fixed heredocs using the same expansion pathway as regular strings

implemented backtick command subs

deferred heredoc expansion until redir time instead of parse time

implemented "$*" expansions

function defs like 'func   ()  { }' not parse correctly

fixed conjunctions short circuiting instead of skipping

src/expand.rs

@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@ impl Expander {
   }
   pub fn from_raw(raw: &str, flags: TkFlags) -> ShResult<Self> {
     let raw = expand_braces_full(raw)?.join(" ");
-    let unescaped = unescape_str(&raw);
+		let unescaped = if flags.contains(TkFlags::IS_HEREDOC) {
+			unescape_heredoc(&raw)
+		} else {
+			unescape_str(&raw)
+		};
     Ok(Self { raw: unescaped, flags })
   }
   pub fn expand(&mut self) -> ShResult<Vec<String>> {
@@ -1159,6 +1163,25 @@ pub fn unescape_str(raw: &str) -> String {
                 }
               }
             }
+            '`' => {
+              result.push(markers::VAR_SUB);
+              result.push(markers::SUBSH);
+              while let Some(bt_ch) = chars.next() {
+                match bt_ch {
+                  '\\' => {
+                    result.push(bt_ch);
+                    if let Some(next_ch) = chars.next() {
+                      result.push(next_ch);
+                    }
+                  }
+                  '`' => {
+                    result.push(markers::SUBSH);
+                    break;
+                  }
+                  _ => result.push(bt_ch),
+                }
+              }
+            }
             '"' => {
               result.push(markers::DUB_QUOTE);
               break;
@@ -1323,6 +1346,25 @@ pub fn unescape_str(raw: &str) -> String {
           result.push('$');
         }
       }
+      '`' => {
+        result.push(markers::VAR_SUB);
+        result.push(markers::SUBSH);
+        while let Some(bt_ch) = chars.next() {
+          match bt_ch {
+            '\\' => {
+              result.push(bt_ch);
+              if let Some(next_ch) = chars.next() {
+                result.push(next_ch);
+              }
+            }
+            '`' => {
+              result.push(markers::SUBSH);
+              break;
+            }
+            _ => result.push(bt_ch),
+          }
+        }
+      }
       _ => result.push(ch),
     }
     first_char = false;
@@ -1331,6 +1373,96 @@ pub fn unescape_str(raw: &str) -> String {
   result
 }
 
+/// Like unescape_str but for heredoc bodies. Only processes:
+/// - $var / ${var} / $(cmd) substitution markers
+/// - Backslash escapes (only before $, `, \, and newline)
+/// Everything else (quotes, tildes, globs, process subs, etc.) is literal.
+pub fn unescape_heredoc(raw: &str) -> String {
+	let mut chars = raw.chars().peekable();
+	let mut result = String::new();
+
+	while let Some(ch) = chars.next() {
+		match ch {
+			'\\' => {
+				match chars.peek() {
+					Some('$') | Some('`') | Some('\\') | Some('\n') => {
+						let next_ch = chars.next().unwrap();
+						if next_ch == '\n' {
+							// line continuation — discard both backslash and newline
+							continue;
+						}
+						result.push(markers::ESCAPE);
+						result.push(next_ch);
+					}
+					_ => {
+						// backslash is literal
+						result.push('\\');
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			'$' if chars.peek() == Some(&'(') => {
+				result.push(markers::VAR_SUB);
+				chars.next(); // consume '('
+				result.push(markers::SUBSH);
+				let mut paren_count = 1;
+				while let Some(subsh_ch) = chars.next() {
+					match subsh_ch {
+						'\\' => {
+							result.push(subsh_ch);
+							if let Some(next_ch) = chars.next() {
+								result.push(next_ch);
+							}
+						}
+						'(' => {
+							paren_count += 1;
+							result.push(subsh_ch);
+						}
+						')' => {
+							paren_count -= 1;
+							if paren_count == 0 {
+								result.push(markers::SUBSH);
+								break;
+							} else {
+								result.push(subsh_ch);
+							}
+						}
+						_ => result.push(subsh_ch),
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			'$' => {
+				result.push(markers::VAR_SUB);
+				if chars.peek() == Some(&'$') {
+					chars.next();
+					result.push('$');
+				}
+			}
+			'`' => {
+				result.push(markers::VAR_SUB);
+				result.push(markers::SUBSH);
+				while let Some(bt_ch) = chars.next() {
+					match bt_ch {
+						'\\' => {
+							result.push(bt_ch);
+							if let Some(next_ch) = chars.next() {
+								result.push(next_ch);
+							}
+						}
+						'`' => {
+							result.push(markers::SUBSH);
+							break;
+						}
+						_ => result.push(bt_ch),
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			_ => result.push(ch),
+		}
+	}
+
+	result
+}
+
 /// Opposite of unescape_str - escapes a string to be executed as literal text
 /// Used for completion results, and glob filename matches.
 pub fn escape_str(raw: &str, use_marker: bool) -> String {

