diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index b1d54aae..4570ea91 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ hawkgo.check:
 	CC=$(CC) \
 	CGO_CFLAGS="-I$(abs_srcdir)/lib -I$(abs_builddir)/lib $(CFLAGS) $(CGO_CFLAGS_EXTRA) $(CGO_CFLAGS_ADD)" \
 	CGO_LDFLAGS="-L$(abs_builddir)/lib -L$(abs_builddir)/lib/.libs -lhawk -ldl $(LIBM) $(CGO_LDFLAGS_EXTRA) $(CGO_LDFLAGS_ADD)"  \
-	go test -C $(srcdir) -ldflags "-X 'main.BINDIR=$(bindir)' -X 'main.SBINDIR=$(sbindir)' -X 'main.LIBDIR=$(libdir)' -X 'main.SYSCONFDIR=$(sysconfdir)'" -x -o $(abs_builddir)/hawkgo.bin -modfile $(abs_builddir)/go.mod
+	go test -C $(srcdir) -ldflags "-X 'main.BINDIR=$(bindir)' -X 'main.SBINDIR=$(sbindir)' -X 'main.LIBDIR=$(libdir)' -X 'main.SYSCONFDIR=$(sysconfdir)'" -x -modfile $(abs_builddir)/go.mod
 	go clean -C $(srcdir) -x -modfile $(abs_builddir)/go.mod
 
 # fake recipes to deceive make
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 9111c35e..0a9f68a3 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ clean-local:
 @ENABLE_HAWKGO_TRUE@	CC=$(CC) \
 @ENABLE_HAWKGO_TRUE@	CGO_CFLAGS="-I$(abs_srcdir)/lib -I$(abs_builddir)/lib $(CFLAGS) $(CGO_CFLAGS_EXTRA) $(CGO_CFLAGS_ADD)" \
 @ENABLE_HAWKGO_TRUE@	CGO_LDFLAGS="-L$(abs_builddir)/lib -L$(abs_builddir)/lib/.libs -lhawk -ldl $(LIBM) $(CGO_LDFLAGS_EXTRA) $(CGO_LDFLAGS_ADD)"  \
-@ENABLE_HAWKGO_TRUE@	go test -C $(srcdir) -ldflags "-X 'main.BINDIR=$(bindir)' -X 'main.SBINDIR=$(sbindir)' -X 'main.LIBDIR=$(libdir)' -X 'main.SYSCONFDIR=$(sysconfdir)'" -x -o $(abs_builddir)/hawkgo.bin -modfile $(abs_builddir)/go.mod
+@ENABLE_HAWKGO_TRUE@	go test -C $(srcdir) -ldflags "-X 'main.BINDIR=$(bindir)' -X 'main.SBINDIR=$(sbindir)' -X 'main.LIBDIR=$(libdir)' -X 'main.SYSCONFDIR=$(sysconfdir)'" -x -modfile $(abs_builddir)/go.mod
 @ENABLE_HAWKGO_TRUE@	go clean -C $(srcdir) -x -modfile $(abs_builddir)/go.mod
 
 # fake recipes to deceive make
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0f174381..7252cc0b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ and represents the value of 0.
 ```awk
 BEGIN {
 	@local x, i;
-	x = hawk::map(); ## you can omit this line
+	x = hawk::map(); ## you can omit this line or use @{}
 	x["one"] = 1;
 	x["two"] = 2;
 	x[199] = 3;
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ BEGIN {
 ```awk
 BEGIN {
 	@local x, i
-	x = hawk::array()
+	x = hawk::array() ## you can use @[] instead of hawk::array()
 	for (i = 0; i < 20; i++) x[i] = i;
 	print hawk::isarray(x), hawk::ismap(x)
 	print "--------------";
diff --git a/lib/parse.c b/lib/parse.c
index 17b1ce64..fe6dd6e6 100644
--- a/lib/parse.c
+++ b/lib/parse.c
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ enum tok_t
 	TOK_ELLIPSIS,
 	TOK_DBLPERIOD, /* not used yet */
 	TOK_PERIOD, /* not used yet */
+	TOK_ATBRACK, /* @[ */
+	TOK_ATBRACE, /* @{ */
 
