diff --git a/ase/awk/Awk.cpp b/ase/awk/Awk.cpp
index 76d952e1..6df16c10 100644
--- a/ase/awk/Awk.cpp
+++ b/ase/awk/Awk.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: Awk.cpp,v 1.22 2007/05/12 03:53:32 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: Awk.cpp,v 1.23 2007/05/12 17:05:07 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <ase/awk/Awk.hpp>
@@ -550,22 +550,31 @@ namespace ASE
 		ASE_ASSERT ((epa->type & 0xFF) == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_PIPE);
 
 		Pipe pipe (epa->name, (Pipe::Mode)epa->mode);
+		ssize_t n;
 
 		switch (cmd)
 		{
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_OPEN:
-				return awk->openPipe (pipe);
+				n = awk->openPipe (pipe);
+				if (n >= 0) epa->handle = (void*)pipe.getHandle();
+				return n;
+
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_CLOSE:
+				pipe.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->closePipe (pipe);
 
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_READ:
+				pipe.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->readPipe (pipe, data, count);
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_WRITE:
+				pipe.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->writePipe (pipe, data, count);
 
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_FLUSH:
+				pipe.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->flushPipe (pipe);
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_NEXT:
+				pipe.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->nextPipe (pipe);
 		}
 
@@ -581,22 +590,31 @@ namespace ASE
 		ASE_ASSERT ((epa->type & 0xFF) == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_FILE);
 
 		File file (epa->name, (File::Mode)epa->mode);
+		ssize_t n;
 
 		switch (cmd)
 		{
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_OPEN:
-				return awk->openFile (file);
+				n = awk->openFile (file);
+				if (n >= 0) epa->handle = (void*)file.getHandle();
+				return n;
+
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_CLOSE:
+				file.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->closeFile (file);
 
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_READ:
+				file.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->readFile (file, data, count);
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_WRITE:
+				file.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->writeFile (file, data, count);
 
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_FLUSH:
+				file.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->flushFile (file);
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_NEXT:
+				file.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->nextFile (file);
 		}
 
@@ -612,22 +630,31 @@ namespace ASE
 		ASE_ASSERT ((epa->type & 0xFF) == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_CONSOLE);
 
 		Console console (epa->name, (Console::Mode)epa->mode);
+		ssize_t n;
 
 		switch (cmd)
 		{
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_OPEN:
-				return awk->openConsole (console);
+				n = awk->openConsole (console);
+				if (n >= 0) epa->handle = (void*)console.getHandle();
+				return n;
+
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_CLOSE:
+				console.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->closeConsole (console);
 
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_READ:
+				console.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->readConsole (console, data, count);
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_WRITE:
+				console.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->writeConsole (console, data, count);
 
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_FLUSH:
+				console.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->flushConsole (console);
 			case ASE_AWK_IO_NEXT:
+				console.setHandle (epa->handle);
 				return awk->nextConsole (console);
 		}
 
diff --git a/ase/test/awk/Awk.cpp b/ase/test/awk/Awk.cpp
index e1939b66..b836b625 100644
--- a/ase/test/awk/Awk.cpp
+++ b/ase/test/awk/Awk.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: Awk.cpp,v 1.6 2007/05/07 09:30:28 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: Awk.cpp,v 1.8 2007/05/12 17:05:07 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <ase/awk/StdAwk.hpp>
@@ -94,26 +94,122 @@ protected:
 	int     nextPipe  (Pipe& io) { return 0; }
 
 	// file io handlers 
-	int     openFile  (File& io) { return -1; }
-	int     closeFile (File& io) { return 0; }
-	ssize_t readFile  (File& io, char_t* buf, size_t len) { return 0; }
-	ssize_t writeFile (File& io, char_t* buf, size_t len) { return 0; }
-	int     flushFile (File& io) { return 0; }
-	int     nextFile  (File& io) { return 0; }
+	int openFile (File& io) 
+	{ 
+		Awk::File::Mode mode = io.getMode();
+		FILE* fp = NULL;
+
+		switch (mode)
+		{
+			case Awk::File::READ:
+				fp = ase_fopen (io.getName(), ASE_T("r"));
+				break;
+			case Awk::File::WRITE:
+				fp = ase_fopen (io.getName(), ASE_T("w"));
+				break;
+			case Awk::File::APPEND:
+				fp = ase_fopen (io.getName(), ASE_T("a"));
+				break;
+		}
+
+		if (fp == NULL) return -1;
+
+		io.setHandle (fp);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	int closeFile (File& io) 
+	{ 
+		fclose ((FILE*)io.getHandle());
+		return 0; 
+	}
+
+	ssize_t readFile (File& io, char_t* buf, size_t len) 
+	{
+		FILE* fp = (FILE*)io.getHandle();
+		if (ase_fgets (buf, len, fp) == ASE_NULL)
+		{
+			if (ferror(fp)) return -1;
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		return ase_strlen(buf);
+	}
+
+	ssize_t writeFile (File& io, char_t* buf, size_t len)
+	{
+		FILE* fp = (FILE*)io.getHandle();
+		size_t left = len;
+
+		while (left > 0)
+		{
+			if (*buf == ASE_T('\0')) 
+			{
+				if (ase_fputc (*buf, fp) == ASE_CHAR_EOF) return -1;
+				left -= 1; buf += 1;
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				int n = ase_fprintf (fp, ASE_T("%.*s"), left, buf);
+				if (n < 0) return -1;
+				left -= n; buf += n;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return len;
+	}
+
+	int flushFile (File& io) 
+	{ 
+		return ::fflush ((FILE*)io.getHandle());
+	}
+
+	int nextFile (File& io) 
+	{ 
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	// console io handlers 
 	int openConsole  (Console& io) { return 1; }
 	int closeConsole (Console& io) { return 0; }
+
 	ssize_t readConsole  (Console& io, char_t* buf, size_t len) 
 	{
-		return 0;
+		FILE* fp = stdin;
+		if (ase_fgets (buf, len, fp) == ASE_NULL)
+		{
+			if (ferror(fp)) return -1;
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		return ase_strlen(buf);
 	}
+
 	ssize_t writeConsole (Console& io, char_t* buf, size_t len) 
 	{
-		return ase_printf (ASE_T("%.*s"), len, buf);
+		FILE* fp = stdout;
+		size_t left = len;
+
+		while (left > 0)
+		{
+			if (*buf == ASE_T('\0')) 
+			{
+				if (ase_fputc (*buf, fp) == ASE_CHAR_EOF) return -1;
+				left -= 1; buf += 1;
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				int n = ase_fprintf (fp, ASE_T("%.*s"), left, buf);
+				if (n < 0) return -1;
+				left -= n; buf += n;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return len;
 	}
-	int flushConsole (Console& io) { return 0; }
-	int nextConsole  (Console& io) { return 0; }
+
+	int flushConsole (Console& io) { return ::fflush (stdout); }
+	int nextConsole (Console& io) { return 0; }
 
