diff --git a/lib/Cache.php b/lib/Cache.php
index 832ef33e..0336fbea 100644
--- a/lib/Cache.php
+++ b/lib/Cache.php
@@ -99,9 +99,7 @@ public static function get(string $key, \Closure $closure, int $expire = null):
 
     public static function set(string $key, mixed $var, int $expire = null): void
     {
-        if (!static::$adapter) {
-            return;
-        }
+        assert(isset(static::$adapter), 'Adapter required to set');
 
         $key = static::get_namespace() . $key;
 
@@ -110,9 +108,7 @@ public static function set(string $key, mixed $var, int $expire = null): void
 
     public static function delete(string $key): void
     {
-        if (!static::$adapter) {
-            return;
-        }
+        assert(isset(static::$adapter), 'Adapter required to delete');
 
         $key = static::get_namespace() . $key;
         static::$adapter->delete($key);
diff --git a/lib/Column.php b/lib/Column.php
index 467abff9..a923017b 100644
--- a/lib/Column.php
+++ b/lib/Column.php
@@ -117,11 +117,6 @@ public static function castIntegerSafely($value): string|int
             return $value;
         }
 
-        // It's just a decimal number
-        elseif (is_float($value) && floor($value) != $value) {
-            return (int) $value;
-        }
-
         // If adding 0 to a string causes a float conversion,
         // we have a number over PHP_INT_MAX
         elseif (is_string($value) && 1 === bccomp($value, (string) PHP_INT_MAX)) {
@@ -157,8 +152,7 @@ public function cast($value, $connection): mixed
             case self::STRING:    return (string) $value;
             case self::INTEGER:    return static::castIntegerSafely($value);
             case self::DECIMAL:    return (float) $value;
-            case self::DATETIME:
-            case self::DATE:
+            default: // DATETIME, DATE, TIME
                 if ('' === $value) {
                     return null;
                 }
@@ -179,8 +173,6 @@ public function cast($value, $connection): mixed
 
                 return $connection->string_to_datetime($value);
         }
-
-        return $value;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/lib/Connection.php b/lib/Connection.php
index 3b2ed244..19014de5 100644
--- a/lib/Connection.php
+++ b/lib/Connection.php
@@ -112,8 +112,7 @@ public static function instance(string $connection_string_or_connection_name = n
         $config = Config::instance();
 
         if (!str_contains($connection_string_or_connection_name ?? '', '://')) {
-            $connection_string = $connection_string_or_connection_name ?
-                $config->get_connection($connection_string_or_connection_name) :
+            $connection_string = $config->get_connection($connection_string_or_connection_name ?? '') ??
                 $config->get_default_connection_string();
         } else {
             $connection_string = $connection_string_or_connection_name;
diff --git a/lib/ConnectionManager.php b/lib/ConnectionManager.php
index bc205ed1..f5c4cd25 100644
--- a/lib/ConnectionManager.php
+++ b/lib/ConnectionManager.php
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class ConnectionManager extends Singleton
      *
      * @return Connection
      */
-    public static function get_connection($name=null)
+    public static function get_connection(string $name=null)
     {
         $config = Config::instance();
         $name = $name ?? $config->get_default_connection();
diff --git a/test/helpers/AdapterTestCase.php b/test/helpers/AdapterTestCase.php
index dfb2ed37..b9b3bd51 100644
--- a/test/helpers/AdapterTestCase.php
+++ b/test/helpers/AdapterTestCase.php
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ public function testShouldSetAdapterVariables()
 
     public function testNullConnectionStringUsesDefaultConnection()
     {
-        $this->assertNotNull(ActiveRecord\Connection::instance(null));
         $this->assertNotNull(ActiveRecord\Connection::instance(''));
         $this->assertNotNull(ActiveRecord\Connection::instance());
     }