diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 9da27c9..7e0d1bc 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ checksum = "b03f7fbd470aa8b3ad163c85cce8bccfc11cc9c44ef12da0a4eddd98bd307352"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "spl"
-version = "0.3.0"
+version = "0.3.1"
 dependencies = [
  "multicall",
  "once_cell",
diff --git a/src/lexer.rs b/src/lexer.rs
index abe8524..6e0116a 100644
--- a/src/lexer.rs
+++ b/src/lexer.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ pub fn lex(compat: bool, input: String) -> Result<Words, LexerError> {
 fn read_block(
     str_words: &[String],
     isfn: bool,
+    compat: bool,
+) -> Result<(Option<u32>, Words, usize), LexerError> {
+    read_block_dyn(str_words, isfn, "}".to_owned(), compat)
+}
+
+fn read_block_dyn(
+    str_words: &[String],
+    isfn: bool,
+    endword: String,
     mut compat: bool,
 ) -> Result<(Option<u32>, Words, usize), LexerError> {
     if str_words.is_empty() {
@@ -111,8 +120,8 @@ fn read_block(
             x if x.len() >= 2 && &x[0..2] == "!{" => {
                 words.push(Word::Const(Value::Str(x[2..].to_owned())));
             }
-            "<{" => {
-                let block = read_block(&str_words[i + 1..], false, compat)?;
+            "<" => {
+                let block = read_block_dyn(&str_words[i + 1..], false, ">".to_owned(), compat)?;
                 i += block.2 + 1;
                 let mut block = block.1.words;
                 match words.remove(words.len() - 1) {
@@ -227,7 +236,7 @@ fn read_block(
                 }
                 words.push(Word::Key(Keyword::With(vars)));
             }
-            "}" => {
+            x if x == endword => {
                 break;
             }
             x if x.starts_with('\"') => {
@@ -286,7 +295,11 @@ fn read_block(
     Ok((rem, Words { words }, i))
 }
 
-fn parse(input: String) -> Vec<String> {
+pub fn parse(mut input: String) -> Vec<String> {
+    if input.starts_with("#!") {
+        input = input.split_off(input.find('\n').expect("cannot have #! without newline"));
+    }
+
     let mut words = Vec::new();
     let mut s = String::new();
 
@@ -346,6 +359,17 @@ fn parse(input: String) -> Vec<String> {
                     if c == '(' || c == ')' {
                         continue;
                     }
+                    if c == '<' || c == '>' {
+                        if s.is_empty() {
+                            words.push(c.to_string());
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                        words.push(s);
+                        s = String::new();
+                        was_in_string = false;
+                        words.push(c.to_string());
+                        continue;
+                    }
                     if c == ' ' || c == '\t' {
                         if s.is_empty() {
                             continue;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index e7264a1..633d496 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-use spl::{lex, oxidizer::RustAppBuilder, start_file_in_runtime, Runtime, SetRuntime};
+use spl::{
+    lex, oxidizer::RustAppBuilder, sasm::sasm_write, start_file_in_runtime, Runtime, SetRuntime,
+};
 
 use std::{env::args, fs};
 
@@ -6,9 +8,14 @@ fn main() {
     Runtime::new().set();
     let mut args = args().skip(1);
     let arg = &args.next().unwrap_or("#repl.spl".to_owned());
-    if arg == "--build" || arg == "--run" || arg == "--buildrun" {
+    if arg == "--build" || arg == "--run" || arg == "--buildrun" || arg == "--debug" {
         let file = args.next().unwrap();
         let data = fs::read_to_string(file.clone()).expect("unable to read specified file");
+        if arg == "--debug" {
+            println!("words: {}", spl::parse(data.clone()).join("  "));
+            println!("{}", sasm_write(lex(false, data).unwrap()));
+            return;
+        }
         let build_only = arg == "--build";
         if build_only {
             println!("Building SPL with specified natives file...");
diff --git a/std.spl b/std.spl
index 73b3e6b..3778f31 100644
--- a/std.spl
+++ b/std.spl
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ construct _str_ext {
     starts-with { bool | with beginning this ;
         beginning:to-bytes this:to-bytes:starts-with
     }
+    _char { int | with this ; 
+        0 (this _array):get
+    }
 } include _str_ext in str
 
 construct _mega-ext {
@@ -398,9 +401,9 @@ func concat { str | with a b ;
 
 func nconcat { str | with amt ;
     _array
-    (amt 1 -):foreach <{ { | pop
+    (amt 1 -):foreach<{ | pop
         swap _array swap aadd
-    } }
+    }>
     _str
 }
 
diff --git a/test.spl b/test.spl
index faa4d53..e11cce3 100644
--- a/test.spl
+++ b/test.spl
@@ -142,10 +142,10 @@ func main { int | with args ;
 
     "testing messages" println
     def bus messaging:Bus:new =bus
-    bus:subscribe <{ "testmsg1" { | with message ; message:name print " called1 1" println } }
-    bus:subscribe <{ "testmsg1" { | with message ; message:name print " called1 2" println } }
-    bus:subscribe <{ "testmsg2" { | with message ; message:name print " called2 1" println } }
-    bus:subscribe <{ "testmsg2" { | with message ; message:name print " called2 2" println } }
+    bus:subscribe<"testmsg1" { | with message ; message:name print " called1 1" println }>
+    bus:subscribe<"testmsg1" { | with message ; message:name print " called1 2" println }>
+    bus:subscribe<"testmsg2" { | with message ; message:name print " called2 1" println }>
+    bus:subscribe<"testmsg2" { | with message ; message:name print " called2 2" println }>
     "testmsg1" bus:publish
     "testmsg2" bus:publish
     "testmsg1" bus:publish
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ func main { int | with args ;
     100
 }
 
-func cached-test { mega | 1 "cached-test" cache <{ { mega | with i ;
+func cached-test { mega | 1 "cached-test" cache< { mega | with i ;
     i 2 *
     "calculated " i _str concat println
-} } }
+}>}