 	/* ==  begin reserved words == */
 	/* === extended reserved words === */
@@ -173,10 +175,6 @@ enum tok_t
 	TOK_MBS,
 	TOK_REX,
 	TOK_XNIL,
-#if 0
-	TOK_HAWK_ARRAY,
-	TOK_HAWK_MAP,
-#endif
 
 	__TOKEN_COUNT__
 };
@@ -249,7 +247,7 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_hashidx (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_oocs_t* name, const h
 
 #define FNCALL_FLAG_NOARG (1 << 0) /* no argument */
 #define FNCALL_FLAG_VAR   (1 << 1)
-static hawk_nde_t* parse_fncall (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_oocs_t* name, hawk_fnc_t* fnc, const hawk_loc_t* xloc, int flags);
+static hawk_nde_t* parse_fncall (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_oocs_t* name, hawk_fnc_t* fnc, const hawk_loc_t* xloc, int flags, int closer_token);
 
 static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_ident_segs (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc, const hawk_oocs_t* full, const hawk_oocs_t segs[], int nsegs);
 
@@ -585,7 +583,7 @@ static int parse (hawk_t* hawk)
 	if (!(hawk->opt.trait & HAWK_IMPLICIT))
 	{
 		/* ensure that all functions called are defined in the EXPLICIT-only mode.
-		 * otherwise, the error detection will get delay until run-time. */
+		 * otherwise, the error detection will get delayed until run-time. */
 
 		hawk_htb_pair_t* p;
 		hawk_htb_itr_t itr;
@@ -597,8 +595,7 @@ static int parse (hawk_t* hawk)
 			{
 				hawk_nde_t* nde;
 
-				/* see parse_fncall() for what is
-				 * stored into hawk->tree.funs */
+				/* see parse_fncall() for what is stored into hawk->tree.funs */
 				nde = (hawk_nde_t*)HAWK_HTB_VPTR(p);
 				hawk_seterrfmt(hawk, &nde->loc, HAWK_EFUNNF, FMT_EFUNNF, HAWK_HTB_KLEN(p), HAWK_HTB_KPTR(p));
 				goto oops;
@@ -4900,7 +4897,7 @@ static HAWK_INLINE int isfnname (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_oocs_t* name)
 	return isfunname(hawk, name, HAWK_NULL);
 }
 
-static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_char  (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
+static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_char (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
 {
 	hawk_nde_char_t* nde;
 
@@ -4925,7 +4922,7 @@ oops:
 	return HAWK_NULL;
 }
 
-static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_bchr  (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
+static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_bchr (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
 {
 	hawk_nde_bchr_t* nde;
 
@@ -5008,7 +5005,7 @@ oops:
 	return HAWK_NULL;
 }
 
-static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_str  (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
+static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_str (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
 {
 	hawk_nde_str_t* nde;
 
