diff --git a/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/ConnectorViewModel.cs b/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/ConnectorViewModel.cs
index 32899c8..33f5444 100644
--- a/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/ConnectorViewModel.cs
+++ b/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/ConnectorViewModel.cs
@@ -31,6 +31,19 @@ namespace Nodify.Calculator
                 .Then(() => ValueObservers.ForEach(o => o.Value = value));
         }
 
+        private string _userInput = string.Empty;
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Free-form text the user types directly into the connector's input textbox
+        /// (visible only when the connector is not connected). Used by handlers like
+        /// NEW_OBJECT to read non-numeric values (strings, bools, JSON snippets, ...)
+        /// that <see cref="Value"/> (a double) cannot represent.
+        /// </summary>
+        public string UserInput
+        {
+            get => _userInput;
+            set => SetProperty(ref _userInput, value);
+        }
+
         private ConnectorShape _shape;
         public ConnectorShape Shape
         {
diff --git a/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/EditorView.xaml b/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/EditorView.xaml
index e4b68d8..6b31234 100644
--- a/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/EditorView.xaml
+++ b/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/EditorView.xaml
@@ -273,7 +273,8 @@
                                 <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
                                     <TextBlock Text="{Binding Title}"
                                                Margin="0 0 5 0" />
-                                    <TextBox Text="{Binding Value}"
+                                    <TextBox Text="{Binding UserInput, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}"
+                                             MinWidth="60"
                                              Visibility="{Binding IsConnected, Converter={shared:BooleanToVisibilityConverter Negate=True}}" />
                                 </StackPanel>
                             </DataTemplate>
diff --git a/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/Execution/Handlers/NodeHandlers.cs b/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/Execution/Handlers/NodeHandlers.cs
index c38ba22..35384c0 100644
--- a/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/Execution/Handlers/NodeHandlers.cs
+++ b/Examples/Nodify.Calculator/Execution/Handlers/NodeHandlers.cs
@@ -95,10 +95,23 @@ namespace Nodify.Calculator.Execution.Handlers
                 var propPath = parenIdx > 0 ? title.Substring(0, parenIdx).Trim() : title.Trim();
                 if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(propPath)) continue;
 
-                var val = ctx.ReadInput(inp);
+                // If a wire is connected → read from upstream node.
+                // Otherwise fall back to whatever the user typed in the inline TextBox (UserInput).
+                // If neither is provided, skip the field so the JSON only carries explicit values.
+                string val;
+                if (inp.IsConnected)
+                {
+                    val = ctx.ReadInput(inp);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(inp.UserInput)) continue;
+                    val = inp.UserInput;
+                }
+
                 ctx.Log($"[NEW OBJECT] {propPath} = {(val?.Length > 80 ? val.Substring(0, 80) + "..." : val ?? "null")}");
 
-                SetNestedValue(root, propPath, val);
+                SetNestedValue(root, propPath, val, inp.DataType);
             }
 
             var json = root.ToString(Formatting.None);
@@ -109,9 +122,10 @@ namespace Nodify.Calculator.Execution.Handlers
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Sets a value at a dot-notation path in a JObject, creating intermediate objects as needed.
-        /// e.g., "Address.Street" with value "Main St" → { "Address": { "Street": "Main St" } }
+        /// The leaf token is coerced according to <paramref name="dataType"/> so that string fields
+        /// remain JSON strings, numeric fields remain JSON numbers, etc.
         /// </summary>
-        private static void SetNestedValue(JObject root, string path, string val)
+        private static void SetNestedValue(JObject root, string path, string val, string dataType)
         {
             var parts = path.Split('.');
             var current = root;
@@ -129,14 +143,56 @@ namespace Nodify.Calculator.Execution.Handlers
             }
 
             var leaf = parts[parts.Length - 1];
-            if (val != null)
+            current[leaf] = CoerceValue(val, dataType);
+        }
+
+        private static JToken CoerceValue(string val, string dataType)
+        {
+            if (val == null) return JValue.CreateNull();
+
+            var dt = (dataType ?? "").Trim().ToLowerInvariant();
+
+            // Lists / nested objects / unspecified — try JSON parse first, fall back to string.
+            if (dt.StartsWith("list<") || dt == "object" || string.IsNullOrEmpty(dt))
             {
-                try { current[leaf] = JToken.Parse(val); }
-                catch { current[leaf] = val; }
+                try { return JToken.Parse(val); }
+                catch { return new JValue(val); }
             }
-            else
+
+            switch (dt)
             {
-                current[leaf] = null;
+                case "string":
+                case "char":
+                case "guid":
+                case "datetime":
+                    return new JValue(val);
+
+                case "bool":
+                case "boolean":
+                    if (bool.TryParse(val, out var b)) return new JValue(b);
+                    return new JValue(val);
+
+                case "int":
+                case "long":
+                case "short":
+                case "byte":
+                    if (long.TryParse(val, System.Globalization.NumberStyles.Any,
+                            System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, out var l))
+                        return new JValue(l);
+                    return new JValue(val);
+
+                case "double":
+                case "float":
+                case "decimal":
+                    if (double.TryParse(val, System.Globalization.NumberStyles.Any,
+                            System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, out var d))
+                        return new JValue(d);
+                    return new JValue(val);
+
+                default:
+                    // Custom model type referenced by name → expect a JSON object string.
+                    try { return JToken.Parse(val); }
+                    catch { return new JValue(val); }
             }
         }
     }