diff --git a/ase/awk/awk.h b/ase/awk/awk.h
index 68673863..0bbded98 100644
--- a/ase/awk/awk.h
+++ b/ase/awk/awk.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* 
- * $Id: awk.h,v 1.77 2006-07-05 16:20:23 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: awk.h,v 1.78 2006-07-12 07:25:15 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _XP_AWK_AWK_H_
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ int xp_awk_run (xp_awk_t* awk, xp_awk_io_t txtio, void* txtio_arg);
 xp_size_t xp_awk_getnargs (void* run);
 xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_getarg (void* run, xp_size_t idx);
 void xp_awk_setretval (void* run, xp_awk_val_t* val);
+void xp_awk_setglobal (void* run, xp_size_t idx, xp_awk_val_t* val);
 void xp_awk_seterrnum (void* run, int errnum);
 
 /* utility functions exported by awk.h */
diff --git a/ase/awk/run.c b/ase/awk/run.c
index bb23e1f5..15b343d3 100644
--- a/ase/awk/run.c
+++ b/ase/awk/run.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: run.c,v 1.130 2006-07-10 14:28:45 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: run.c,v 1.131 2006-07-12 07:25:15 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -199,6 +199,14 @@ void xp_awk_setretval (void* run, xp_awk_val_t* val)
 	xp_awk_refupval (val); 
 }
 
+void xp_awk_setglobal (void* run, xp_size_t idx, xp_awk_val_t* val)
+{
+	xp_awk_run_t* r = (xp_awk_run_t*)run;
+	xp_awk_refdownval (run, STACK_GLOBAL(r,idx));
+	STACK_GLOBAL(r,idx) = val;
+	xp_awk_refupval (val);
+}
+
 void xp_awk_seterrnum (void* run, int errnum)
 {
 	xp_awk_run_t* r = (xp_awk_run_t*)run;
@@ -3658,6 +3666,7 @@ static int __split_record (xp_awk_run_t* run)
 
 	xp_char_t* p, * tok;
 	xp_size_t len, tok_len, nflds;
+	xp_awk_val_t* v;
        
 	/* inrec should be cleared before __split_record is called */
 	xp_assert (run->inrec.nflds == 0);
@@ -3711,11 +3720,9 @@ static int __split_record (xp_awk_run_t* run)
 		run->inrec.flds[run->inrec.nflds].len = tok_len;
 		run->inrec.flds[run->inrec.nflds].val = 
 			xp_awk_makestrval (tok, tok_len);
+
 		if (run->inrec.flds[run->inrec.nflds].val == XP_NULL)
-		{
-			__clear_record (run, xp_false);
 			PANIC_I (run, XP_AWK_ENOMEM);
-		}
 
 		xp_awk_refupval (run->inrec.flds[run->inrec.nflds].val);
 		run->inrec.nflds++;
@@ -3724,6 +3731,11 @@ static int __split_record (xp_awk_run_t* run)
 			(p - XP_STR_BUF(&run->inrec.line));
 	}
 
+	/* set the number of fields */
+	v = xp_awk_makeintval (run, (xp_long_t)nflds);
+	if (v == XP_NULL) PANIC_I (run, XP_AWK_ENOMEM);
+	xp_awk_setglobal (run, XP_AWK_GLOBAL_NF, v);
+
 	xp_assert (nflds == run->inrec.nflds);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -3745,6 +3757,7 @@ static void __clear_record (xp_awk_run_t* run, xp_bool_t noline)
 			xp_awk_refdownval (run, run->inrec.flds[i].val);
 		}
 		run->inrec.nflds = 0;
+		xp_awk_setglobal (run, XP_AWK_GLOBAL_NF, xp_awk_val_zero);
 	}
 
 	xp_assert (run->inrec.nflds == 0);
@@ -3755,6 +3768,7 @@ static int __recomp_record_fields (xp_awk_run_t* run,
 	xp_size_t lv, xp_char_t* str, xp_size_t len, int* errnum)
 {
 	xp_size_t max, i, nflds;
+	xp_awk_val_t* v;
 
 	xp_assert (lv > 0);
 	max = (lv > run->inrec.nflds)? lv: run->inrec.nflds;
@@ -3855,6 +3869,15 @@ static int __recomp_record_fields (xp_awk_run_t* run,
 		}
 	}
 