src/getopt.rs

@@ -95,14 +95,16 @@ pub fn sort_tks(
     .into_iter()
     .map(|t| t.expand())
     .collect::<ShResult<Vec<_>>>()?
-    .into_iter();
+    .into_iter()
+		.peekable();
   let mut opts = vec![];
   let mut non_opts = vec![];
 
   while let Some(token) = tokens_iter.next() {
     if &token.to_string() == "--" {
-      non_opts.extend(tokens_iter);
+			non_opts.push(token);
-      break;
+			non_opts.extend(tokens_iter);
+			break;
     }
     let parsed_opts = Opt::parse(&token.to_string());
 

src/parse/execute.rs

@@ -319,24 +319,19 @@ impl Dispatcher {
     };
 
     let mut elem_iter = elements.into_iter();
+		let mut skip = false;
     while let Some(element) = elem_iter.next() {
       let ConjunctNode { cmd, operator } = element;
-      self.dispatch_node(*cmd)?;
+			if !skip {
+				self.dispatch_node(*cmd)?;
+			}
 
       let status = state::get_status();
-      match operator {
+      skip = match operator {
-        ConjunctOp::And => {
+        ConjunctOp::And => status != 0,
-          if status != 0 {
+        ConjunctOp::Or => status == 0,
-            break;
-          }
-        }
-        ConjunctOp::Or => {
-          if status == 0 {
-            break;
-          }
-        }
         ConjunctOp::Null => break,
-      }
+      };
     }
     Ok(())
   }
@@ -356,7 +351,7 @@ impl Dispatcher {
     };
     let body_span = body.get_span();
     let body = body_span.as_str().to_string();
-    let name = name.span.as_str().strip_suffix("()").unwrap();
+    let name = name.span.as_str().strip_suffix("()").unwrap_or(name.span.as_str());
 
     if KEYWORDS.contains(&name) {
       return Err(ShErr::at(

src/parse/lex.rs

@@ -875,6 +875,16 @@ impl LexStream {
             ));
           }
         }
+        '(' if can_be_subshell && chars.peek() == Some(&')') => {
+          // standalone "()" — function definition marker
+          pos += 2;
+          chars.next();
+          let mut tk = self.get_token(self.cursor..pos, TkRule::Str);
+          tk.mark(TkFlags::KEYWORD);
+          self.cursor = pos;
+          self.set_next_is_cmd(true);
+          return Ok(tk);
+        }
         '(' if self.next_is_cmd() && can_be_subshell => {
           pos += 1;
           let mut paren_count = 1;

src/parse/mod.rs

@@ -444,45 +444,9 @@ impl TryFrom<Tk> for RedirBldr {
 		let span = tk.span.clone();
 		if tk.flags.contains(TkFlags::IS_HEREDOC) {
 			let flags = tk.flags;
-			let mut heredoc_body = if flags.contains(TkFlags::LIT_HEREDOC) {
-				tk.as_str().to_string()
-			} else {
-				tk.expand()?.get_words().first().map(|s| s.as_str()).unwrap_or_default().to_string()
-			};
-
-			if flags.contains(TkFlags::TAB_HEREDOC) {
-				let lines = heredoc_body.lines();
-				let mut min_tabs = usize::MAX;
-				for line in lines {
-					if line.is_empty() { continue; }
-					let line_len = line.len();
-					let after_strip = line.trim_start_matches('\t').len();
-					let delta = line_len - after_strip;
-					min_tabs = min_tabs.min(delta);
-				}
-				if min_tabs == usize::MAX {
-					// let's avoid possibly allocating a string with 18 quintillion tabs
-					min_tabs = 0;
-				}
-
-				if min_tabs > 0 {
-					let stripped = heredoc_body.lines()
-						.fold(vec![], |mut acc, ln| {
-							if ln.is_empty() {
-								acc.push("");
-								return acc;
-							}
-							let stripped_ln = ln.strip_prefix(&"\t".repeat(min_tabs)).unwrap();
-							acc.push(stripped_ln);
-							acc
-						})
-					.join("\n");
-					heredoc_body = stripped + "\n";
-				}
-			}
 
