diff --git a/ase/doc/ase-en.man b/ase/doc/ase-en.man
index 7190801d..3c595762 100644
--- a/ase/doc/ase-en.man
+++ b/ase/doc/ase-en.man
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ ase-0.1.0.tgz
 
 [[[
 * {Quickstart,quickstart-en.html}
-* {Embedder's guide,awk-en.html}
+* {Embedder guide,awk-en.html}
 * {Frequently Asked Questions,faq-en.html}
 ]]]
 
diff --git a/ase/doc/awk-mini-en.man b/ase/doc/awk-mini-en.man
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f63b08d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ase/doc/awk-mini-en.man
@@ -0,0 +1,509 @@
+.title Annotated ASEAWK Embedding Sample
+
+== Annotate ASEAWK Embedding Sample ==
+
+This document annotates a simple embedding sample. Locate the ase_main function to begin exploring the sample. The non-annotated source is available from ##ase/test/awk/mini.c## as well.
+
+== mini.c ==
+
+{{{
+
+/* most of the data types and functions are defined ase/awk/awk.h */
+#include <ase/awk/awk.h>
+
+/* ase_strXXX and ase_str_XXX functions are defined in ase/str/str.h */
+#include <ase/cmn/str.h>
+
+/* ase_memXXX functions are defined in ase/cmn/mem.h */
+#include <ase/cmn/mem.h>
+
+/* the following three headers files export 
+#include <ase/utl/ctype.h>
+#include <ase/utl/stdio.h>
+#include <ase/utl/main.h>
+
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <math.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+struct awk_src_io
+{
+	const ase_char_t* file;
+	FILE* handle;
+};
+
+static const ase_char_t* data_file = ASE_NULL;
+
+#if defined(vms) || defined(__vms)
+/* it seems that the main function should be placed in the main object file
+ * in OpenVMS. otherwise, the first function in the main object file seems
+ * to become the main function resulting in program start-up failure. */
+#include <ase/utl/main.c>
+#endif
+
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+void ase_assert_abort (void)
+{
+	abort ();
+}
+
+void ase_assert_printf (const ase_char_t* fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	va_start (ap, fmt);
+	ase_vprintf (fmt, ap);
+	va_end (ap);
+}
+#endif
+
+
+/* custom memory management function */
+static void* custom_awk_malloc (void* custom, ase_size_t n)
+{
+	return malloc (n);
+}
+
+static void* custom_awk_realloc (void* custom, void* ptr, ase_size_t n)
+{
+	return realloc (ptr, n);
+}
+
+static void custom_awk_free (void* custom, void* ptr)
+{
+	free (ptr);
+}
+
+/* custom character class functions */
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_isupper (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)  
+{ 
+	return ase_isupper (c); 
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_islower (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)  
+{ 
+	return ase_islower (c); 
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_isalpha (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)  
+{ 
+	return ase_isalpha (c); 
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_isdigit (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)  
+{ 
+	return ase_isdigit (c); 
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_isxdigit (void* custom, ase_cint_t c) 
+{ 
+	return ase_isxdigit (c); 
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_isalnum (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)
+{ 
+	return ase_isalnum (c); 
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_isspace (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)
+{ 
+	return ase_isspace (c); 
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_isprint (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)
+{ 
+	return ase_isprint (c); 
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_isgraph (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)
+{
+	return ase_isgraph (c); 
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_iscntrl (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)
+{
+	return ase_iscntrl (c);
+}
+
+static ase_bool_t custom_awk_ispunct (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)
+{
+	return ase_ispunct (c);
+}
+
+static ase_cint_t custom_awk_toupper (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)
+{
+	return ase_toupper (c);
+}
+
+static ase_cint_t custom_awk_tolower (void* custom, ase_cint_t c)
+{
+	return ase_tolower (c);
+}
+
+/* custom miscellaneous functions */
+static ase_real_t custom_awk_pow (void* custom, ase_real_t x, ase_real_t y)
+{
+	return pow (x, y);
+}
+
+static int custom_awk_sprintf (
+	void* custom, ase_char_t* buf, ase_size_t size, 
+	const ase_char_t* fmt, ...)
