diff --git a/ase/awk/awk.h b/ase/awk/awk.h
index 5d81c76a..fcd002bb 100644
--- a/ase/awk/awk.h
+++ b/ase/awk/awk.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* 
- * $Id: awk.h,v 1.102 2006-08-27 10:45:36 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: awk.h,v 1.103 2006-08-29 15:01:44 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _XP_AWK_AWK_H_
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ enum
 	XP_AWK_ELXUNG,         /* lexer failed to unget a character */
 
 	XP_AWK_EENDSRC,        /* unexpected end of source */
+	XP_AWK_EENDCOMMENT,    /* unexpected end of a comment */
 	XP_AWK_EENDSTR,        /* unexpected end of a string */
 	XP_AWK_EENDREX,        /* unexpected end of a regular expression */
 	XP_AWK_ELBRACE,        /* left brace expected */
diff --git a/ase/awk/awk_i.h b/ase/awk/awk_i.h
index 483dad8c..5204f84d 100644
--- a/ase/awk/awk_i.h
+++ b/ase/awk/awk_i.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: awk_i.h,v 1.46 2006-08-21 02:53:42 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: awk_i.h,v 1.47 2006-08-29 15:01:44 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _XP_AWK_AWKI_H_
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ struct xp_awk_run_t
 	{
 		xp_awk_io_t handler[XP_AWK_EXTIO_NUM];
 		xp_awk_extio_t* chain;
+		void* rs_rex;
 	} extio;
 
 	int errnum;
diff --git a/ase/awk/err.c b/ase/awk/err.c
index 9ad93351..6a0a6f89 100644
--- a/ase/awk/err.c
+++ b/ase/awk/err.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: err.c,v 1.38 2006-08-23 15:41:46 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: err.c,v 1.39 2006-08-29 15:01:44 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ const xp_char_t* xp_awk_geterrstr (int errnum)
 		XP_T("cannot unget character"),
 
 		XP_T("unexpected end of source"),
+		XP_T("unexpected end of a comment"),
 		XP_T("unexpected end of a string"),
 		XP_T("unexpected end of a regular expression"),
 		XP_T("left brace expected"),
diff --git a/ase/awk/extio.c b/ase/awk/extio.c
index 04f44b6f..9142be16 100644
--- a/ase/awk/extio.c
+++ b/ase/awk/extio.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: extio.c,v 1.36 2006-08-27 15:29:20 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: extio.c,v 1.37 2006-08-29 15:01:44 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -285,16 +285,15 @@ int xp_awk_readextio (
 		}
 		else
 		{
-#if 0
 			xp_char_t* match_ptr;
 			xp_size_t match_len;
-			/* TODO: */
-			/* regular expression */
 
-			/* TODO: safematchrex ?? */
-			n = xp_awk_matchrex (rs_rex, 
+			xp_assert (run->extio.rs_rex != NULL);
+
+			/* TODO: safematchrex */
+			n = xp_awk_matchrex (run->extio.rs_rex, 
 				XP_STR_BUF(buf), XP_STR_LEN(buf), 
-				&match_ptr, &match_len, errnum);
+				&match_ptr, &match_len, &run->errnum);
 			if (n == -1)
 			{
 				ret = -1;
@@ -303,10 +302,15 @@ int xp_awk_readextio (
 
 			if (n == 1)
 			{
-				/* matched... */
-				/* DO SOMTHING */
+				/* the match should be found at the end of
+				 * the current buffer */
+				xp_assert (
+					XP_STR_BUF(buf) + XP_STR_LEN(buf) ==
+					match_ptr + match_len);
+
+				XP_STR_LEN(buf) -= match_len;
+				break;
 			}
-#endif
 		}
 
 		if (xp_str_ccat (buf, c) == (xp_size_t)-1)
diff --git a/ase/awk/parse.c b/ase/awk/parse.c
index cc573f8b..84a5322f 100644
--- a/ase/awk/parse.c
+++ b/ase/awk/parse.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: parse.c,v 1.168 2006-08-23 15:46:29 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: parse.c,v 1.169 2006-08-29 15:01:44 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -3970,9 +3970,21 @@ static int __skip_comment (xp_awk_t* awk)
 		do 
 		{
 			GET_CHAR_TO (awk, c);
+			if (c == XP_CHAR_EOF)
+			{
+				awk->errnum = XP_AWK_EENDCOMMENT;
+				return -1;
+			}
+
 			if (c == XP_T('*')) 
 			{
 				GET_CHAR_TO (awk, c);
+				if (c == XP_CHAR_EOF)
+				{
+					awk->errnum = XP_AWK_EENDCOMMENT;
+					return -1;
+				}
+
 				if (c == XP_T('/')) 
 				{
 					GET_CHAR_TO (awk, c);
diff --git a/ase/awk/run.c b/ase/awk/run.c
index e001afb1..b1705d87 100644
--- a/ase/awk/run.c
+++ b/ase/awk/run.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: run.c,v 1.181 2006-08-27 15:29:21 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: run.c,v 1.182 2006-08-29 15:01:45 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -216,12 +216,14 @@ xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_getglobal (void* run, xp_size_t idx)
 