 			Ok(RedirBldr {
-				io_mode: Some(IoMode::loaded_pipe(0, heredoc_body.as_bytes())?),
+				io_mode: Some(IoMode::buffer(0, tk.to_string(), flags)?),
 				class: Some(RedirType::HereDoc),
 				tgt_fd: Some(0),
 				span: Some(span)
@@ -921,13 +885,26 @@ impl ParseStream {
     let mut node_tks: Vec<Tk> = vec![];
     let body;
 
-    if !is_func_name(self.peek_tk()) {
+    // Two forms: "name()" as one token, or "name" followed by "()" as separate tokens
+    let spaced_form = !is_func_name(self.peek_tk())
+      && self.peek_tk().is_some_and(|tk| tk.flags.contains(TkFlags::IS_CMD))
+      && is_func_parens(self.tokens.get(1));
+
+    if !is_func_name(self.peek_tk()) && !spaced_form {
       return Ok(None);
     }
+
     let name_tk = self.next_tk().unwrap();
     node_tks.push(name_tk.clone());
     let name = name_tk.clone();
-    let name_raw = name.to_string();
+    let name_raw = if spaced_form {
+      // Consume the "()" token
+      let parens_tk = self.next_tk().unwrap();
+      node_tks.push(parens_tk);
+      name.to_string()
+    } else {
+      name.to_string()
+    };
     let mut src = name_tk.span.span_source().clone();
     src.rename(name_raw.clone());
     let color = next_color();
@@ -1155,7 +1132,7 @@ impl ParseStream {
           .get_words()
           .join(" ");
         string.push('\n');
-        let io_mode = IoMode::loaded_pipe(redir_bldr.tgt_fd.unwrap_or(0), string.as_bytes())?;
+        let io_mode = IoMode::buffer(redir_bldr.tgt_fd.unwrap_or(0), string, redir_tk.flags)?;
         Ok(redir_bldr.with_io_mode(io_mode).build())
       }
       _ => {
@@ -1958,6 +1935,12 @@ fn is_func_name(tk: Option<&Tk>) -> bool {
   })
 }
 
+fn is_func_parens(tk: Option<&Tk>) -> bool {
+  tk.is_some_and(|tk| {
+    tk.flags.contains(TkFlags::KEYWORD) && tk.span.as_str() == "()"
+  })
+}
+
 /// Perform an operation on the child nodes of a given node
 ///
 /// # Parameters

src/procio.rs

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use crate::{
     utils::RedirVecUtils,
   },
   parse::{Redir, RedirType, get_redir_file, lex::TkFlags},
-  prelude::*,
+  prelude::*, state,
 };
 
