diff --git a/src/core/data/ions/ion_population/ion_population.hpp b/src/core/data/ions/ion_population/ion_population.hpp
index f63f1c7f0..aa6554e47 100644
--- a/src/core/data/ions/ion_population/ion_population.hpp
+++ b/src/core/data/ions/ion_population/ion_population.hpp
@@ -1,18 +1,15 @@
 #ifndef PHARE_ION_POPULATION_HPP
 #define PHARE_ION_POPULATION_HPP
 
-#include <memory>
-#include <sstream>
-#include <stdexcept>
-#include <string>
 #include <tuple>
-#include <array>
+#include <string>
+#include <sstream>
 
 
 #include "core/def.hpp"
-#include "core/hybrid/hybrid_quantities.hpp"
-#include "initializer/data_provider.hpp"
 #include "particle_pack.hpp"
+#include "initializer/data_provider.hpp"
+#include "core/hybrid/hybrid_quantities.hpp"
 
 namespace PHARE
 {
@@ -52,15 +49,13 @@ namespace core
 
         NO_DISCARD bool isUsable() const
         {
-            return particles_.isUsable() && rho_.isUsable() && flux_.isUsable()
-                   && momentumTensor_.isUsable();
+            return core::isUsable(particles_, rho_, flux_, momentumTensor_);
         }
 
 
         NO_DISCARD bool isSettable() const
         {
-            return particles_.isSettable() && rho_.isSettable() && flux_.isSettable()
-                   && momentumTensor_.isSettable();
+            return core::isSettable(particles_, rho_, flux_, momentumTensor_);
         }
 
         NO_DISCARD auto& domainParticles() const { return particles_.domainParticles(); }
diff --git a/src/core/data/ions/ion_population/particle_pack.hpp b/src/core/data/ions/ion_population/particle_pack.hpp
index 485c3d53b..da3c14098 100644
--- a/src/core/data/ions/ion_population/particle_pack.hpp
+++ b/src/core/data/ions/ion_population/particle_pack.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef PHARE_CORE_DATA_PARTICLES_PARTICLE_PACK_HPP
 #define PHARE_CORE_DATA_PARTICLES_PARTICLE_PACK_HPP
 
+#include "core/def.hpp"
 #include "core/data/particles/particle_array.hpp"
 
 namespace PHARE
@@ -36,25 +37,16 @@ namespace core
 
         auto& name() const { return _name; }
 
-        auto _as_tuple() const
-        {
-            return std::forward_as_tuple(_domainParticles, _patchGhostParticles,
-                                         _levelGhostParticles);
-        }
 
         NO_DISCARD bool isUsable() const
         {
-            auto tup = _as_tuple();
-            return for_N_all<std::tuple_size_v<pointer_tuple_t>>(
-                [&](auto i) { return std::get<i>(tup) != nullptr; });
+            return core::isUsable(_domainParticles, _patchGhostParticles, _levelGhostParticles);
         }
 
 
         NO_DISCARD bool isSettable() const
         {
-            auto tup = _as_tuple();
-            return for_N_all<std::tuple_size_v<pointer_tuple_t>>(
-                [&](auto i) { return std::get<i>(tup) == nullptr; });
+            return core::isSettable(_domainParticles, _patchGhostParticles, _levelGhostParticles);
         }
 
 
diff --git a/src/core/def.hpp b/src/core/def.hpp
index 4c190814b..e6eb3d6ed 100644
--- a/src/core/def.hpp
+++ b/src/core/def.hpp
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 #ifndef PHARE_CORE_DEF_HPP
 #define PHARE_CORE_DEF_HPP
 
+#include <type_traits>
+
 #define NO_DISCARD [[nodiscard]]
 
+#if !defined(NDEBUG) || defined(PHARE_FORCE_DEBUG_DO)
+#define PHARE_DEBUG_DO(...) __VA_ARGS__
+#else
+#define PHARE_DEBUG_DO(...)
+#endif
 
 #define _PHARE_TO_STR(x) #x // convert macro text to string
 #define PHARE_TO_STR(x) _PHARE_TO_STR(x)
@@ -10,4 +17,32 @@
 #define PHARE_TOKEN_PASTE(x, y) x##y
 #define PHARE_STR_CAT(x, y) PHARE_TOKEN_PASTE(x, y)
 
+
+namespace PHARE::core
+{
+template<typename... Args>
+NO_DISCARD bool isUsable(Args const&... args)
+{
+    auto check = [](auto const& arg) {
+        if constexpr (std::is_pointer_v<std::decay_t<decltype(arg)>>)
+            return arg != nullptr;
+        else
+            return arg.isUsable();
+    };
+    return (check(args) && ...);
+}
+
+template<typename... Args>
+NO_DISCARD bool isSettable(Args const&... args)
+{
+    auto check = [](auto const& arg) {
+        if constexpr (std::is_pointer_v<std::decay_t<decltype(arg)>>)
+            return arg == nullptr;
+        else
+            return arg.isSettable();
+    };
+    return (check(args) && ...);
+}
+} // namespace PHARE::core
+
 #endif // PHARE_CORE_DEF_HPP
diff --git a/src/core/utilities/types.hpp b/src/core/utilities/types.hpp
index 412456da7..ee90667ad 100644
--- a/src/core/utilities/types.hpp
+++ b/src/core/utilities/types.hpp
@@ -19,14 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "cppdict/include/dict.hpp"
 
-#if !defined(NDEBUG) || defined(PHARE_FORCE_DEBUG_DO)
-#define PHARE_DEBUG_DO(...) __VA_ARGS__
-#else
-#define PHARE_DEBUG_DO(...)
-#endif
-
-#define _PHARE_TO_STR(x) #x // convert macro text to string
-#define PHARE_TO_STR(x) _PHARE_TO_STR(x)
+
 
 namespace PHARE
 {