diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/TableController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/TableController.php
index 8663980..4b67cba 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/TableController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/TableController.php
@@ -2,8 +2,13 @@
 
 namespace App\Http\Controllers;
 
+use App\Models\Revision;
+use App\Models\Row;
 use App\Models\Table;
+use App\Models\User;
+use App\Utils\Column;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use MightyPork\Exceptions\NotApplicableException;
 
 class TableController extends Controller
 {
@@ -15,14 +20,14 @@ class TableController extends Controller
     public function create()
     {
         $exampleColumns =
-            "latin, string, Latin Name\n".
-            "common, string, Common Name\n".
-            "lifespan, int, Lifespan (years)";
+            "latin,string,Latin Name\n".
+            "common,string,Common Name\n".
+            "lifespan,int,Lifespan (years)";
 
         $exampleData =
-            "Mercenaria mercenaria, hard clam, 40\n" .
-            "Magallana gigas, pacific oyster, 30\n" .
-            "Patella vulgata, common limpet, 20";
+            "Mercenaria mercenaria,hard clam,40\n" .
+            "Magallana gigas,pacific oyster,30\n" .
+            "Patella vulgata,common limpet,20";
 
         return view('table.create',
             compact('exampleColumns', 'exampleData')
@@ -31,31 +36,91 @@ class TableController extends Controller
 
     public function storeNew(Request $request)
     {
+        /** @var User $u */
         $u = \Auth::user();
 
         $this->validate($request, [
             'name' => 'required',
-            'title' => 'string|nullable',
+            'title' => 'string',
             'description' => 'string|nullable',
             'license' => 'string|nullable',
-            'upstream' => 'string|nullable',
+            'origin' => 'string|nullable',
             'columns' => 'required',
             'data' => 'string|nullable',
         ]);
 
         // Check if table name is unique for user
-        $name = $request->get('name');
-        if ($u->tables()->where('name', $name)->exists()) {
+        $tabName = $request->get('name');
+        if ($u->tables()->where('name', $tabName)->exists()) {
             return $this->backWithErrors([
-                'name' => "A table called \"$name\" already exists in your account.",
+                'name' => "A table called \"$tabName\" already exists in your account.",
             ]);
         }
 
         // Parse and validate the columns specification
+        /** @var Column[] $columns */
+        $columns = [];
+        $colTable = array_map('str_getcsv', explode("\n", $request->get('columns')));
+        foreach ($colTable as $col) {
+            $col = array_map('trim', $col);
+            if (count($col) < 2) {
+                return $this->backWithErrors([
+                    'columns' => "All columns must have at least name and type.",
+                ]);
+            }
 
-        // Now we create rows, a revision pointing to them, and the table using it.
+            try {
+                $columns[] = new Column([
+                    'name' => $col[0],
+                    'type' => $col[1],
+                    'title' => count($col) >= 3 ? $col[2] : $col[0], // title falls back to =name if not specified,
+                ]);
+            } catch (\Exception $e) {
+                return $this->backWithErrors(['columns' => $e->getMessage()]);
+            }
+        }
+
+        $rowTable = array_map('str_getcsv', explode("\n", $request->get('data')));
+
+        $rowsData = null;
+        try {
+            $rowsData = array_map(function ($row) use ($columns) {
+                if (count($row) != count($columns)) {
+                    throw new NotApplicableException("All rows must have ".count($columns)." fields.");
+                }
+                $parsed = [];
+                foreach ($row as $i => $val) {
+                    $key = $columns[$i]->name;
+                    $parsed[$key] = $columns[$i]->cast($val);
+                }
+                return [
+                    'data' => json_encode($parsed),
+                    'refs' => 1,
+                ];
+            }, $rowTable);
+        }catch (\Exception $e) {
+            return $this->backWithErrors(['columns' => $e->getMessage()]);
+        }
 
+        $revision = Revision::create([
+            'refs' => 1, // from the new table
+            'note' => "Initial revision of table $u->name/$tabName",
+            'columns' => json_encode($columns),
+        ]);
+
+        $table = Table::create([
+            'owner_id' => $u->id,
+            'revision_id' => $revision->id,
+            'name' => $tabName,
+            'title' => $request->get('title'),
+            'description' => $request->get('description'),
+            'license' => $request->get('license'),
+            'origin' => $request->get('origin'),
+        ]);
 
+        $revision->rows()->createMany($rowsData);
+
+        // Now we create rows, a revision pointing to them, and the table using it.
 