+{
+	int n;
+
+	va_list ap;
+	va_start (ap, fmt);
+	n = ase_vsprintf (buf, size, fmt, ap);
+	va_end (ap);
+
+	return n;
+}
+
+static void custom_awk_dprintf (void* custom, const ase_char_t* fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	va_start (ap, fmt);
+	ase_vfprintf (stderr, fmt, ap);
+	va_end (ap);
+}
+
+/* source input handler */
+static ase_ssize_t awk_srcio_in (
+	int cmd, void* arg, ase_char_t* data, ase_size_t size)
+{
+	struct awk_src_io* src_io = (struct awk_src_io*)arg;
+	ase_cint_t c;
+
+	if (cmd == ASE_AWK_IO_OPEN)
+	{
+		if (src_io->file == ASE_NULL) return 0;
+		src_io->handle = ase_fopen (src_io->file, ASE_T("r"));
+		if (src_io->handle == NULL) return -1;
+		return 1;
+	}
+	else if (cmd == ASE_AWK_IO_CLOSE)
+	{
+		if (src_io->file == ASE_NULL) return 0;
+		fclose ((FILE*)src_io->handle);
+		return 0;
+	}
+	else if (cmd == ASE_AWK_IO_READ)
+	{
+		if (size <= 0) return -1;
+		c = ase_fgetc ((FILE*)src_io->handle);
+		if (c == ASE_CHAR_EOF) return 0;
+		*data = (ase_char_t)c;
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
+/* external i/o handler for pipe */
+static ase_ssize_t awk_extio_pipe (
+	int cmd, void* arg, ase_char_t* data, ase_size_t size)
+{
+	ase_awk_extio_t* epa = (ase_awk_extio_t*)arg;
+
+	switch (cmd)
+	{
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_OPEN:
+		{
+			FILE* handle;
+			const ase_char_t* mode;
+
+			if (epa->mode == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_PIPE_READ)
+				mode = ASE_T("r");
+			else if (epa->mode == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_PIPE_WRITE)
+				mode = ASE_T("w");
+			else return -1;
+
+			handle = ase_popen (epa->name, mode);
+			if (handle == NULL) return -1;
+			epa->handle = (void*)handle;
+			return 1;
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_CLOSE:
+		{
+			fclose ((FILE*)epa->handle);
+			epa->handle = NULL;
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_READ:
+		{
+			if (ase_fgets (data, size, (FILE*)epa->handle) == ASE_NULL) 
+			{
+				if (ferror((FILE*)epa->handle)) return -1;
+				return 0;
+			}
+			return ase_strlen(data);
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_WRITE:
+		{
+		#if defined(ASE_CHAR_IS_WCHAR) && defined(__linux)
+			/* fwprintf seems to return an error with the file
+			 * pointer opened by popen, as of this writing. 
