diff --git a/rust/Cargo.toml b/rust/Cargo.toml
index 8f8e0eec1..f5e6a7e3c 100644
--- a/rust/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rust/Cargo.toml
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ pkg-config = "0.3.19"
 [dev-dependencies]
 serial_test = ">= 0.5.0"
 serial_test_derive = ">= 0.5.0"
+rand = "0.7.3"
+
 
 [lib]
 doctest = false
diff --git a/rust/examples/full-basics.rs b/rust/examples/full-basics.rs
index d2a7aef27..d32f0ad10 100644
--- a/rust/examples/full-basics.rs
+++ b/rust/examples/full-basics.rs
@@ -17,14 +17,18 @@ use libnotcurses_sys::*;
 fn main() {
     unsafe {
         let nc = Notcurses::new();
-        let stdplane = notcurses_stdplane(nc);
 
-        let c1 = cell_char_initializer!('A');
-        ncplane_putc(&mut *stdplane, &c1);
+        // use standard plane
+        let stdplane = notcurses_stdplane(nc);
 
-        let _ = notcurses_render(nc);
+        for ch in "Initializing cells...".chars() {
+            let cell = NcCell::with_char(ch);
+            sleep![60];
+            ncplane_putc(&mut *stdplane, &cell);
+            let _ = notcurses_render(nc);
+        }
+        sleep![900];
 
-        sleep![1200];
         notcurses_stop(nc);
     }
 }
diff --git a/rust/src/cells.rs b/rust/src/cells.rs
index b39441fa9..942ca12ea 100644
--- a/rust/src/cells.rs
+++ b/rust/src/cells.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+//! NcCell constructors and cell_* static functions reimplementations
+
 // functions already exported by bindgen : 6
 // -----------------------------------------
 // cell_duplicate
@@ -66,13 +68,53 @@ use crate::{
     channels_set_bg_default, channels_set_bg_rgb, channels_set_bg_rgb8, channels_set_fchannel,
     channels_set_fg_alpha, channels_set_fg_default, channels_set_fg_rgb, channels_set_fg_rgb8,
     types::{
-        NcAlphaBits, NcCell, NcChannel, NcChannels, NcChar, NcColor, NcPaletteIndex, NcPlane,
+        NcAlphaBits, NcCell, NcChannel, NcChannels, NcChar, NcCharBackstop, NcColor, NcPaletteIndex, NcPlane,
         NcResult, NcStyleMask, NCCELL_ALPHA_OPAQUE, NCCELL_BGDEFAULT_MASK, NCCELL_BG_PALETTE,
         NCCELL_FGDEFAULT_MASK, NCCELL_FG_PALETTE, NCCELL_NOBACKGROUND_MASK, NCCELL_WIDEASIAN_MASK,
     },
     NCSTYLE_MASK,
 };
 
+// Constructors ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+impl NcCell {
+    /// [`NcCell`] constructor expecting [`char`], [`NcStyleMask`] and [`NcChannels`]
+    ///
+    /// This is analogous to the [`cell_initializer`] macro
+    #[inline]
+    pub const fn new(ch: char, stylemask: NcStyleMask, channels: NcChannels) -> Self {
+        NcCell {
+            gcluster: ch as u32,
+            gcluster_backstop: 0 as NcCharBackstop,
+            reserved: 0,
+            stylemask,
+            channels,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// [`NcCell`] simple constructor just expecting a [`char`]
+    ///
+    /// This is analogous to the [`cell_char_initializer`] macro
+    #[inline]
+    pub const fn with_char(ch: char) -> Self {
+        Self::new(
+            ch,
+            0 as NcStyleMask,
+            0 as NcChannels,
+        )
+    }
+
+    /// [`NcCell`] simple constructor for an empty cell
+    ///
+    /// This is analogous to the [`cell_trivial_initializer`] macro
+    #[inline]
+    pub const fn new_blank() -> Self {
+        Self::with_char(0 as char)
+    }
+}
+
+// Static Functions ------------------------------------------------------------
+
 /// cell_load(), plus blast the styling with 'style' and 'channels'.
 ///
 /// - Breaks the UTF-8 string in 'gcluster' down, setting up the cell 'cell'.
diff --git a/rust/src/lib.rs b/rust/src/lib.rs
index 24fa1a20e..2aa738a0d 100644
--- a/rust/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/src/lib.rs
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@ pub use bindings::*;
 #[doc(inline)]
 pub use types::*;
 