+	v = STACK_GLOBAL(run, XP_AWK_GLOBAL_NF);
+	xp_assert (v->type == XP_AWK_VAL_INT);
+	if (((xp_awk_val_int_t*)v)->val != max)
+	{
+		v = xp_awk_makeintval (run, (xp_long_t)max);
+		if (v == XP_NULL) PANIC_I (run, XP_AWK_ENOMEM);
+		xp_awk_setglobal (run, XP_AWK_GLOBAL_NF, v);
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -3971,3 +3994,4 @@ static xp_char_t* __idxnde_to_str (xp_awk_run_t* run, xp_awk_nde_t* nde)
 
 	return str;
 }
+
diff --git a/ase/awk/run.h b/ase/awk/run.h
index 53a7d96c..ea8bcee8 100644
--- a/ase/awk/run.h
+++ b/ase/awk/run.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: run.h,v 1.14 2006-06-29 15:40:30 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: run.h,v 1.15 2006-07-12 07:25:15 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _XP_AWK_RUN_H_
@@ -73,4 +73,31 @@ enum
 	XP_AWK_INCOP_MINUS
 };
 
+enum
+{
+	/* this table should match __bvtab in parse.c */
+
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_ARGC,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_ARGIND,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_ARGV,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_CONVFMT,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_FIELDWIDTHS,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_ENVIRON,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_ERRNO,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_FILENAME,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_FNR,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_FS,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_INORECASE,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_NF,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_NR,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_OFMT,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_OFS,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_ORS,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_RS,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_RT,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_RSTART,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_RLENGTH,
+	XP_AWK_GLOBAL_SUBSEP
+};
+
 #endif
diff --git a/ase/awk/val.c b/ase/awk/val.c
index 4bf27391..7961620e 100644
--- a/ase/awk/val.c
+++ b/ase/awk/val.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: val.c,v 1.38 2006-07-10 04:51:38 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: val.c,v 1.39 2006-07-12 07:25:15 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ static xp_awk_val_int_t __awk_int[] =
 	{ XP_AWK_VAL_INT, 0,  9 },
 };
 
+xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_val_zero = (xp_awk_val_t*)&__awk_int[1];
+xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_val_one = (xp_awk_val_t*)&__awk_int[2];
+
 xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_makeintval (xp_awk_run_t* run, xp_long_t v)
 {
 	xp_awk_val_int_t* val;
diff --git a/ase/awk/val.h b/ase/awk/val.h
index f4035fdd..b801b442 100644
--- a/ase/awk/val.h
+++ b/ase/awk/val.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: val.h,v 1.28 2006-07-10 04:51:38 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: val.h,v 1.29 2006-07-12 07:25:15 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _XP_AWK_VAL_H_
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ extern "C" {
 
 extern xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_val_nil;
 extern xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_val_zls;
+extern xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_val_zero;
+extern xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_val_one;
 
 xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_makeintval (xp_awk_run_t* run, xp_long_t v);
 xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_makerealval (xp_awk_run_t* run, xp_real_t v);
diff --git a/ase/test/awk/t14.awk b/ase/test/awk/t14.awk
index ac490fa9..008c1d8f 100644
--- a/ase/test/awk/t14.awk
+++ b/ase/test/awk/t14.awk
@@ -20,18 +20,19 @@ END
 
 global x, y;
 {
+	print "NF = " NF;
 	for (i = 0; i < 10; i++)
 	{
 		print $i;
 		if (i == 3) a = $i;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	$1 = $2;
-	$3 = $2;
-	$2 = $2;
+	$1 = 100;
+	//$1 = $2;
+	//$3 = $2;
+	//$2 = $2;
+	$20 = 10;
 	print $0;
-	*/
 	print "--------------------";
 	print NF;
 	print "====================";