend ">>, Key, <<" 0 0 ">>, Bytes]),
-        Bin
-    ),
-    {reply, Reply, Socket};
-
-handle_call({increment, {Key, Value}}, _From, Socket) ->
-	Bin = term_to_binary(Value),
-    Reply = send_generic_cmd(
-        Socket,
-        iolist_to_binary([<<"incr ">>, Key, Bin])),
-    {reply, Reply, Socket};
-
-handle_call({decrement, {Key, Value}}, _From, Socket) ->
-	Bin = term_to_binary(Value),
-    Reply = send_generic_cmd(
-        Socket,
-        iolist_to_binary([<<"decr ">>, Key, Bin])),
     {reply, Reply, Socket}.
 
 %% @private
@@ -296,7 +330,14 @@ send_storage_cmd(Socket, Cmd, Value) ->
 %% @doc send_get_cmd/2 function for retreival commands
 send_get_cmd(Socket, Cmd) ->
     gen_tcp:send(Socket, <<Cmd/binary, "\r\n">>),
-	Reply = recv_complex_reply(Socket),
+	Reply = recv_complex_get_reply(Socket),
+	Reply.
+
+%% @private
+%% @doc send_gets_cmd/2 function for cas retreival commands
+send_gets_cmd(Socket, Cmd) ->
+    gen_tcp:send(Socket, <<Cmd/binary, "\r\n">>),
+	Reply = recv_complex_gets_reply(Socket),
 	Reply.
 
 %% @private
@@ -313,7 +354,7 @@ recv_simple_reply() ->
 
 %% @private
 %% @doc receive function for respones containing VALUEs
-recv_complex_reply(Socket) ->
+recv_complex_get_reply(Socket) ->
 	receive
 		%% For receiving get responses where the key does not exist
 		{tcp, Socket, <<"END\r\n">>} -> ["END"];
@@ -330,6 +371,25 @@ recv_complex_reply(Socket) ->
     after ?TIMEOUT -> timeout
     end.
 
+%% @private
+%% @doc receive function for cas respones containing VALUEs
+recv_complex_gets_reply(Socket) ->
+	receive
+		%% For receiving get responses where the key does not exist
+		{tcp, Socket, <<"END\r\n">>} -> ["END"];
+		%% For receiving get responses containing data
+		{tcp, Socket, Data} ->
+			%% Reply format <<"VALUE SOMEKEY FLAG BYTES\r\nSOMEVALUE\r\nEND\r\n">>
+  			Parse = io_lib:fread("~s ~s ~u ~u ~u\r\n", binary_to_list(Data)),
+  			{ok,[_,_,_,Bytes,CasUniq], ListBin} = Parse,
+  			Bin = list_to_binary(ListBin),
+  			Reply = get_data(Socket, Bin, Bytes, length(ListBin)),
+  			[CasUniq, Reply];
+  		{error, closed} ->
+  			connection_closed
+    after ?TIMEOUT -> timeout
+    end.
+
 %% @private
 %% @doc recieve loop to get all data
 get_data(Socket, Bin, Bytes, Len) when Len < Bytes + 7->