         return "Ok.";
     }
diff --git a/app/Models/ContentReport.php b/app/Models/ContentReport.php
index f3ad46c..d79e369 100644
--- a/app/Models/ContentReport.php
+++ b/app/Models/ContentReport.php
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
  */
 class ContentReport extends Model
 {
+    protected $guarded = [];
+
     /** Authoring user */
     public function author()
     {
diff --git a/app/Models/Proposal.php b/app/Models/Proposal.php
index 09ed1b1..f47ddb9 100644
--- a/app/Models/Proposal.php
+++ b/app/Models/Proposal.php
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
 class Proposal extends Model
 {
     use Reportable;
+    protected $guarded = [];
 
     protected static function boot()
     {
diff --git a/app/Models/Revision.php b/app/Models/Revision.php
index 979a6fb..0287a05 100644
--- a/app/Models/Revision.php
+++ b/app/Models/Revision.php
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use Riesjart\Relaquent\Model\Concerns\HasRelaquentRelationships;
  * @property int $refs
  * @property int $ancestor_id
  * @property string $note
- * @property string $index_column
+ * @property object $columns
  * @property Revision|null $parentRevision
  * @property Row[]|Collection $rows
  * @property Proposal|null $sourceProposal - proposal that was used to create this revision
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ use Riesjart\Relaquent\Model\Concerns\HasRelaquentRelationships;
 class Revision extends Model
 {
     use HasRelaquentRelationships;
+    protected $guarded = [];
 
     protected static function boot()
     {
diff --git a/app/Models/Row.php b/app/Models/Row.php
index b217c72..f7c3214 100644
--- a/app/Models/Row.php
+++ b/app/Models/Row.php
@@ -13,5 +13,6 @@ use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
  */
 class Row extends Model
 {
+    protected $guarded = [];
     public $timestamps = false;
 }
diff --git a/app/Models/Table.php b/app/Models/Table.php
index ed8a0cc..d7821d3 100644
--- a/app/Models/Table.php
+++ b/app/Models/Table.php
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
  * @property int $owner_id
  * @property int $ancestor_id
  * @property int $revision_id
+ * @property string $name
  * @property string $title
  * @property string $description
  * @property string $license
- * @property string $source_link
+ * @property string $origin
  * @property User $owner
  * @property Table $parentTable
  * @property Table[]|Collection $forks
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
 class Table extends Model
 {
     use Reportable;
+    protected $guarded = [];
 
     protected static function boot()
     {
diff --git a/app/Models/TableComment.php b/app/Models/TableComment.php
index 26b23a0..6b65e30 100644
--- a/app/Models/TableComment.php
+++ b/app/Models/TableComment.php
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
 class TableComment extends Model
 {
     use Reportable;
+    protected $guarded = [];
 
     protected static function boot()
     {
diff --git a/app/Utils/Column.php b/app/Utils/Column.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f3d66b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Utils/Column.php
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+<?php
+
+
+namespace App\Utils;
+
+
+use JsonSerializable;
+use MightyPork\Exceptions\NotApplicableException;
+use MightyPork\Utils\Utils;
+
+/**
+ * Helper class representing one column in a data table.
+ *
+ * @property-read string $name
+ * @property-read string $title
+ * @property-read string $type
+ */
+class Column implements JsonSerializable
+{
+    const colTypes = [
+        'int', 'bool', 'float', 'string'
+    ];
+
+    private $name;
+    private $title;
+    private $type;
+
+    public function __get($name)
+    {
+        if (property_exists($this, $name)) {
+            return $this->$name;
+        }
+
+        throw new NotApplicableException("No such column property");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Create from object or array
+     *
+     * @param $obj
+     */
+    public function __construct($obj)
+    {
+        $b = new \objBag($obj);
+        $this->name = $b->name;
+        $this->title = $b->title;
+        $this->type = $b->type;
+
+        if (!in_array($this->type, self::colTypes)) {
+            throw new NotApplicableException("\"$this->type\" is not a valid column type.");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return array with keys {name, title, type}
+     */
+    public function toArray()
+    {
+        return [
+            'name' => $this->name,
+            'title' => $this->title,
+            'type' => $this->type,
+        ];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Convert a value to the target type, validating it in the process
+     *
+     * @param mixed $value
+     * @return bool|float|int|string
+     */
+    public function cast($value)
+    {
+        switch ($this->type) {
+            case 'int':
+                if (is_int($value)) return $value;
+                if (is_float($value)) return round($value);
+                if (is_numeric($value)) return intval($value);
+                throw new NotApplicableException("Could not convert value \"$value\" to int!");
+
+            case 'float':
+                if (is_int($value) || is_float($value)) return (float)$value;
+                if (is_numeric($value)) return floatval($value);
+                throw new NotApplicableException("Could not convert value \"$value\" to float!");
+
+            case 'bool':
+                return Utils::parseBool($value);
+
+            case 'string':
+                return "$value";
+
+            default:
+                throw new \LogicException("Illegal column type: \"$this->type\"");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Specify data which should be serialized to JSON
+     * @link http://php.net/manual/en/jsonserializable.jsonserialize.php
+     * @return mixed data which can be serialized by <b>json_encode</b>,
+     * which is a value of any type other than a resource.
+     * @since 5.4.0
+     */
+    public function jsonSerialize()
+    {
+        return $this->toArray();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/database/migrations/2018_07_08_193600_create_revisions_table.php b/database/migrations/2018_07_08_193600_create_revisions_table.php
index 2b32f8f..b5170fb 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2018_07_08_193600_create_revisions_table.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2018_07_08_193600_create_revisions_table.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class CreateRevisionsTable extends Migration
             $table->jsonb('columns');
 
