diff --git a/format/elf/elf.go b/format/elf/elf.go
index 5a972549..b7b5b4f5 100644
--- a/format/elf/elf.go
+++ b/format/elf/elf.go
@@ -353,11 +353,7 @@ func strIndexNull(idx int, s string) string {
 type strTable string
 
 func (m strTable) MapScalar(s scalar.S) (scalar.S, error) {
-	uv, ok := s.Actual.(uint64)
-	if !ok {
-		return s, nil
-	}
-	s.Sym = strIndexNull(int(uv), string(m))
+	s.Sym = strIndexNull(int(s.ActualU()), string(m))
 	return s, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/format/json/json.go b/format/json/json.go
index b93f3d3e..04ea9753 100644
--- a/format/json/json.go
+++ b/format/json/json.go
@@ -49,14 +49,6 @@ func decodeJSON(d *decode.D, _ any) any {
 	}
 
 	s.Actual = gojq.NormalizeNumbers(s.Actual)
-
-	// switch s.Actual.(type) {
-	// case map[string]any,
-	// 	[]any:
-	// default:
-	// 	d.Fatalf("top-level not object or array")
-	// }
-
 	d.Value.V = &s
 	d.Value.Range.Len = d.Len()
 
diff --git a/format/macho/macho.go b/format/macho/macho.go
index 1a986c1a..51746512 100644
--- a/format/macho/macho.go
+++ b/format/macho/macho.go
@@ -819,11 +819,7 @@ func parseSectionFlags(d *decode.D) {
 }
 
 var timestampMapper = scalar.Fn(func(s scalar.S) (scalar.S, error) {
-	ts, ok := s.Actual.(uint64)
-	if !ok {
-		return s, nil
-	}
-	s.Sym = time.UnixMilli(int64(ts)).UTC().String()
+	s.Sym = time.UnixMilli(int64(s.ActualU())).UTC().String()
 	return s, nil
 })
 
diff --git a/pkg/decode/scalar.go b/pkg/decode/scalar.go
index 62cc3df9..99c3e6f5 100644
--- a/pkg/decode/scalar.go
+++ b/pkg/decode/scalar.go
@@ -11,10 +11,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func bitBufIsZero(s scalar.S, isValidate bool) (scalar.S, error) {
-	br, ok := s.Actual.(bitio.ReaderAtSeeker)
-	if !ok {
-		return s, nil
-	}
+	br := s.ActualBitBuf()
 
 	isZero := true
 	// TODO: shared
diff --git a/pkg/scalar/scalar.go b/pkg/scalar/scalar.go
index 562777fb..e9e21a31 100644
--- a/pkg/scalar/scalar.go
+++ b/pkg/scalar/scalar.go
@@ -136,10 +136,7 @@ type URangeEntry struct {
 type URangeToScalar []URangeEntry
 
 func (rs URangeToScalar) MapScalar(s S) (S, error) {
-	n, ok := s.Actual.(uint64)
-	if !ok {
-		return s, nil
-	}
+	n := s.ActualU()
 	for _, re := range rs {
 		if n >= re.Range[0] && n <= re.Range[1] {
 			ns := re.S
@@ -161,10 +158,7 @@ type SRangeEntry struct {
 type SRangeToScalar []SRangeEntry
 
 func (rs SRangeToScalar) MapScalar(s S) (S, error) {
-	n, ok := s.Actual.(int64)
-	if !ok {
-		return s, nil
-	}
+	n := s.ActualS()
 	for _, re := range rs {
 		if n >= re.Range[0] && n <= re.Range[1] {
 			ns := re.S
@@ -177,10 +171,7 @@ func (rs SRangeToScalar) MapScalar(s S) (S, error) {
 }
 
 func RawSym(s S, nBytes int, fn func(b []byte) string) (S, error) {
-	br, ok := s.Actual.(bitio.ReadAtSeeker)
-	if !ok {
-		return s, nil
-	}
+	br := s.ActualBitBuf()
 	brLen, err := bitioextra.Len(br)
 	if err != nil {
 		return S{}, err