diff --git a/src/transforms/colspec.jl b/src/transforms/colspec.jl
index c01fa892..9edc1eef 100644
--- a/src/transforms/colspec.jl
+++ b/src/transforms/colspec.jl
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 # types used to select a column
 const ColSelector = Union{Symbol,Integer,AbstractString}
 
+# union of types used to filter columns
+const ColSpec = Union{Vector{T},NTuple{N,T},Regex,Colon} where {N,T<:ColSelector}
+
 # filter table columns using colspec
 function _filter(colspec::Vector{Symbol}, cols)
   # validate columns
diff --git a/src/transforms/filter.jl b/src/transforms/filter.jl
index 0ef48934..e44849c5 100644
--- a/src/transforms/filter.jl
+++ b/src/transforms/filter.jl
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ DropMissing(cols::T...) where {T<:ColSelector} =
 
 function DropMissing(regex::Regex)
   Filter() do row
-    cols = _select(regex, propertynames(row))
+    cols = _filter(regex, propertynames(row))
     all(!ismissing, getindex.(Ref(row), cols))
   end
 end
diff --git a/src/transforms/select.jl b/src/transforms/select.jl
index de5d9529..db389e51 100644
--- a/src/transforms/select.jl
+++ b/src/transforms/select.jl
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@ end
 Tables.materializer(t::TableSelection) = 
   Tables.materializer(t.table)
 
-const ColSpec = Union{Vector{Symbol}, Regex}
-
 """
     Select(col₁, col₂, ..., colₙ)
     Select([col₁, col₂, ..., colₙ])
@@ -56,39 +54,24 @@ The transform that selects columns `col₁`, `col₂`, ..., `colₙ`.
 Selects the columns that match with `regex`.
 """
 struct Select{S<:ColSpec} <: Stateless
-  cols::S
+  colspec::S
 end
 
-# to avoid StackOverflowError in Select() and Select(())
-Select(::Tuple{}) = throw(ArgumentError("Cannot create a Select object without arguments."))
+# argument errors
+Select(::Tuple{}) = throw(ArgumentError("Cannot create a Select object with empty tuple."))
+Select() = throw(ArgumentError("Cannot create a Select object without arguments."))
 
-Select(cols::T...) where {T<:Union{AbstractString, Symbol}} = 
+Select(cols::T...) where {T<:ColSelector} = 
   Select(cols)
 
-Select(cols::NTuple{N, T}) where {N, T<:Union{AbstractString, Symbol}} =
-  Select(collect(cols))
-
-Select(cols::Vector{T}) where {T<:AbstractString} =
-  Select(Symbol.(cols))
-
-Base.:(==)(a::Select, b::Select) = a.cols == b.cols
-
 isrevertible(::Type{<:Select}) = true
 
-_select(cols::Vector{Symbol}, allcols) = cols
-_select(cols::Regex, allcols) = 
-  filter(col -> occursin(cols, String(col)), allcols)
-
 function apply(transform::Select, table)
   # retrieve relevant column names
   allcols = collect(Tables.columnnames(table))
-  select  = _select(transform.cols, allcols)
+  select  = _filter(transform.colspec, allcols)
   reject  = setdiff(allcols, select)
 
-  # validate selections
-  @assert !isempty(select) "Invalid selection"
-  @assert select ⊆ Tables.columnnames(table) "Invalid selection"
-
   # keep track of indices to revert later
   sinds = indexin(select, allcols)
   rinds = indexin(reject, allcols)
@@ -143,28 +126,22 @@ The transform that discards columns `col₁`, `col₂`, ..., `colₙ`.
 Discards the columns that match with `regex`.
 """
 struct Reject{S<:ColSpec} <: Stateless
-  cols::S
+  colspec::S
 end
 
-# to avoid StackOverflowError in Reject() and Reject(())
-Reject(::Tuple{}) = throw(ArgumentError("Cannot create a Reject object with no arguments."))
+# argumet erros
+Reject(::Tuple{}) = throw(ArgumentError("Cannot create a Reject object with empty tuple."))
+Reject(::Colon) = throw(ArgumentError("Cannot reject all columns."))
+Reject() = throw(ArgumentError("Cannot create a Reject object without arguments."))
 
-Reject(cols::T...) where {T<:Union{AbstractString, Symbol}} = 
+Reject(cols::T...) where {T<:ColSelector} = 
   Reject(cols)
 
-Reject(cols::NTuple{N, T}) where {N, T<:Union{AbstractString, Symbol}} =
-  Reject(collect(cols))
-
-Reject(cols::Vector{T}) where {T<:AbstractString} =
-  Reject(Symbol.(cols))
-
-Base.:(==)(a::Reject, b::Reject) = a.cols == b.cols
-
 isrevertible(::Type{<:Reject}) = true
 
 function apply(transform::Reject, table)
   allcols = Tables.columnnames(table)
-  reject  = _select(transform.cols, allcols)
+  reject  = _filter(transform.colspec, allcols)
   select  = setdiff(allcols, reject)
   strans  = Select(select)
   newtable, scache = apply(strans, table)
diff --git a/test/transforms.jl b/test/transforms.jl
index 12f3dcb1..7450a279 100644
--- a/test/transforms.jl
+++ b/test/transforms.jl
@@ -155,10 +155,26 @@
     tₒ = revert(T, n, c)
     @test t == tₒ
 
-    # selection with single column
-    @test (Select(:a) == Select("a") ==
-           Select((:a,)) == Select(("a",)) ==
-           Select([:a]) == Select(["a"]))
+    # selection with integers
+    T = Select(4, 3, 2)
+    n, c = apply(T, t)
+    @test Tables.columnnames(n) == [:d, :c, :b]
+    tₒ = revert(T, n, c)
+    @test t == tₒ
+
+    # selection with tuple of integers
+    T = Select((4, 3, 2))
+    n, c = apply(T, t)
+    @test Tables.columnnames(n) == [:d, :c, :b]
+    tₒ = revert(T, n, c)
+    @test t == tₒ
+
+    # selection with vector of integers
+    T = Select([4, 3, 2])
+    n, c = apply(T, t)
+    @test Tables.columnnames(n) == [:d, :c, :b]
+    tₒ = revert(T, n, c)
+    @test t == tₒ
 
     # reapply test
     T = Select(:b, :c, :d)
@@ -279,10 +295,26 @@
     tₒ = revert(T, n, c)
     @test t == tₒ
 
-    # rejection with single column
-    @test (Reject(:a) == Reject("a") ==
-           Reject((:a,)) == Reject(("a",)) ==
-           Reject([:a]) == Reject(["a"]))
+    # rejection with integers
+    T = Reject(4, 3, 2)
+    n, c = apply(T, t)
+    @test Tables.columnnames(n) == [:a, :e, :f]
+    tₒ = revert(T, n, c)
+    @test t == tₒ
+
+    # rejection with tuple of integers
+    T = Reject((4, 3, 2))
+    n, c = apply(T, t)
+    @test Tables.columnnames(n) == [:a, :e, :f]
+    tₒ = revert(T, n, c)
+    @test t == tₒ
+
+    # rejection with vector of integers
+    T = Reject([4, 3, 2])
+    n, c = apply(T, t)
+    @test Tables.columnnames(n) == [:a, :e, :f]
+    tₒ = revert(T, n, c)
+    @test t == tₒ
 
     # reapply test
     T = Reject(:b, :c, :d)