diff --git a/ase/awk/extio.c b/ase/awk/extio.c
index b0beed87..6b5f9fc6 100644
--- a/ase/awk/extio.c
+++ b/ase/awk/extio.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: extio.c,v 1.12 2006-06-28 03:44:39 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: extio.c,v 1.13 2006-06-28 08:56:59 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ int xp_awk_writeextio (
 	xp_assert (out_type >= 0 && out_type <= xp_countof(__out_type_map));
 	xp_assert (out_type >= 0 && out_type <= xp_countof(__out_opt_map));
 
+	/* translate the out_type into the relevant extio type and option */
 	extio_type = __out_type_map[out_type];
 	extio_opt = __out_opt_map[out_type];
 
@@ -161,7 +162,17 @@ int xp_awk_writeextio (
 	/* look for the corresponding extio for name */
 	while (p != XP_NULL)
 	{
-		/* TODO: should it be extio_type or out_type???? */ 
+		/* the file "1.tmp", in the following code snippets, 
+		 * would be opened by the first print statement, but not by
+		 * the second print statement. this is because
+		 * both XP_AWK_OUT_FILE and XP_AWK_OUT_FILE_APPEND are
+		 * translated to XP_AWK_EXTIO_FILE and it is used to
+		 * keep track of file handles..
+		 *
+		 *    print "1111" >> "1.tmp"
+		 *    print "1111" > "1.tmp"
+		 */
+
 		if (p->type == extio_type && 
 		    xp_strcmp(p->name,name) == 0) break;
 		p = p->next;
@@ -187,11 +198,6 @@ int xp_awk_writeextio (
 			return -1;
 		}
 
-		/* TODO: should it be extio_type or out_type???? */ 
-		/* TODO: should it be extio_type or out_type???? */ 
-		/* TODO: should it be extio_type or out_type???? */ 
-		/* TODO: should it be extio_type or out_type???? */ 
-		/* TODO: should it be extio_type or out_type???? */ 
 		p->type = extio_type;
 		p->handle = XP_NULL;
 		p->next = XP_NULL;
diff --git a/ase/awk/sa.c b/ase/awk/sa.c
index c407ce22..7159ff31 100644
--- a/ase/awk/sa.c
+++ b/ase/awk/sa.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: sa.c,v 1.22 2006-06-23 11:48:19 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: sa.c,v 1.23 2006-06-28 08:56:59 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ int xp_strcmp (const xp_char_t* s1, const xp_char_t* s2)
 {
 	while (*s1 == *s2) 
 	{
-		if (*s1 == XP_CHAR('\0')) return 0;
+		if (*s1 == XP_C('\0')) return 0;
 		s1++, s2++;
 	}
 
diff --git a/ase/awk/val.c b/ase/awk/val.c
index 8412c848..4db920c3 100644
--- a/ase/awk/val.c
+++ b/ase/awk/val.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: val.c,v 1.32 2006-06-26 15:09:28 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: val.c,v 1.33 2006-06-28 08:56:59 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -328,6 +328,22 @@ xp_bool_t xp_awk_valtobool (xp_awk_val_t* val)
 
 xp_char_t* xp_awk_valtostr (xp_awk_val_t* v, int* errnum, xp_str_t* buf)
 {
+	if (v->type == XP_AWK_VAL_NIL)
+	{
+		if (buf == XP_NULL) 
+		{
+			xp_char_t* tmp;
+			tmp = xp_strdup (XP_T(""));
+			if (tmp == XP_NULL) *errnum = XP_AWK_ENOMEM;
+			return tmp;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			xp_str_clear (buf);
+			return XP_STR_BUF(buf);
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (v->type == XP_AWK_VAL_INT)
 	{
 		xp_char_t* tmp;
diff --git a/ase/test/awk/awk.c b/ase/test/awk/awk.c
index 1fa2a5fc..a28a46b5 100644
--- a/ase/test/awk/awk.c
+++ b/ase/test/awk/awk.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: awk.c,v 1.44 2006-06-27 10:53:04 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: awk.c,v 1.45 2006-06-28 08:56:59 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk.h>
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ static xp_ssize_t process_extio_pipe (
 			else if (opt == XP_AWK_IO_PIPE_WRITE)
 				mode = XP_T("w");
 			else return -1; /* TODO: any way to set the error number? */
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("opending %s of type %d (pipe)\n"),  epa->name, epa->type);
 			handle = _tpopen (epa->name, mode);
 			if (handle == NULL) return -1;
 			epa->handle = (void*)handle;
@@ -155,7 +156,7 @@ static xp_ssize_t process_extio_pipe (
 
 		case XP_AWK_IO_CLOSE:
 		{
-xp_printf (XP_TEXT("closing %s of type %d\n"),  epa->name, epa->type);
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("closing %s of type (pipe) %d\n"),  epa->name, epa->type);
 			fclose ((FILE*)epa->handle);
 			epa->handle = NULL;
 			return 0;
@@ -207,6 +208,7 @@ static xp_ssize_t process_extio_file (
 				mode = XP_T("a");
 			else return -1; /* TODO: any way to set the error number? */
 
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("opending %s of type %d (file)\n"),  epa->name, epa->type);
 			handle = _tfopen (epa->name, mode);
 			if (handle == NULL) return -1;
 			epa->handle = (void*)handle;
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ static xp_ssize_t process_extio_file (
 
 		case XP_AWK_IO_CLOSE:
 		{
-xp_printf (XP_TEXT("closing %s of type %d\n"),  epa->name, epa->type);
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("closing %s of type %d (file)\n"),  epa->name, epa->type);
 			fclose ((FILE*)epa->handle);
 			epa->handle = NULL;
 			return 0;
@@ -258,6 +260,7 @@ static xp_ssize_t process_extio_console (
 			/* opt: XP_AWK_IO_CONSOLE_READ, 
 			 *      XP_AWK_IO_CONSOLE_WRITE */
 
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("opending %s of type %d (console)\n"),  epa->name, epa->type);
 			if (opt == XP_AWK_IO_CONSOLE_READ)
 				epa->handle = stdin;
 			else if (opt == XP_AWK_IO_CONSOLE_WRITE)
@@ -267,6 +270,7 @@ static xp_ssize_t process_extio_console (
 
 		case XP_AWK_IO_CLOSE:
 		{
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("closing %s of type %d (console)\n"),  epa->name, epa->type);
 			/* TODO: CloseConsole in GUI APPLICATION */
 			return 0;
 		}