+			 * anyway, hopefully the following replacement 
+			 * will work all the way. */
+			int n = fprintf (
+				(FILE*)epa->handle, "%.*ls", size, data);
+		#else
+			int n = ase_fprintf (
+				(FILE*)epa->handle, ASE_T("%.*s"), size, data);
+		#endif
+			if (n < 0) return -1;
+
+			return size;
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_FLUSH:
+		{
+			if (epa->mode == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_PIPE_READ) return -1;
+			else return 0;
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_NEXT:
+		{
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
+/* external i/o handler for file */
+static ase_ssize_t awk_extio_file (
+	int cmd, void* arg, ase_char_t* data, ase_size_t size)
+{
+	ase_awk_extio_t* epa = (ase_awk_extio_t*)arg;
+
+	switch (cmd)
+	{
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_OPEN:
+		{
+			FILE* handle;
+			const ase_char_t* mode;
+
+			if (epa->mode == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_FILE_READ)
+				mode = ASE_T("r");
+			else if (epa->mode == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_FILE_WRITE)
+				mode = ASE_T("w");
+			else if (epa->mode == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_FILE_APPEND)
+				mode = ASE_T("a");
+			else return -1;
+
+			handle = ase_fopen (epa->name, mode);
+			if (handle == NULL) return -1;
+
+			epa->handle = (void*)handle;
+			return 1;
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_CLOSE:
+		{
+			fclose ((FILE*)epa->handle);
+			epa->handle = NULL;
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_READ:
+		{
+			if (ase_fgets (data, size, (FILE*)epa->handle) == ASE_NULL) 
+			{
+				if (ferror((FILE*)epa->handle)) return -1;
+				return 0;
+			}
+			return ase_strlen(data);
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_WRITE:
+		{
+			int n = ase_fprintf (
+				(FILE*)epa->handle, ASE_T("%.*s"), size, data);
+			if (n < 0) return -1;
+
+			return size;
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_FLUSH:
+		{
+			if (fflush ((FILE*)epa->handle) == EOF) return -1;
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		case ASE_AWK_IO_NEXT:
+		{
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
+/* external i/o handler for console */
+static ase_ssize_t awk_extio_console (
+	int cmd, void* arg, ase_char_t* data, ase_size_t size)
+{
+	ase_awk_extio_t* epa = (ase_awk_extio_t*)arg;
+
+	if (cmd == ASE_AWK_IO_OPEN)
+	{
+		if (epa->mode == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_CONSOLE_READ)
+		{
+			FILE* fp = ase_fopen (data_file, ASE_T("r"));
+			if (fp == ASE_NULL) return -1;
+
+			if (ase_awk_setfilename (
+				epa->run, data_file, ase_strlen(data_file)) == -1)
+			{
+				fclose (fp);
+				return -1;
+			}
+
+			epa->handle = fp;
+
+			return 1;
+		}
+		else if (epa->mode == ASE_AWK_EXTIO_CONSOLE_WRITE)
+		{
+			epa->handle = stdout;
+			return 1;
+		}
+
+		return -1;
+	}
+	else if (cmd == ASE_AWK_IO_CLOSE)
+	{
+		fclose ((FILE*)epa->handle);
+		epa->handle = NULL;
+		return 0;
+	}
+	else if (cmd == ASE_AWK_IO_READ)
+	{
+		while (ase_fgets (data, size, (FILE*)epa->handle) == ASE_NULL)
+		{
+			if (ferror((FILE*)epa->handle)) return -1;
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		return ase_strlen(data);
+	}
+	else if (cmd == ASE_AWK_IO_WRITE)
+	{
+		int n = ase_fprintf ((FILE*)epa->handle, ASE_T("%.*s"), size, data);
+		if (n < 0) return -1;
+
+		return size;
+	}
+	else if (cmd == ASE_AWK_IO_FLUSH)
+	{
+		if (fflush ((FILE*)epa->handle) == EOF) return -1;
+		return 0;
+	}
+	else if (cmd == ASE_AWK_IO_NEXT)
+	{
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
+int ase_main (int argc, ase_char_t* argv[])
+{
+	ase_awk_t* awk;
+
+	ase_awk_prmfns_t prmfns;
+	ase_awk_srcios_t srcios;
+	ase_awk_runios_t runios;
+
+	struct awk_src_io src_io = { NULL, NULL };
+
+	if (argc != 3)