@@ -5168,6 +5165,93 @@ oops:
 	return HAWK_NULL;
 }
 
+static hawk_nde_t* _parse_primary_array_or_map (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc, const hawk_oocs_t* full, const hawk_oocs_t segs[], int nsegs, int closer_token)
+{
+	/* treat it as if it's hawk::array() */
+
+	hawk_nde_t* nde = HAWK_NULL;
+	hawk_mod_t* mod;
+	hawk_mod_sym_t sym;
+	hawk_fnc_t fnc;
+
+	mod = query_module(hawk, segs, nsegs, &sym);
+	if (HAWK_UNLIKELY(!mod))
+	{
+		ADJERR_LOC(hawk, xloc);
+		return HAWK_NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (sym.type != HAWK_MOD_FNC || ((hawk->opt.trait & sym.u.fnc_.trait) != sym.u.fnc_.trait))
+	{
+		hawk_seterrfmt(hawk, xloc, HAWK_EUNDEF, FMT_EUNDEF, full->len, full->ptr);
+		return HAWK_NULL;
+	}
+
+	HAWK_MEMSET (&fnc, 0, HAWK_SIZEOF(fnc));
+	fnc.name.ptr = full->ptr;
+	fnc.name.len = full->len;
+	fnc.spec = sym.u.fnc_;
+	fnc.mod = mod;
+
+	return parse_fncall(hawk, full, &fnc, xloc, 0, closer_token);
+}
+
+static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_array (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
+{
+	/* treat it as if it's hawk::array() */
+	hawk_oocs_t segs[2];
+	hawk_oocs_t full;
+	hawk_nde_t* nde;
+
+	segs[0].ptr = HAWK_T("hawk");
+	segs[0].len = 4;
+	segs[1].ptr = HAWK_T("array");
+	segs[1].len = 5;
+
+	full.len = 11;
+	full.ptr = hawk_allocmem(hawk, HAWK_SIZEOF(*full.ptr) * 12);
+	if (HAWK_UNLIKELY(!full.ptr))
+	{
+		const hawk_ooch_t* bem = hawk_backuperrmsg(hawk);
+		hawk_seterrfmt(hawk,  &hawk->tok.loc, HAWK_ENOMEM, HAWK_T("unable to allocate internal name for @[ - %js"), bem);
+		return HAWK_NULL;
+	}
+
+	hawk_copy_oochars_to_oocstr_unlimited(&full.ptr[0], HAWK_T("hawk::array"), 11);
+
+	nde = _parse_primary_array_or_map(hawk, xloc, &full, segs, 2, TOK_RBRACK);
+	if (HAWK_UNLIKELY(!nde)) hawk_freemem(hawk, full.ptr);
+	return nde;
+}
+
+static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_map (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
+{
+	/* treat it as if it's hawk::map() */
+	hawk_oocs_t segs[2];
+	hawk_oocs_t full;
+	hawk_nde_t* nde;
+
+	segs[0].ptr = HAWK_T("hawk");
+	segs[0].len = 4;
+	segs[1].ptr = HAWK_T("map");
+	segs[1].len = 3;
+
+	full.len = 9;
+	full.ptr = hawk_allocmem(hawk, HAWK_SIZEOF(*full.ptr) * 10);
+	if (HAWK_UNLIKELY(!full.ptr))
+	{
+		const hawk_ooch_t* bem = hawk_backuperrmsg(hawk);
+		hawk_seterrfmt(hawk,  &hawk->tok.loc, HAWK_ENOMEM, HAWK_T("unable to allocate internal name for @{ - %js"), bem);
+		return HAWK_NULL;
+	}
+
+	hawk_copy_oochars_to_oocstr_unlimited(&full.ptr[0], HAWK_T("hawk::map"), 9);
+
+	nde = _parse_primary_array_or_map(hawk, xloc, &full, segs, 2, TOK_RBRACE);
+	if (HAWK_UNLIKELY(!nde)) hawk_freemem(hawk, full.ptr);
+	return nde;
+}
+
 static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_lparen (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
 {
 	hawk_nde_t* nde;
@@ -5500,6 +5584,12 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_nopipe (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc)
 		case TOK_IDENT:
 			return parse_primary_ident(hawk, xloc);
 
+		case TOK_ATBRACK:
+			return parse_primary_array(hawk, xloc);
+
+		case TOK_ATBRACE:
+			return parse_primary_map(hawk, xloc);
+
 		case TOK_CHAR:
 			return parse_primary_char(hawk, xloc);
 
@@ -5723,7 +5813,7 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_variable (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xloc, hawk_nd
 
 #if defined(HAWK_ENABLE_FUN_AS_VALUE)
 	if (!is_fcv) return (hawk_nde_t*)nde;
-	return parse_fncall(hawk, (const hawk_oocs_t*)nde, HAWK_NULL, xloc, FNCALL_FLAG_VAR);
+	return parse_fncall(hawk, (const hawk_oocs_t*)nde, HAWK_NULL, xloc, FNCALL_FLAG_VAR, TOK_RPAREN);
 #else
 	return (hawk_nde_t*)nde;
 #endif
@@ -5836,9 +5926,8 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_ident_noseg (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xl
 				return parse_primary_ident_segs(hawk, xloc, name, segs, 2);
 			}
 