 	// primitive operations 
 	void* allocMem  (size_t n) { return ::malloc (n); }
@@ -193,25 +289,21 @@ int awk_main (int argc, ase_char_t* argv[])
 	if (awk.open() == -1)
 	{
 		ase_fprintf (stderr, ASE_T("cannot open awk\n"));
-		//awk.close ();
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (awk.parse(ASE_T("t.awk")) == -1)
 	{
 		ase_fprintf (stderr, ASE_T("cannot parse\n"));
-		//awk.close ();
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (awk.run () == -1)
 	{
 		ase_fprintf (stderr, ASE_T("cannot run\n"));
-		//awk.close ();
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-//	awk.close ();
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/ase/test/awk/awk.c b/ase/test/awk/awk.c
index a3a16675..91ea070b 100644
--- a/ase/test/awk/awk.c
+++ b/ase/test/awk/awk.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: awk.c,v 1.3 2007/04/30 08:32:41 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: awk.c,v 1.4 2007/05/12 17:05:07 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <ase/awk/awk.h>
@@ -412,9 +412,23 @@ static ase_ssize_t awk_extio_file (
 
 		case ASE_AWK_IO_WRITE:
 		{
-			int n = ase_fprintf (
-				(FILE*)epa->handle, ASE_T("%.*s"), size, data);
-			if (n < 0) return -1;
+			FILE* fp = (FILE*)epa->handle;
+			ssize_t left = size;
+
+			while (left > 0)
+			{
+				if (*data == ASE_T('\0')) 
+				{
+					if (ase_fputc (*data, fp) == ASE_CHAR_EOF) return -1;
+					left -= 1; data += 1;
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					int n = ase_fprintf (fp, ASE_T("%.*s"), left, data);
+					if (n < 0) return -1;
+					left -= n; data += n;
+				}
+			}
 
 			return size;
 		}
diff --git a/ase/test/awk/regress.sh b/ase/test/awk/regress.sh
index c16b3183..589a4cfa 100755
--- a/ase/test/awk/regress.sh
+++ b/ase/test/awk/regress.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ run_script_for_init()
 	data="$2"
 	output=`echo $script | sed 's/\.awk$/.out/g'`
 
-	./aseawk -d -f "$script" "$data" > "$output"
+	"$ASEAWK" -d -f "$script" "$data" > "$output"
 }
 
 run_init()
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ run_script_for_test()
 	output=`echo $script | sed 's/\.awk$/.out/g'`
 
 	echo ">> RUNNING $script"
-	./aseawk -d -f "$script" "$data" > "$output.$pid"
+	"$ASEAWK" -d -f "$script" "$data" > "$output.$pid"
 
 	#diff -y "$output" "$output.$pid" 
 	diff "$output" "$output.$pid" 
@@ -113,8 +113,16 @@ run_test()
 #  main  #
 #--------#
 
-if [ ! -x ./aseawk ]
+if [ -x ./aseawk ]
 then
+	ASEAWK="./aseawk"
+elif [ -x ../../release/bin/aseawk ]
+then
+	ASEAWK="../../release/bin/aseawk"
+elif [ -x ../../debug/bin/aseawk ]
+then
+	ASEAWK="../../debug/bin/aseawk"
+else
 	echo "Error: cannot locate a relevant awk interpreter"
 	exit 1;
 fi
diff --git a/ase/utl/stdio.h b/ase/utl/stdio.h
index 318274ed..6f6150a4 100644
--- a/ase/utl/stdio.h
+++ b/ase/utl/stdio.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: stdio.h,v 1.3 2007/04/30 08:32:51 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: stdio.h,v 1.4 2007/05/12 17:05:07 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _ASE_UTL_STDIO_H_
@@ -22,12 +22,18 @@
 
 	#define ase_fgets _fgetts
 	#define ase_fgetc _fgettc
+	#define ase_fputs _fputts
+	#define ase_fputc _fputtc
 #elif defined(ASE_CHAR_IS_MCHAR)
 	#define ase_fgets fgets
 	#define ase_fgetc fgetc
+	#define ase_fputs fputs
+	#define ase_fputc fputc
 #else
 	#define ase_fgets fgetws
 	#define ase_fgetc fgetwc
+	#define ase_fputs fputws
+	#define ase_fputc fputwc
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus