diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_pypi.yml b/.github/workflows/test_pypi.yml
index 9271738..d8ffc8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_pypi.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_pypi.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.11'
 
       - name: Build wheels
         run: |
@@ -19,13 +22,16 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
         with:
-          path: ./wheelhouse/*.whl
+          path: ./wheelhouse/mlir_python_utils*.whl
 
   build_sdist:
     name: Build source distribution
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.11'
 
       - name: Build sdist
         run: pipx run build --sdist
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wheels.yml b/.github/workflows/wheels.yml
index edc2146..dcb26d0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wheels.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wheels.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Upload wheels
       uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
       with:
-        path: wheelhouse/*.whl
+        path: wheelhouse/mlir_python_utils*.whl
         name: build_artifact
 
   upload_wheels:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b279c07..ac086e6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ or for maximum convenience
 
 ```shell
 $ pip install mlir-python-utils[mlir] \
+  -i https://test.pypi.org/simple \
   -f https://github.com/makslevental/mlir-wheels/releases/expanded_assets/latest
-  -f https://github.com/makslevental/mlir-python-utils/releases/expanded_assets/latest
 $ configure-mlir-python-utils mlir
 ```
 
diff --git a/examples/throwaway.py b/examples/throwaway.py
index 4057cda..bff997e 100644
--- a/examples/throwaway.py
+++ b/examples/throwaway.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 from mlir_utils.dialects import gpu
 from mlir_utils.dialects.ext import func
 from mlir_utils.dialects.ext.arith import constant
-from mlir_utils.types import f64, index
+from mlir_utils.types import f64_t, index_t
 
 generate_all_upstream_trampolines()
 # from mlir.dialects.scf import WhileOp
@@ -51,11 +51,11 @@
 #
 with mlir_mod_ctx() as ctx:
 
-    one = constant(1, index)
-    two = constant(2, index)
+    one = constant(1, index_t)
+    two = constant(2, index_t)
 
     @generate(
-        Tensor[(S, 3, S), f64], dynamic_extents=[one, two], block_args=[index] * 3
+        Tensor[(S, 3, S), f64_t], dynamic_extents=[one, two], block_args=[index_t] * 3
     )
     def demo_fun1(i, j, k):
         one = constant(1.0)
diff --git a/mlir_utils/_configuration/module_alias_map.py b/mlir_utils/_configuration/module_alias_map.py
index 4afc143..a6260b6 100644
--- a/mlir_utils/_configuration/module_alias_map.py
+++ b/mlir_utils/_configuration/module_alias_map.py
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ def module_repr(self, module: ModuleType) -> str:
 
 class AliasedModuleFinder(MetaPathFinder):
     def __init__(self, alias_map: Mapping[str, str]):
+        for k, v in dict(alias_map).items():
+            if k == v:
+                alias_map.pop(k)
         self.alias_map = alias_map
 
     def find_spec(
diff --git a/mlir_utils/dialects/util.py b/mlir_utils/dialects/util.py
index fddae6f..13e8ec2 100644
--- a/mlir_utils/dialects/util.py
+++ b/mlir_utils/dialects/util.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import ctypes
 from functools import wraps
+import inspect
 
 from mlir.dialects._ods_common import get_op_result_or_value, get_op_results_or_values
-from mlir.ir import InsertionPoint, Value
+from mlir.ir import InsertionPoint, Value, Type
 
 
 def get_result_or_results(op):
@@ -53,12 +54,21 @@ def maybe_cast(val: Value):
 def region_op(op_constructor):
     # the decorator itself
     def op_decorator(*args, **kwargs):
-        block_arg_types = kwargs.pop("block_args", [])
         op = op_constructor(*args, **kwargs)
 
         def builder_wrapper(body_builder):
             # add a block with block args having types ...
-            op.regions[0].blocks.append(*[t for t in block_arg_types])
+            sig = inspect.signature(body_builder)
+            types = [p.annotation for p in sig.parameters.values()]
+            if not (
+                len(types) == len(sig.parameters)
+                and all(isinstance(t, Type) for t in types)
+            ):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"for {body_builder=} either missing a type annotation or type annotation isn't a mlir type: {sig}"
+                )
+
+            op.regions[0].blocks.append(*types)
             with InsertionPoint(op.regions[0].blocks[0]):
                 body_builder(
                     *[maybe_cast(a) for a in op.regions[0].blocks[0].arguments]
diff --git a/mlir_utils/types.py b/mlir_utils/types.py
index 5b67c90..103b575 100644
--- a/mlir_utils/types.py
+++ b/mlir_utils/types.py
@@ -8,30 +8,31 @@
     IndexType,
     F16Type,
     F32Type,
+    Type,
 )
 
-index = IndexType.get()
-bool_ = IntegerType.get_signless(1)
-i8 = IntegerType.get_signless(8)
-i16 = IntegerType.get_signless(16)
-i32 = IntegerType.get_signless(32)
-i64 = IntegerType.get_signless(64)
-f16 = F16Type.get()
-f32 = F32Type.get()
-f64 = F64Type.get()
+index_t = IndexType.get()
+bool_t = IntegerType.get_signless(1)
+i8_t = IntegerType.get_signless(8)
+i16_t = IntegerType.get_signless(16)
+i32_t = IntegerType.get_signless(32)
+i64_t = IntegerType.get_signless(64)
+f16_t = F16Type.get()
+f32_t = F32Type.get()
+f64_t = F64Type.get()
 
