diff --git a/lib/read.c b/lib/read.c
index 1bd0a75..f2b9afe 100644
--- a/lib/read.c
+++ b/lib/read.c
@@ -1042,7 +1042,7 @@ static HCL_INLINE int is_at_block_beginning (hcl_t* hcl)
 	return !rstl || (LIST_FLAG_GET_CONCODE(rstl->flagv) == HCL_CONCODE_BLOCK && (hcl->c->feed.rd.flagv & AT_BEGINNING));
 }
 
-static int forge_auto_xlist_if_at_block_beginning (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_frd_t* frd)
+static int auto_forge_xlist_if_at_block_beginning (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_frd_t* frd)
 {
 	if (is_at_block_beginning(hcl))
 	{
@@ -1174,14 +1174,14 @@ static int feed_process_token (hcl_t* hcl)
 			/* [] is a data list. so let's treat it like other literal
 			 * expressions(e.g. 1, "abc"). when it's placed at the block beginning,
 			 * create the outer XLIST. */
-			if (forge_auto_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
+			if (auto_forge_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
 
 			frd->flagv = DATA_LIST;
 			LIST_FLAG_SET_CONCODE (frd->flagv, HCL_CONCODE_ARRAY);
 			goto start_list;
 
 		case HCL_TOK_BAPAREN: /* #[ */
-			if (forge_auto_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
+			if (auto_forge_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
 
 			frd->flagv = DATA_LIST;
 			LIST_FLAG_SET_CONCODE (frd->flagv, HCL_CONCODE_BYTEARRAY);
@@ -1194,13 +1194,13 @@ static int feed_process_token (hcl_t* hcl)
 			goto start_list;
 
 		case HCL_TOK_DLPAREN: /* #{ */
-			if (forge_auto_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
+			if (auto_forge_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
 			frd->flagv = DATA_LIST;
 			LIST_FLAG_SET_CONCODE (frd->flagv, HCL_CONCODE_DIC);
 			goto start_list;
 
 		case HCL_TOK_QLPAREN: /* #( */
-			if (forge_auto_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
+			if (auto_forge_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
 			frd->flagv = DATA_LIST;
 			LIST_FLAG_SET_CONCODE (frd->flagv, HCL_CONCODE_QLIST);
 			goto start_list;
@@ -1529,7 +1529,7 @@ static int feed_process_token (hcl_t* hcl)
 				frd->flagv &= ~AT_BEGINNING;
 			}
 			#else
-			if (forge_auto_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
+			if (auto_forge_xlist_if_at_block_beginning(hcl, frd) <= -1) goto oops;
 			#endif
 			break;
 	}
diff --git a/t/do-01.err b/t/do-01.err
index 5a75315..ec5bd43 100644
--- a/t/do-01.err
+++ b/t/do-01.err
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 ## if `do` is not enclosed in `( )`, variable declaration is prohibited
-(do | k | (set k 10))
+do { | k | set k 10 };
 do | k | {set k 10;}; ##ERROR: syntax error - variable declaration disallowed
diff --git a/t/insta-01.hcl b/t/insta-01.hcl
index c05e980..1274916 100644
--- a/t/insta-01.hcl
+++ b/t/insta-01.hcl
@@ -35,19 +35,17 @@ else { printf "OK %d\n" a; };
 
 set b (B:newInstance 2 3 4);
 set a (b:get-a);
-(if (/= a 4) (printf "ERROR: a must be 4\n")
- else (printf "OK %d\n" a))
+if (/= a 4) {printf "ERROR: a must be 4\n" }
+else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 set a (b:get-b);
-(if (/= a 6) (printf "ERROR: a must be 6\n")
- else (printf "OK %d\n" a))
+if (/= a 6) { printf "ERROR: a must be 6\n" }
+else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 set a (b:get-c);
-(if (/= a 8) (printf "ERROR: a must be 8\n")
- else (printf "OK %d\n" a))
+if (/= a 8) { printf "ERROR: a must be 8\n" }
+else {printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 set a (b:sum);
-(if (/= a 27) (printf "ERROR: a must be 27\n")
- else (printf "OK %d\n" a))
-
-
+if (/= a 27) { printf "ERROR: a must be 27\n" }
+else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
diff --git a/t/ret-01.hcl b/t/ret-01.hcl
index b526470..18eeef1 100644
--- a/t/ret-01.hcl
+++ b/t/ret-01.hcl
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ defun test-non-local-ret-1(k) {
 
 set a (test-non-local-ret-1 20);
 if (/= a 28) { printf "ERROR: a must be 28\n" }
-else { (printf "OK %d\n" a) };
+else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 set a (test-non-local-ret-1 21);
 if (/= a 41) { printf "ERROR: a must be 41\n" }
diff --git a/t/retvar-01.hcl b/t/retvar-01.hcl
index 94b1e1d..03d4a77 100644
--- a/t/retvar-01.hcl
+++ b/t/retvar-01.hcl
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-((fun() {
+(fun() {
 	## test return variables
 
 	| v1 v2 v3 i a b c d |
@@ -13,17 +13,17 @@
 		set i (* i 10);
 	};
 