 int xp_awk_setglobal (void* run, xp_size_t idx, xp_awk_val_t* val)
 {
-	xp_awk_val_t* old = STACK_GLOBAL((xp_awk_run_t*)run,idx);
+	xp_awk_run_t* r = (xp_awk_run_t*)run;
+
+	xp_awk_val_t* old = STACK_GLOBAL(r,idx);
 	if (old->type == XP_AWK_VAL_MAP)
 	{	
 		/* once a variable becomes an array,
 		 * it cannot be changed to a scalar variable */
-		PANIC_I ((xp_awk_run_t*)run, XP_AWK_EMAPTOSCALAR);
+		PANIC_I (r, XP_AWK_EMAPTOSCALAR);
 	}
 
 /* TODO: is this correct?? */
@@ -230,12 +232,50 @@ int xp_awk_setglobal (void* run, xp_size_t idx, xp_awk_val_t* val)
 	    idx != XP_AWK_GLOBAL_ARGV)
 	{
 		/* TODO: better error code */
-		PANIC_I ((xp_awk_run_t*)run, XP_AWK_ESCALARTOMAP);
+		PANIC_I (r, XP_AWK_ESCALARTOMAP);
 	}
 
 	if (idx  == XP_AWK_GLOBAL_RS)
 	{
-/* TODO: if idx == XP_AWK_GLOBAL_RS and it is multi-char sttring, compile it */
+		xp_char_t* rs_ptr;
+		xp_size_t rs_len;
+
+		if (val->type == XP_AWK_VAL_STR)
+		{
+			rs_ptr = ((xp_awk_val_str_t*)val)->buf;
+			rs_len = ((xp_awk_val_str_t*)val)->len;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			/* due to the expression evaluation rule, the 
+			 * regular expression can not be an assigned value */
+			xp_assert (val->type != XP_AWK_VAL_REX);
+
+			rs_ptr = xp_awk_valtostr (
+				val, &r->errnum, xp_true, XP_NULL, &rs_len);
+			if (rs_ptr == XP_NULL) return -1;
+		}
+
+		if (rs_len > 1)
+		{
+			void* rex;
+
+			/* compile the regular expression */
+			/* TODO: use safebuild */
+			rex = xp_awk_buildrex (rs_ptr, rs_len, &r->errnum);
+			if (rex == XP_NULL)
+			{
+				if (val->type != XP_AWK_VAL_STR) 
+					xp_free (rs_ptr);
+				return -1;
+			}
+
+			if (r->extio.rs_rex != XP_NULL) 
+				xp_awk_freerex (r->extio.rs_rex);
+			r->extio.rs_rex = rex;
+		}
+
+		if (val->type != XP_AWK_VAL_STR) xp_free (rs_ptr);
 	}
 
 /* TODO: if idx == XP_AWK_GLOBAL_NF recompute $0, etc */
@@ -494,6 +534,7 @@ static int __init_run (
 	run->extio.handler[XP_AWK_EXTIO_FILE] = runios->file;
 	run->extio.handler[XP_AWK_EXTIO_CONSOLE] = runios->console;
 	run->extio.chain = XP_NULL;
+	run->extio.rs_rex = XP_NULL;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -506,6 +547,11 @@ static void __deinit_run (xp_awk_run_t* run)
 	/* TODO: what if this operation fails? */
 	xp_awk_clearextio (run);
 	xp_assert (run->extio.chain == XP_NULL);
+	if (run->extio.rs_rex != XP_NULL) 
+	{
+		xp_free (run->extio.rs_rex);
+		run->extio.rs_rex = XP_NULL;
+	}
 
 	/* destroy input record. __clear_record should be called
 	 * before the run stack has been destroyed because it may try
diff --git a/ase/test/awk/t32.awk b/ase/test/awk/t32.awk
index f28a030a..973dd41e 100644
--- a/ase/test/awk/t32.awk
+++ b/ase/test/awk/t32.awk
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-BEGIN { RS = ""; }
+BEGIN { /*RS = "Asia";*/ /*RS=746;*/ RS=/USA/; }
 { print "RECORD: ", $0; }
diff --git a/ase/test/awk/t34.awk b/ase/test/awk/t34.awk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7e5e5b5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ase/test/awk/t34.awk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/* unterminated comment