 NP_DTYPE_TO_MLIR_TYPE = lambda: {
-    np.int8: i8,
-    np.int16: i16,
-    np.int32: i32,
-    np.int64: i64,
+    np.int8: i8_t,
+    np.int16: i16_t,
+    np.int32: i32_t,
+    np.int64: i64_t,
     # this is techincally wrong i guess but numpy by default casts python scalars to this
     # so to support passing lists of ints we map this to index type
-    np.longlong: index,
-    np.uintp: index,
-    np.float16: f16,
-    np.float32: f32,
-    np.float64: f64,
+    np.longlong: index_t,
+    np.uintp: index_t,
+    np.float16: f16_t,
+    np.float32: f32_t,
+    np.float64: f64_t,
 }
 
 MLIR_TYPE_TO_NP_DTYPE = lambda: {v: k for k, v in NP_DTYPE_TO_MLIR_TYPE().items()}
@@ -51,11 +52,11 @@ def infer_mlir_type(
       MLIR type corresponding to py_val.
     """
     if isinstance(py_val, bool):
-        return bool_
+        return bool_t
     elif isinstance(py_val, int):
-        return i64
+        return i64_t
     elif isinstance(py_val, float):
-        return f64
+        return f64_t
     elif isinstance(py_val, np.ndarray):
         dtype = NP_DTYPE_TO_MLIR_TYPE()[py_val.dtype.type]
         return RankedTensorType.get(py_val.shape, dtype)
@@ -63,3 +64,17 @@ def infer_mlir_type(
         raise NotImplementedError(
             f"Unsupported Python value {py_val=} with type {type(py_val)}"
         )
+
+
+def tensor_t(*args, element_type: Type = None):
+    if (element_type is None and not isinstance(args[-1], Type)) or (
+        isinstance(args[-1], Type) and element_type is not None
+    ):
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"either element_type must be provided explicitly XOR last arg to tensor type constructor must be the element type"
+        )
+    if element_type is not None:
+        type = element_type
+    else:
+        type = args[-1]
+    return RankedTensorType.get(args[:-1], type)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f75868a..752abdf 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 [project]
 name = "mlir-python-utils"
-version = "0.0.1"
+version = "0.0.2"
+description = "The missing pieces (as far as boilerplate reduction goes) of the upstream MLIR python bindings."
 requires-python = ">=3.11"
 license = { file = "LICENSE" }
+readme = "README.md"
 dependencies = [
     "numpy",
     "black",
diff --git a/tests/test_operator_overloading.py b/tests/test_operator_overloading.py
index f496da1..eba7945 100644
--- a/tests/test_operator_overloading.py
+++ b/tests/test_operator_overloading.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 # noinspection PyUnresolvedReferences
 from mlir_utils.testing import mlir_ctx as ctx, filecheck, MLIRContext
-from mlir_utils.types import f64, index
+from mlir_utils.types import f64_t, index_t
 
 # needed since the fix isn't defined here nor conftest.py
 pytest.mark.usefixtures("ctx")
@@ -15,16 +15,16 @@
 
 def test_tensor_arithmetic(ctx: MLIRContext):
     print()
-    one = constant(1, index)
+    one = constant(1, index_t)
     assert isinstance(one, Scalar)
-    two = constant(2, index)
+    two = constant(2, index_t)
     assert isinstance(two, Scalar)
     three = one + two
     assert isinstance(three, Scalar)
 
-    ten1 = empty((10, 10, 10), f64)
+    ten1 = empty((10, 10, 10), f64_t)
     assert isinstance(ten1, Tensor)
-    ten2 = empty((10, 10, 10), f64)
+    ten2 = empty((10, 10, 10), f64_t)
     assert isinstance(ten2, Tensor)
     ten3 = ten1 + ten2
     assert isinstance(ten3, Tensor)
diff --git a/tests/test_regions.py b/tests/test_regions.py
index 24ec409..2f76376 100644
--- a/tests/test_regions.py
+++ b/tests/test_regions.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 # noinspection PyUnresolvedReferences
 from mlir_utils.testing import mlir_ctx as ctx, filecheck, MLIRContext
-from mlir_utils.types import f64, index
+from mlir_utils.types import f64_t, index_t, tensor_t
 
 # needed since the fix isn't defined here nor conftest.py
 pytest.mark.usefixtures("ctx")
@@ -93,13 +93,11 @@ def demo_fun1():
 
 
 def test_block_args(ctx: MLIRContext):
-    one = constant(1, index)
-    two = constant(2, index)
+    one = constant(1, index_t)
+    two = constant(2, index_t)
 
-    @generate(
-        Tensor[(S, 3, S), f64], dynamic_extents=[one, two], block_args=[index] * 3
-    )
-    def demo_fun1(i, j, k):
+    @generate(tensor_t(S, 3, S, f64_t), dynamic_extents=[one, two])
+    def demo_fun1(i: index_t, j: index_t, k: index_t):
         one = constant(1.0)
         tensor_yield(one)