-			/* fnc->dfl0 means that the function can be called without ().
-			 * i.e. length */
-			nde = parse_fncall(hawk, name, fnc, xloc, ((!MATCH(hawk,TOK_LPAREN) && fnc->dfl0)? FNCALL_FLAG_NOARG: 0));
+			/* fnc->dfl0 means that the function can be called without (). e.g. length */
+			nde = parse_fncall(hawk, name, fnc, xloc, ((!MATCH(hawk,TOK_LPAREN) && fnc->dfl0)? FNCALL_FLAG_NOARG: 0), TOK_RPAREN);
 		}
 		else
 		{
@@ -5881,7 +5970,7 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_ident_noseg (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xl
 			{
 				/* must be a function name */
 				HAWK_ASSERT(hawk_htb_search(hawk->parse.named, name->ptr, name->len) == HAWK_NULL);
-				nde = parse_fncall(hawk, name, HAWK_NULL, xloc, 0);
+				nde = parse_fncall(hawk, name, HAWK_NULL, xloc, 0, TOK_RPAREN);
 			}
 			else
 			{
@@ -5924,7 +6013,7 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_ident_noseg (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xl
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					nde = parse_fncall(hawk, name, HAWK_NULL, xloc, 0);
+					nde = parse_fncall(hawk, name, HAWK_NULL, xloc, 0, TOK_RPAREN);
 				}
 			}
 			else
@@ -5962,7 +6051,7 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_ident_noseg (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xl
 
 			#if defined(HAWK_ENABLE_FUN_AS_VALUE)
 						if (is_fncall_var)
-							nde = parse_fncall(hawk, (const hawk_oocs_t*)nde, HAWK_NULL, xloc, FNCALL_FLAG_VAR);
+							nde = parse_fncall(hawk, (const hawk_oocs_t*)nde, HAWK_NULL, xloc, FNCALL_FLAG_VAR, TOK_RPAREN);
 			#endif
 					}
 				}
@@ -5974,7 +6063,7 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_ident_noseg (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xl
 			{
 				/* it is a function call as the name is followed
 				 * by ( with/without spaces and implicit variables are disabled. */
-				nde = parse_fncall(hawk, name, HAWK_NULL, xloc, 0);
+				nde = parse_fncall(hawk, name, HAWK_NULL, xloc, 0, TOK_RPAREN);
 			}
 			else
 			{
@@ -6019,7 +6108,7 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_primary_ident_segs (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_loc_t* xlo
 					fnc.name.len = full->len;
 					fnc.spec = sym.u.fnc_;
 					fnc.mod = mod;
-					nde = parse_fncall(hawk, full, &fnc, xloc, 0);
+					nde = parse_fncall(hawk, full, &fnc, xloc, 0, TOK_RPAREN);
 				}
 				else
 				{
@@ -6290,7 +6379,7 @@ exit_func:
 	return HAWK_NULL;
 }
 
-static hawk_nde_t* parse_fncall (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_oocs_t* name, hawk_fnc_t* fnc, const hawk_loc_t* xloc, int flags)
+static hawk_nde_t* parse_fncall (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_oocs_t* name, hawk_fnc_t* fnc, const hawk_loc_t* xloc, int flags, int closer_token)
 {
 	hawk_nde_t* head, * curr, * nde;
 	hawk_nde_fncall_t* call;
@@ -6304,7 +6393,7 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_fncall (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_oocs_t* name, hawk_fnc
 	if (flags & FNCALL_FLAG_NOARG) goto make_node;
 	if (get_token(hawk) <= -1) goto oops;
 