-	(set-r v1 v2 v3 (ff 10 20))
-	(if (/= v1 130) (printf "ERROR: v1 must be 130\n"))
-	(if (/= v2 260) (printf "ERROR: v2 must be 260\n"))
-	(if (/= v3 1099) (printf "ERROR: v3 must be 1099\n"))
-	(printf "OK v1=%d v2=%d v3=%d\n" v1 v2 v3)
+	set-r v1 v2 v3 (ff 10 20);
+	if (/= v1 130) { printf "ERROR: v1 must be 130\n" };
+	if (/= v2 260) { printf "ERROR: v2 must be 260\n" };
+	if (/= v3 1099) { printf "ERROR: v3 must be 1099\n" };
+	printf "OK v1=%d v2=%d v3=%d\n" v1 v2 v3;
 
-	(set-r v1 v2 (ff 1 2)) ## using 2 return variables only. not assigning to v3
-	(if (/= v1 1003) (printf "ERROR: v1 must be 1003\n"))
-	(if (/= v2 2006) (printf "ERROR: v2 must be 2006\n"))
-	(if (/= v3 1099) (printf "ERROR: v3 must be 1099\n"))
-	(printf "OK v1=%d v2=%d v3=%d\n" v1 v2 v3)
+	set-r v1 v2 (ff 1 2); ## using 2 return variables only. not assigning to v3
+	if (/= v1 1003) { printf "ERROR: v1 must be 1003\n" };
+	if (/= v2 2006) { printf "ERROR: v2 must be 2006\n" };
+	if (/= v3 1099) { printf "ERROR: v3 must be 1099\n" };
+	printf "OK v1=%d v2=%d v3=%d\n" v1 v2 v3;
 
 
 
@@ -35,23 +35,23 @@
 		set X2 888;
 
 		defun ::: get ( ::: x y)  {
-			(set x X1) 
-			(set y X2)
+			set x X1;
+			set y X2;
 		};
 
 		defun ::: get2 (inc ::: x y)  {
-			(set x (+ X1 inc)) 
-			(set y (+ X2 inc))
+			set x (+ X1 inc);
+			set y (+ X2 inc);
 		};
 	};
 
-	(set-r a b (B:get))
-	(set-r c d (B:get2 -100))
+	set-r a b (B:get);
+	set-r c d (B:get2 -100);
 
-	(if (/= a 999) (printf "ERROR: a must be 999\n"))
-	(if (/= b 888) (printf "ERROR: b must be 888\n"))
-	(if (/= c 899) (printf "ERROR: c must be 899\n"))
-	(if (/= d 788) (printf "ERROR: d must be 788\n"))
+	if (/= a 999) { printf "ERROR: a must be 999\n" };
+	if (/= b 888) { printf "ERROR: b must be 888\n" };
+	if (/= c 899) { printf "ERROR: c must be 899\n" };
+	if (/= d 788) { printf "ERROR: d must be 788\n" };
 
 	printf "OK a=%d b=%d c=%d d=%d\n" a b c d;
-}));
+});
diff --git a/t/va-01.hcl b/t/va-01.hcl
index 298f20f..85d6539 100644
--- a/t/va-01.hcl
+++ b/t/va-01.hcl
@@ -1,41 +1,41 @@
 defun fn-y (t1 t2 va-ctx) {
         | i |
-        set i 0;
+	i := 0;
         while (< i (va-count va-ctx)) {
-                (printf "fn-y=>Y-VA[%d]=>[%d]\n" i (va-get i va-ctx))
-                (set i (+ i 1))
+                printf "fn-y=>Y-VA[%d]=>[%d]\n" i (va-get i va-ctx);
+		i := (+ i 1);
         };
 };
 
 defun x(a b ... ::: x y z) {
         |i|
 
-        (set x (va-count))
-        (set y (* a b))
-        (set z (+ a b))
+        set x (va-count);
+        set y (* a b);
+        set z (+ a b);
 
         set i 0;
         while (< i (va-count)) {
-                (printf "VA[%d]=>[%d]\n" i (va-get i))
-                (set i (+ i 1))
+                printf "VA[%d]=>[%d]\n" i (va-get i);
+                set i (+ i 1);
         };
         fn-y "hello" "world" (va-context);
 
-        (return)
+        return;
 };
 
-(set t (x 10 20 30))
-(if (/= t 1) (printf "ERROR: t is not 1\n")
- else (printf "OK: %d\n" t))
+set t (x 10 20 30);
+if (/= t 1) { printf "ERROR: t is not 1\n" }
+else { printf "OK: %d\n" t };
 
-(set t (set-r a b c (x 10 20 30 40 50)))
-(if (/= t 3) (printf "ERROR: t is not 3\n")
- else (printf "OK: %d\n" t))
-(if (/= a 3) (printf "ERROR: a is not 3\n")
- else (printf "OK: %d\n" a))
-(if (/= b 200) (printf "ERROR: b is not 200\n")
- else (printf "OK: %d\n" b))
-(if (/= c 30) (printf "ERROR: c is not 30\n")
- else (printf "OK: %d\n" c))
+set t (set-r a b c (x 10 20 30 40 50));
+if (/= t 3) { printf "ERROR: t is not 3\n" }
+else { printf "OK: %d\n" t };
+if (/= a 3) { printf "ERROR: a is not 3\n" }
+else { printf "OK: %d\n" a };
+if (/= b 200) { printf "ERROR: b is not 200\n" }
+else { printf "OK: %d\n" b };
+if (/= c 30) { printf "ERROR: c is not 30\n" }
+else { printf "OK: %d\n" c };