             // author's note describing what has been changed
-            $table->text('note');
+            $table->text('note')->nullable();
 
             $table->foreign('ancestor_id')->references('id')->on('revisions')
                 ->onDelete('set null');
diff --git a/database/migrations/2018_07_08_193700_create_tables_table.php b/database/migrations/2018_07_08_193700_create_tables_table.php
index 9738fd0..0acc71c 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2018_07_08_193700_create_tables_table.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2018_07_08_193700_create_tables_table.php
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ class CreateTablesTable extends Migration
             $table->unsignedInteger('revision_id')->index(); // active revision
             $table->string('name')->index(); // indexable
             $table->string('title')->index(); // indexable
-            $table->text('description');
-            $table->text('license');
-            $table->text('source_link');
+            $table->text('description')->nullable();
+            $table->text('license')->nullable();
+            $table->text('origin')->nullable();
 
             $table->foreign('owner_id')->references('id')->on('users')
                 ->onDelete('restrict'); // user deleting their account deletes owned tables
diff --git a/database/migrations/2018_07_08_194000_create_proposals_table.php b/database/migrations/2018_07_08_194000_create_proposals_table.php
index 8cf2f9f..7138357 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2018_07_08_194000_create_proposals_table.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2018_07_08_194000_create_proposals_table.php
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class CreateProposalsTable extends Migration
             $table->unsignedInteger('revision_id')->index(); // parent revision (applying it to a different revisions may cause conflicts)
             $table->unsignedInteger('author_id')->index();
 
-            $table->text('note');
+            $table->text('note')->nullable();
 
             $table->jsonb('changes'); // the actual meat of the changeset is stored here
 
diff --git a/porklib/Exceptions/NotApplicableException.php b/porklib/Exceptions/NotApplicableException.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..084756f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/porklib/Exceptions/NotApplicableException.php
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace MightyPork\Exceptions;
+
+/**
+ * Something can't be used the way it was
+ */
+class NotApplicableException extends RuntimeException
+{
+	//
+}
diff --git a/porklib/Utils/Str.php b/porklib/Utils/Str.php
index 6787949..7c72f8a 100644
--- a/porklib/Utils/Str.php
+++ b/porklib/Utils/Str.php
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ use Log;
 
 class Str extends \Illuminate\Support\Str
 {
-	protected static $cty_snake_cache = [];
-
 	/**
 	 * Split and trim
 	 *
@@ -26,31 +24,6 @@ class Str extends \Illuminate\Support\Str
 		return array_map('trim', self::split($haystack, $delimiters));
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Customized snake case for cty aliases
-	 *
-	 * @param $camel
-	 * @return string
-	 */
-	public static function snakeAlias($camel)
-	{
-		if (isset(static::$cty_snake_cache[$camel]))
-			return static::$cty_snake_cache[$camel];
-
-		$c = $camel;
-
-		$c = preg_replace_callback('/([A-Z0-9]+)(?![a-z])/', function ($m) {
-			return ucfirst(strtolower($m[1]));
-		}, $c);
-
-		$c = self::snake($c, '_');
-
-		// fix for underscores in cty class name
-		$c = preg_replace('/_+/', '_', $c);
-
-		return static::$cty_snake_cache[$camel] = $c;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Split a string using one or more delimiters
 	 *
diff --git a/porklib/Utils/Utils.php b/porklib/Utils/Utils.php
index dfda65b..631f1ef 100644
--- a/porklib/Utils/Utils.php
+++ b/porklib/Utils/Utils.php
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ class Utils
 			return $value ? 1 : 0;
 		}
 
+		if ($value === null) return false;
+
 		// convert to string if needed (ie. SimpleXMLElement)
 		// small overhead for numbers (negligible)
 		$value = (string) $value;
diff --git a/resources/views/table/create.blade.php b/resources/views/table/create.blade.php
index 3a2a270..d38a594 100644
--- a/resources/views/table/create.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/table/create.blade.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
               ->help('License applicable to the table\'s data, if any. By default, all
                 tables are CC0 or Public Domain.') !!}
 
-        {!! Widget::text('upstream', 'Adapted from')
+        {!! Widget::text('origin', 'Adapted from')
               ->help('If you took the data from some external site, a book, etc., write it here.
                  URLs in a full format will be clickable.') !!}