diff --git a/scheme/xlib/type/color-type.scm b/scheme/xlib/type/color-type.scm
index 2faf61b..f18d610 100644
--- a/scheme/xlib/type/color-type.scm
+++ b/scheme/xlib/type/color-type.scm
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 	  color))))
 
 ;; r, g, b should be integers from 0 to 65535
-(define (make-color r g b)
+(define (create-color r g b)
   (let ((maybe-color (color-list-find* r g b)))
     (if maybe-color
 	maybe-color
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 ;; returns a list of r,g,b as integers
 (define (extract-rgb-values color)
-  (%extract-rgb-values (color-Xcolor)))
+  (%extract-rgb-values (color-Xcolor color)))
 
 (import-lambda-definition %extract-rgb-values (XColor)
   "Extract_RGB_Values")
diff --git a/scheme/xlib/type/colormap-type.scm b/scheme/xlib/type/colormap-type.scm
index 8c3e766..3b8a039 100644
--- a/scheme/xlib/type/colormap-type.scm
+++ b/scheme/xlib/type/colormap-type.scm
@@ -4,17 +4,24 @@
   (really-make-colormap tag Xcolormap display) 
   colormap? 
   (tag colormap-tag colormap-set-tag!)
-  (Xcolormap colormap-Xcolormap colormap-set-Xcolormap!)
+  (Xcolormap real-colormap-Xcolormap colormap-set-Xcolormap!)
   (display colormap-display colormap-set-display!))
 
+(define (colormap-Xcolormap colormap)
+  (if (eq? colormap 'none)
+      none-resource
+      (real-colormap-Xcolormap colormap)))
+
 (define (make-colormap Xcolormap display)
-  (let ((maybe-colormap (colormap-list-find Xcolormap)))
-    (if maybe-colormap
-	maybe-colormap
-	(let ((colormap (really-make-colormap #f Xcolormap display)))
-	  (add-finalizer! colormap finalize-colormap)
-	  (colormap-list-set! Xcolormap colormap)
-	  colormap))))
+  (if (none-resource? Xcolormap)
+      'none
+      (let ((maybe-colormap (colormap-list-find Xcolormap)))
+	(if maybe-colormap
+	    maybe-colormap
+	    (let ((colormap (really-make-colormap #f Xcolormap display)))
+	      (add-finalizer! colormap finalize-colormap)
+	      (colormap-list-set! Xcolormap colormap)
+	      colormap)))))
 
 (define-exported-binding "colormap-record-type" :colormap)
 
@@ -25,7 +32,6 @@
 (define (finalize-colormap colormap)
   (let ((Xcolormap (colormap-Xcolormap colormap)))
     (free-colormap colormap)
-    (colormap-set-Xcolormap! colormap 'already-destroyed)
     (colormap-list-delete! Xcolormap)))
 
 (define (free-colormap colormap)
diff --git a/scheme/xlib/type/pixel-type.scm b/scheme/xlib/type/pixel-type.scm
index 7795745..51ea5ce 100644
--- a/scheme/xlib/type/pixel-type.scm
+++ b/scheme/xlib/type/pixel-type.scm
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
   (tag pixel-tag pixel-set-tag!)
   (Xpixel pixel-Xpixel pixel-set-Xpixel!))
 
-(define (make-pixel Xpixel display)
+(define (make-pixel Xpixel)
   (let ((maybe-pixel (pixel-list-find Xpixel)))
     (if maybe-pixel
 	maybe-pixel
-	(let ((pixel (really-make-pixel #f Xpixel display)))
+	(let ((pixel (really-make-pixel #f Xpixel)))
 	  (add-finalizer! pixel finalize-pixel)
 	  (pixel-list-set! Xpixel pixel)
 	  pixel))))
diff --git a/scheme/xlib/type/window-type.scm b/scheme/xlib/type/window-type.scm
index 65ce496..20d453b 100644
--- a/scheme/xlib/type/window-type.scm
+++ b/scheme/xlib/type/window-type.scm
@@ -4,24 +4,43 @@
   (really-make-window tag Xwindow display) 
   window? 
   (tag window-tag window-set-tag!)
-  (Xwindow window-Xwindow window-set-Xwindow!)
+  (Xwindow real-window-Xwindow window-set-Xwindow!)
   (display window-display window-set-display!))
 
-(define (make-window tag Xwindow display)
-  (let ((maybe-window (window-list-find Xwindow)))
-    (if maybe-window
-	maybe-window
-	(let ((window (really-make-window tag Xwindow display)))
-	  (add-finalizer! window finalize-window)
-	  (window-list-set! Xwindow window)
-	  window))))
+(define (window-Xwindow window)
+  (if (eq? window 'none)
+      none-resource
+      (real-window-Xwindow window)))
+
+(define (make-window Xwindow display)
+  (if (null-resource? Xwindow)
+      'null
+      (let ((maybe-window (window-list-find Xwindow)))
+	(if maybe-window
+	    maybe-window
+	    (let ((window (really-make-window #f Xwindow display)))
+	      (add-finalizer! window finalize-window)
+	      (window-list-set! Xwindow window)
+	      window)))))
 
 (define-exported-binding "window-record-type" :window)
 
+;; abstractions for a "drawable" which is a window or a pixmap.
+
 (define (drawable? object)
   (or (window? object)
       (pixmap? object)))
 
+(define (drawable-abstraction pixmap-fun window-fun)
+  (lambda (drawable)
+    (cond
+     ((pixmap? drawable) (pixmap-fun drawable))
+     ((window? drawable) (window-fun drawable))
+     (else (error "expected a drawable object" drawable)))))
+
+(define drawable-display (drawable-abstraction pixmap-display window-display))
+(define drawable-Xobject (drawable-abstraction pixmap-Xpixmap window-Xwindow))
+
 ;; finalize-window is called, when the garbage collector removes the last
 ;; reference to the window from the heap. Then we can savely close the window
 ;; and remove the weak-pointer from our list.