-	if (MATCH(hawk,TOK_RPAREN))
+	if (MATCH(hawk, closer_token))
 	{
 		/* no parameters to the function call */
 		if (get_token(hawk) <= -1) goto oops;
@@ -6324,13 +6413,13 @@ static hawk_nde_t* parse_fncall (hawk_t* hawk, const hawk_oocs_t* name, hawk_fnc
 
 			nargs++;
 
-			if (MATCH(hawk,TOK_RPAREN))
+			if (MATCH(hawk, closer_token))
 			{
 				if (get_token(hawk) <= -1) goto oops;
 				break;
 			}
 
-			if (!MATCH(hawk,TOK_COMMA))
+			if (!MATCH(hawk, TOK_COMMA))
 			{
 				hawk_seterrfmt(hawk,  &hawk->tok.loc, HAWK_ECOMMA, FMT_ECOMMA, HAWK_OOECS_LEN(hawk->tok.name), HAWK_OOECS_PTR(hawk->tok.name));
 				goto oops;
@@ -7121,19 +7210,16 @@ retry:
 
 		GET_CHAR_TO(hawk, c);
 
-#if 0
 		if (c == '[' || c == '{') /* syntatic sugar for array/map composition */
 		{
 			int tt;
 			ADD_TOKEN_CHAR(hawk, tok, '@');
 			ADD_TOKEN_CHAR(hawk, tok, c);
-			tt = (c == '['? TOK_HAWK_ARRAY: TOK_HAWK_MAP);
+			tt = (c == '['? TOK_ATBRACK: TOK_ATBRACE);
 			SET_TOKEN_TYPE(hawk, tok, tt);
 			GET_CHAR(hawk);
 		}
-		else
-#endif
-		if (c != '_' && !hawk_is_ooch_alpha(c))
+		else if (c != '_' && !hawk_is_ooch_alpha(c))
 		{
 			/* this extended keyword is empty,
 			 * not followed by a valid word */
diff --git a/lib/run.c b/lib/run.c
index c731409f..759548b5 100644
--- a/lib/run.c
+++ b/lib/run.c
@@ -5028,7 +5028,7 @@ static HAWK_INLINE int __cmp_bchr_str (hawk_rtx_t* rtx, hawk_val_t* left, hawk_v
 {
 	hawk_bchu_t v1 = HAWK_RTX_GETBCHRFROMVAL(rtx, left);
 	hawk_oochu_t oc = v1;
-	return hawk_comp_oochars(&oc, 1, ((hawk_val_str_t*)right)->val.ptr, ((hawk_val_str_t*)right)->val.len, rtx->gbl.ignorecase);
+	return hawk_comp_oochars((const hawk_ooch_t*)&oc, 1, ((hawk_val_str_t*)right)->val.ptr, ((hawk_val_str_t*)right)->val.len, rtx->gbl.ignorecase);
 }
 
 static HAWK_INLINE int __cmp_bchr_mbs (hawk_rtx_t* rtx, hawk_val_t* left, hawk_val_t* right, cmp_op_t op_hint)
diff --git a/t/h-001.hawk b/t/h-001.hawk
index 1357aae3..a7a91a8a 100644
--- a/t/h-001.hawk
+++ b/t/h-001.hawk
@@ -187,6 +187,16 @@ function main()
 		tap_ensure (a[1][2], 20, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
 	}
 
+	{
+		@local a;
+		a = @[10, @[20, 30], 40];
+		tap_ensure(a[1], 10, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
+		tap_ensure(a[2][1], 20, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
+		tap_ensure(a[2][2], 30, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
+		tap_ensure(a[3], 40, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
+		tap_ensure(length(a), 3, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
+	}
+
 	{
 		@local a, nil;
 		a = hawk::array();
@@ -259,6 +269,11 @@ function main()
 		c[10,20,30] = "heloo";
 		tap_ensure (((10,20,30) in c), 1, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
 		tap_ensure (((10,30,30) in c), 0, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
+
+
+		c = @{ "abc", 10, "def", 20.9 };
+		tap_ensure (c["abc"], 10, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
+		tap_ensure (c["def"], 20.9, @SCRIPTNAME, @SCRIPTLINE);
 	}
 
 	{