 // Credit to fish-shell for many of the implementation ideas present in this
@@ -48,8 +48,9 @@ pub enum IoMode {
     pipe: Arc<OwnedFd>,
   },
   Buffer {
+		tgt_fd: RawFd,
     buf: String,
-    pipe: Arc<OwnedFd>,
+		flags: TkFlags, // so we can see if its a heredoc or not
   },
   Close {
     tgt_fd: RawFd,
@@ -109,10 +110,8 @@ impl IoMode {
     }
     Ok(self)
   }
-	pub fn loaded_pipe(tgt_fd: RawFd, buf: &[u8]) -> ShResult<Self> {
+	pub fn buffer(tgt_fd: RawFd, buf: String, flags: TkFlags) -> ShResult<Self> {
-		let (rpipe, wpipe) = nix::unistd::pipe2(OFlag::O_CLOEXEC).unwrap();
+		Ok(Self::Buffer { tgt_fd, buf, flags })
-		write(wpipe, buf)?;
-		Ok(Self::Pipe { tgt_fd, pipe: rpipe.into() })
 	}
   pub fn get_pipes() -> (Self, Self) {
     let (rpipe, wpipe) = nix::unistd::pipe2(OFlag::O_CLOEXEC).unwrap();
@@ -245,25 +244,74 @@ impl<'e> IoFrame {
   fn apply_redirs(&mut self) -> ShResult<()> {
     for redir in &mut self.redirs {
       let io_mode = &mut redir.io_mode;
-      if let IoMode::Close { tgt_fd } = io_mode {
+			match io_mode {
-        if *tgt_fd == *TTY_FILENO {
+				IoMode::Close { tgt_fd } => {
-          // Don't let user close the shell's tty fd.
+					if *tgt_fd == *TTY_FILENO {
-          continue;
+						// Don't let user close the shell's tty fd.
-        }
+						continue;
-        close(*tgt_fd).ok();
+					}
-        continue;
+					close(*tgt_fd).ok();
-      }
+					continue;
-      if let IoMode::File { .. } = io_mode {
+				}
-        match io_mode.clone().open_file() {
+				IoMode::File { .. } => {
-          Ok(file) => *io_mode = file,
+					match io_mode.clone().open_file() {
-          Err(e) => {
+						Ok(file) => *io_mode = file,
-            if let Some(span) = redir.span.as_ref() {
+						Err(e) => {
-              return Err(e.promote(span.clone()));
+							if let Some(span) = redir.span.as_ref() {
-            }
+								return Err(e.promote(span.clone()));
-            return Err(e)
+							}
-          }
+							return Err(e)
-        }
+						}
-      };
+					}
+				}
+				IoMode::Buffer { tgt_fd, buf, flags } => {
+					let (rpipe, wpipe) = nix::unistd::pipe()?;
+					let mut text = if flags.contains(TkFlags::LIT_HEREDOC) {
+						buf.clone()
+					} else {
+						let words = Expander::from_raw(buf, *flags)?.expand()?;
+						if flags.contains(TkFlags::IS_HEREDOC) {
+							words.into_iter().next().unwrap_or_default()
+						} else {
+							let ifs = state::get_separator();
+							words.join(&ifs).trim().to_string() + "\n"
+						}
+					};
+					if flags.contains(TkFlags::TAB_HEREDOC) {
+						let lines = text.lines();
+						let mut min_tabs = usize::MAX;
+						for line in lines {
+							if line.is_empty() { continue; }
+							let line_len = line.len();
+							let after_strip = line.trim_start_matches('\t').len();
+							let delta = line_len - after_strip;
+							min_tabs = min_tabs.min(delta);
+						}
+						if min_tabs == usize::MAX {
+							// let's avoid possibly allocating a string with 18 quintillion tabs
+							min_tabs = 0;
+						}
+
+						if min_tabs > 0 {
+							let stripped = text.lines()
+								.fold(vec![], |mut acc, ln| {
+									if ln.is_empty() {
+										acc.push("");
+										return acc;
+									}
+									let stripped_ln = ln.strip_prefix(&"\t".repeat(min_tabs)).unwrap();
+									acc.push(stripped_ln);
+									acc
+								})
+							.join("\n");
+							text = stripped + "\n";
+						}
+					}
+					write(wpipe, text.as_bytes())?;
+					*io_mode = IoMode::Pipe { tgt_fd: *tgt_fd, pipe: rpipe.into() };
+				}
+				_ => {}
+			}
       let tgt_fd = io_mode.tgt_fd();
       let src_fd = io_mode.src_fd();
       if let Err(e) = dup2(src_fd, tgt_fd) {

src/state.rs

@@ -1330,6 +1330,15 @@ impl VarTab {
         .get(&ShellParam::Status)
         .map(|s| s.to_string())
         .unwrap_or("0".into()),
+			ShellParam::AllArgsStr => {
+				let ifs = get_separator();
+				self
+					.params
+					.get(&ShellParam::AllArgs)
+					.map(|s| s.replace(markers::ARG_SEP, &ifs).to_string())
+					.unwrap_or_default()
+			}
+
       _ => self
         .params
         .get(&param)
@@ -1842,6 +1851,15 @@ pub fn change_dir<P: AsRef<Path>>(dir: P) -> ShResult<()> {
   Ok(())
 }
 
+pub fn get_separator() -> String {
+	env::var("IFS")
+		.unwrap_or(String::from(" "))
+		.chars()
+		.next()
+		.unwrap()
+		.to_string()
+}
+
 pub fn get_status() -> i32 {
   read_vars(|v| v.get_param(ShellParam::Status))
     .parse::<i32>()