-#[macro_use]
-mod macros;
-
 mod cells;
 mod channel;
 mod direct;
diff --git a/rust/src/macros.rs b/rust/src/macros.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 3c8f70c2b..000000000
--- a/rust/src/macros.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,61 +0,0 @@
-#[allow(unused_imports)]
-use crate::{NcCell, NcChannels, NcChar, NcStyleMask};
-
-// NcCell ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-/// Initializes a cell providing an [`NcChar`],
-/// a [`NcStyleMask`] and [`NcChannels`]
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! cell_initializer {
-    ( $c:expr, $s:expr, $chan:expr  ) => {
-        NcCell {
-            gcluster: $c as u32,
-            gcluster_backstop: 0 as NcCharBackstop,
-            reserved: 0,
-            stylemask: $s,
-            channels: $chan,
-        }
-    };
-}
-
-/// Initializes a cell providing just an [`NcChar`],
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! cell_char_initializer {
-    ( $c:expr ) => {
-        cell_initializer![$c, 0, 0]
-    };
-}
-
-/// Initializes an empty cell
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! cell_trivial_initializer {
-    ( ) => {
-        cell_char_initializer![0]
-    };
-}
-
-// ncmetric --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-// /// Used as arguments to a variable field width (i.e. "%*s" -- these are the *).
-// ///
-// /// We need this convoluted grotesquery to properly handle 'µ'.
-// //
-// // TODO: TEST
-// //
-// // NCMETRICFWIDTH(x, cols) ((int)(strlen(x) - ncstrwidth(x) + (cols)))
-// #[macro_export]
-// macro_rules! NCMETRICFWIDTH {
-//     ( $x:expr, $cols:expr ) => {
-//         libc::strlen($x) as i32 - ncstrwidth($x) as i32 + $cols as i32
-//     }
-// }
-//
-// Proof of concept as const fn (wont work because strlen call)
-// pub const unsafe fn NCMETRICFWIDTH(x: i8, cols: usize) -> usize {
-//     libc::strlen(&x) - crate::ncstrwidth(&x) as usize + cols
-// }
-
-// #define NCMETRICFWIDTH(x, cols) ((int)(strlen(x) - ncstrwidth(x) + (cols)))
-// #define PREFIXFMT(x) NCMETRICFWIDTH((x), PREFIXCOLUMNS), (x)
-// #define IPREFIXFMT(x) NCMETRIXFWIDTH((x), IPREFIXCOLUMNS), (x)
-// #define BPREFIXFMT(x) NCMETRICFWIDTH((x), BPREFIXCOLUMNS), (x)
diff --git a/rust/src/plane.rs b/rust/src/plane.rs
index 10d3b689a..14199b245 100644
--- a/rust/src/plane.rs
+++ b/rust/src/plane.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+//! NcPlane constructors and ncplane_* static functions reimplementations
+
 // functions already exported by bindgen : 97
 // ------------------------------------------
 //  ncplane_above
@@ -166,7 +168,7 @@ use crate::{
     ncplane_hline_interp, ncplane_putc_yx, ncplane_putegc_yx, ncplane_putnstr_yx,
     ncplane_putstr_yx, ncplane_resize, ncplane_vline_interp, ncplane_vprintf_yx, notcurses_align,
     types::{
-        NcAlign, NcAlphaBits, NcCell, NcChannel, NcChannels, NcCharBackstop, NcColor, NcPlane,
+        NcAlign, NcAlphaBits, NcCell, NcChannel, NcChannels, NcColor, NcPlane,
         NcPlaneOptions, NcResult, NcStyleMask, Notcurses, NCPLANE_OPTION_HORALIGNED,
     },
 };
@@ -328,12 +330,12 @@ pub fn ncplane_double_box(
     #[allow(unused_assignments)]
     let mut ret = 0;
 
-    let mut ul = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut ur = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut ll = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut lr = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut hl = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut vl = cell_trivial_initializer![];
+    let mut ul = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ur = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ll = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut lr = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut hl = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut vl = NcCell::new_blank();
 
     unsafe {
         ret = cells_double_box(
@@ -426,12 +428,12 @@ pub fn ncplane_perimeter_double(
     unsafe {
         ncplane_dim_yx(plane, &mut dimy, &mut dimx);
     }
-    let mut ul = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut ur = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut ll = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut lr = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut hl = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut vl = cell_trivial_initializer![];
+    let mut ul = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ur = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ll = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut lr = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut hl = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut vl = NcCell::new_blank();
     if unsafe {
         cells_double_box(
             plane,
@@ -475,12 +477,12 @@ pub fn ncplane_perimeter_rounded(
     unsafe {
         ncplane_dim_yx(plane, &mut dimy, &mut dimx);
     }
-    let mut ul = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut ur = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut ll = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut lr = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut hl = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut vl = cell_trivial_initializer![];
+    let mut ul = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ur = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ll = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut lr = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut hl = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut vl = NcCell::new_blank();
     if unsafe {
         cells_rounded_box(
             plane,
@@ -713,12 +715,12 @@ pub fn ncplane_rounded_box(
     #[allow(unused_assignments)]
     let mut ret = 0;
 
-    let mut ul = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut ur = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut ll = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut lr = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut hl = cell_trivial_initializer![];
-    let mut vl = cell_trivial_initializer![];
+    let mut ul = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ur = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ll = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut lr = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut hl = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut vl = NcCell::new_blank();
 
     unsafe {
         ret = cells_rounded_box(