diff --git a/mio/bin/t03.c b/mio/bin/t03.c
index 01f856f..53a22e1 100644
--- a/mio/bin/t03.c
+++ b/mio/bin/t03.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ static int on_json_inst (mio_json_t* json, mio_json_inst_t inst, mio_oow_t level
 {
 	mio_t* mio = mio_json_getmio(json);
 	mio_oow_t i;
-
+	int* pending = (int*)ctx;
 
 	switch (inst)
 	{
@@ -19,12 +19,14 @@ static int on_json_inst (mio_json_t* json, mio_json_inst_t inst, mio_oow_t level
 				for (i = 0; i < level; i++) mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "\t"); 
 			}
 			mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "[\n"); 
+			(*pending)++;
 			break;
 
 		case MIO_JSON_INST_END_ARRAY:
 			mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "\n"); 
 			for (i = 0; i < level; i++) mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "\t"); 
 			mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "]"); 
+			(*pending)--;
 			break;
 
 		case MIO_JSON_INST_START_OBJECT:
@@ -34,12 +36,14 @@ static int on_json_inst (mio_json_t* json, mio_json_inst_t inst, mio_oow_t level
 				for (i = 0; i < level; i++) mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "\t"); 
 			}
 			mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "{\n"); 
+			(*pending)++;
 			break;
 
 		case MIO_JSON_INST_END_OBJECT:
 			mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "\n"); 
 			for (i = 0; i < level; i++) mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "\t");
 			mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "}"); 
+			(*pending)--;
 			break;
 
 		case MIO_JSON_INST_KEY:
@@ -123,10 +127,11 @@ int main (int argc, char* argv[])
 		char buf[128];
 		mio_oow_t rem;
 		size_t size;
+		int pending = 0;
 
 		json = mio_json_open(mio, 0);
 
-		mio_json_setinstcb (json, on_json_inst, MIO_NULL);
+		mio_json_setinstcb (json, on_json_inst, &pending);
 
 		rem = 0;
 		while (!feof(stdin) || rem > 0)
@@ -152,7 +157,8 @@ int main (int argc, char* argv[])
 
 			if (x > 0)
 			{
-				/* document completed */
+				/* document completed.
+				 * if only whitespaces are given, x is still greater 0. */
 				mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "\n-----------------------------------\n");
 			}
 
@@ -161,6 +167,7 @@ int main (int argc, char* argv[])
 		}
 
 mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "\n");
+		if (pending) mio_logbfmt (mio, MIO_LOG_STDOUT, "**** ERROR - incomplete ****\n");
 		mio_json_close (json);
 	}
 
diff --git a/mio/lib/json.c b/mio/lib/json.c
index fcbac2b..f8a6ca6 100644
--- a/mio/lib/json.c
+++ b/mio/lib/json.c
@@ -418,7 +418,33 @@ static int handle_word_value_char (mio_json_t* json, mio_ooci_t c)
 
 static int handle_start_char (mio_json_t* json, mio_ooci_t c)
 {
-	if (c == '[')
+	if (mio_is_ooch_space(c))
+	{
+		/* do nothing */
+		return 1;
+	}
+	else if (c == '\"')
+	{
+		if (push_read_state(json, MIO_JSON_STATE_IN_STRING_VALUE) <= -1) return -1;
+		clear_token (json);
+		return 1; /* the quote dosn't form a string. so no start-over */
+	}
+	/* TOOD: else if (c == '#') MIO radixed number
+	 */
+	else if (mio_is_ooch_digit(c) || c == '+' || c == '-')
+	{
+		if (push_read_state(json, MIO_JSON_STATE_IN_NUMERIC_VALUE) <= -1) return -1;
+		clear_token (json);
+		json->state_stack->u.nv.progress = 0;
+		return 0; /* start over to process c under the new state */
+	}
+	else if (mio_is_ooch_alpha(c))
+	{
+		if (push_read_state(json, MIO_JSON_STATE_IN_WORD_VALUE) <= -1) return -1;
+		clear_token (json);
+		return 0; /* start over to process c under the new state */
+	}
+	else if (c == '[')
 	{
 		if (invoke_data_inst(json, MIO_JSON_INST_START_ARRAY) <= -1) return -1;
 		return 1;
@@ -428,24 +454,21 @@ static int handle_start_char (mio_json_t* json, mio_ooci_t c)
 		if (invoke_data_inst(json, MIO_JSON_INST_START_OBJECT) <= -1) return -1;
 		return 1;
 	}
-#if 0
-/* this check is not needed for screening in feed_json_data() */
-	else if (mio_is_ooch_space(c)) 
-	{
-		/* do nothing */
-		return 1;
-	}
-#endif
 	else
 	{
-		mio_seterrbfmt (json->mio, MIO_EINVAL, "not starting with [ or { - %jc", (mio_ooch_t)c);
+		mio_seterrbfmt (json->mio, MIO_EINVAL, "not starting with an allowed initial character - %jc", (mio_ooch_t)c);
 		return -1;
 	}
 }
 
 static int handle_char_in_array (mio_json_t* json, mio_ooci_t c)
 {
-	if (c == ']')
+	if (mio_is_ooch_space(c))
+	{
+		/* do nothing */
+		return 1;
+	}
+	else if (c == ']')
 	{
 		pop_read_state (json);
 		/* START_ARRAY incremented index by 1. so subtract 1 from index before invoking instcb for END_ARRAY. */
@@ -462,11 +485,6 @@ static int handle_char_in_array (mio_json_t* json, mio_ooci_t c)
 		json->state_stack->u.ia.got_value = 0;
 		return 1;
 	}
-	else if (mio_is_ooch_space(c))
-	{
-		/* do nothing */
-		return 1;
-	}
 	else
 	{
 		if (json->state_stack->u.ia.got_value)
@@ -516,7 +534,12 @@ static int handle_char_in_array (mio_json_t* json, mio_ooci_t c)
 
 static int handle_char_in_object (mio_json_t* json, mio_ooci_t c)
 {
-	if (c == '}')
+	if (mio_is_ooch_space(c))
+	{
+		/* do nothing */
+		return 1;
+	}
+	else if (c == '}')
 	{
 		pop_read_state (json);
 		/* START_OBJECT incremented index by 1. so subtract 1 from index before invoking instcb for END_OBJECT. */
@@ -543,11 +566,6 @@ static int handle_char_in_object (mio_json_t* json, mio_ooci_t c)
 		json->state_stack->u.io.state = 0;
 		return 1;
 	}
-	else if (mio_is_ooch_space(c))
-	{
-		/* do nothing */
-		return 1;
-	}
 	else
 	{
 		if (json->state_stack->u.io.state == 1)
@@ -703,6 +721,7 @@ static int feed_json_data (mio_json_t* json, const mio_bch_t* data, mio_oow_t le
 	#endif
 
 		if (json->state_stack->state == MIO_JSON_STATE_START && mio_is_ooch_space(c)) continue; /* skip white space */
+
 		if (stop_if_ever_completed && ever_completed) 
 		{
 			*xlen = optr - data;
@@ -1293,4 +1312,3 @@ int mio_jsonwr_writerawbcstr (mio_jsonwr_t* jsonwr, const mio_bch_t* dptr)
 	WRITE_BYTES_NOESC (jsonwr, dptr, mio_count_bcstr(dptr));
 	return 0;
 }
-