+	{
+		ase_printf (ASE_T("Usage: %s source-file data-file\n"), argv[0]);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	src_io.file = argv[1];
+	data_file = argv[2];
+
+	ase_memset (&prmfns, 0, ASE_SIZEOF(prmfns));
+
+	prmfns.mmgr.malloc      = custom_awk_malloc;
+	prmfns.mmgr.realloc     = custom_awk_realloc;
+	prmfns.mmgr.free        = custom_awk_free;
+	prmfns.mmgr.custom_data = ASE_NULL;
+
+	prmfns.ccls.is_upper    = custom_awk_isupper;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_lower    = custom_awk_islower;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_alpha    = custom_awk_isalpha;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_digit    = custom_awk_isdigit;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_xdigit   = custom_awk_isxdigit;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_alnum    = custom_awk_isalnum;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_space    = custom_awk_isspace;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_print    = custom_awk_isprint;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_graph    = custom_awk_isgraph;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_cntrl    = custom_awk_iscntrl;
+	prmfns.ccls.is_punct    = custom_awk_ispunct;
+	prmfns.ccls.to_upper    = custom_awk_toupper;
+	prmfns.ccls.to_lower    = custom_awk_tolower;
+	prmfns.ccls.custom_data = ASE_NULL;
+
+	prmfns.misc.pow         = custom_awk_pow;
+	prmfns.misc.sprintf     = custom_awk_sprintf;
+	prmfns.misc.dprintf     = custom_awk_dprintf;
+	prmfns.misc.custom_data = ASE_NULL;
+
+	if ((awk = ase_awk_open(&prmfns, ASE_NULL)) == ASE_NULL) 
+	{
+		ase_printf (ASE_T("ERROR: cannot open awk\n"));
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	ase_awk_setoption (awk, 
+		ASE_AWK_IMPLICIT | ASE_AWK_EXPLICIT | ASE_AWK_UNIQUEFN | 
+		ASE_AWK_IDIV | ASE_AWK_SHADING | ASE_AWK_SHIFT | 
+		ASE_AWK_EXTIO | ASE_AWK_BLOCKLESS | ASE_AWK_STRBASEONE | 
+		ASE_AWK_STRIPSPACES | ASE_AWK_NEXTOFILE);
+
+	srcios.in = awk_srcio_in;
+	srcios.out = ASE_NULL;
+	srcios.custom_data = &src_io;
+
+	if (ase_awk_parse (awk, &srcios) == -1) 
+	{
+		ase_printf (
+			ASE_T("PARSE ERROR: CODE [%d] LINE [%u] %s\n"), 
+			ase_awk_geterrnum(awk),
+			(unsigned int)ase_awk_geterrlin(awk), 
+			ase_awk_geterrmsg(awk));
+		ase_awk_close (awk);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	runios.pipe = awk_extio_pipe;
+	runios.file = awk_extio_file;
+	runios.console = awk_extio_console;
+	runios.custom_data = ASE_NULL;
+
+	if (ase_awk_run (awk, ASE_NULL, &runios, ASE_NULL, ASE_NULL, ASE_NULL) == -1)
+	{
+		ase_printf (
+			ASE_T("RUN ERROR: CODE [%d] LINE [%u] %s\n"), 
+			ase_awk_geterrnum(awk),
+			(unsigned int)ase_awk_geterrlin(awk), 
+			ase_awk_geterrmsg(awk));
+
+		ase_awk_close (awk);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	ase_awk_close (awk);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+}}}
diff --git a/ase/doc/doc.css b/ase/doc/doc.css
index 672ae374..fe7f3705 100644
--- a/ase/doc/doc.css
+++ b/ase/doc/doc.css
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 body 
 {
-	font-family: "times new roman", verdana, tahoma, lucida, sans-serif;
+	font-family: verdana, "times new roman", tahoma, lucida, sans-serif;
 	background-color: white;
 	color: black;
 	#padding: 10px 10px 10px 10px;
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ body
 
 h1,h2,h3,h4,h5 
 {
-	font-family: verdana, tahoma;
+	font-family: tahoma, "times new roman", verdana;
 	border-bottom: 1px solid #779098;
 }
 h1 { font-size: 120%; }
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ pre.code
 	padding: 6px 6px 6px 6px;
 	xbackground-color: #000000;
 	xcolor: #FFD700; 
-	border: 1px dashed #779098;
+	#border: 1px dashed #779098;
+	#border: 1px solid #779098;
+	border: none;
+	background-color: yellow;
 }
 
 .linenum