diff --git a/include/struc.hpp b/include/struc.hpp
index b6bacc3..cacb0f1 100644
--- a/include/struc.hpp
+++ b/include/struc.hpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class _obj
 {
 public:
   enum _objtype {
-    subarg_string, subarg_variable, subarg_subshell, subarg_arithmetic,
+    subarg_string, subarg_variable, subarg_subshell, subarg_arithmetic, subarg_manipulation,
     _arg,
     _arglist,
     _pipeline,
@@ -439,5 +439,18 @@ public:
   std::string generate(int ind);
 };
 
+class manipulation_subarg : public subarg
+{
+public:
+  manipulation_subarg(arg* in=nullptr) { type=_obj::subarg_manipulation; size=false; manip=in; }
+  ~manipulation_subarg() { if(manip!=nullptr) delete manip; }
+
+  bool size;
+  std::string varname;
+  arg* manip;
+
+  std::string generate(int ind);
+};
+
 
 #endif //STRUC_HPP
diff --git a/src/generate.cpp b/src/generate.cpp
index 4c35616..6670bbf 100644
--- a/src/generate.cpp
+++ b/src/generate.cpp
@@ -330,10 +330,15 @@ std::string cmd::generate(int ind)
 
 std::string subshell_subarg::generate(int ind)
 {
-  std::string ret;
-  ret += '$';
-  ret += sbsh->generate(ind);
-  return ret;
+  return '$' + sbsh->generate(ind);
+}
+
+std::string manipulation_subarg::generate(int ind)
+{
+  if(size)
+    return "${#" + varname + "}";
+  else
+    return "${" + varname + manip->generate(ind) + "}";
 }
 
 // TEMPLATE
diff --git a/src/minimize.cpp b/src/minimize.cpp
index 800e079..83ee296 100644
--- a/src/minimize.cpp
+++ b/src/minimize.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ void get_map_varname(_obj* in, std::map<std::string,uint32_t>* variable_map)
       if(!variable_map->insert( std::make_pair(t->varname, 1) ).second)
         (*variable_map)[t->varname]++;
     }; break;
+    case _obj::subarg_manipulation: {
+      manipulation_subarg* t = dynamic_cast<manipulation_subarg*>(in);
+      if(!variable_map->insert( std::make_pair(t->varname, 1) ).second)
+        (*variable_map)[t->varname]++;
+    }; break;
     case _obj::block_for: {
       for_block* t = dynamic_cast<for_block*>(in);
       if(!variable_map->insert( std::make_pair(t->varname, 1) ).second)
@@ -129,6 +134,12 @@ void replace_varname(_obj* in, std::map<std::string,std::string>* varmap)
       if(el!=varmap->end())
         t->varname = el->second;
     }; break;
+    case _obj::subarg_manipulation: {
+      manipulation_subarg* t = dynamic_cast<manipulation_subarg*>(in);
+      auto el=varmap->find(t->varname);
+      if(el!=varmap->end())
+        t->varname = el->second;
+    }; break;
     case _obj::block_for: {
       for_block* t = dynamic_cast<for_block*>(in);
       auto it=varmap->find(t->varname);
diff --git a/src/options.cpp b/src/options.cpp
index 107dd4c..a7fe217 100644
--- a/src/options.cpp
+++ b/src/options.cpp
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ ztd::option_set gen_options()
       ztd::option("minimize-fct",       false, "Minimize function names"),
       ztd::option("exclude-var",        true,  "List of matching regex to ignore for variable processing", "list"),
       ztd::option("exclude-fct",        true,  "List of matching regex to ignore for function processing", "list"),
-      ztd::option("list-var",           false, "List all variables invoked in the script"),
-      ztd::option("list-fct",           false, "List all functions invoked in the script"),
-      ztd::option("list-cmd",           false, "List all functions invoked in the script"),
+      ztd::option("list-var",           false, "List all variables defined and invoked in the script"),
+      ztd::option("list-fct",           false, "List all functions defined in the script"),
+      ztd::option("list-cmd",           false, "List all commands invoked in the script"),
       // ztd::option("unset-var",          false, "Add 'unset' to vars"),
       ztd::option("remove-unused",      false, "Remove unused functions")
   );
diff --git a/src/parse.cpp b/src/parse.cpp
index ceb78a0..a200679 100644
--- a/src/parse.cpp
+++ b/src/parse.cpp
@@ -176,10 +176,36 @@ std::pair<arithmetic_subarg*, uint32_t> parse_arithmetic(const char* in, uint32_
   return std::make_pair(ret, i);
 }
 
+std::pair<arg*, uint32_t> parse_arg(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t start, const char* end=ARG_END, const char* unexpected=SPECIAL_TOKENS, bool doquote=true);
+
+std::pair<manipulation_subarg*, uint32_t> parse_manipulation(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t start)
+{
+  manipulation_subarg* ret = new manipulation_subarg;
+  uint32_t i=start;
+
+  if(in[i] == '#')
+  {
+    ret->size=true;
+    i++;
+  }
+
+  auto p=parse_varname(in, size, i);
+  if(p.second == i)
+    throw PARSE_ERROR( "Bad variable name", i );
+  ret->varname=p.first;
+  i = p.second;
+
+  auto pa = parse_arg(in, size, i, "}", NULL, false);
+  ret->manip=pa.first;
+  i = pa.second+1;
+
+  return std::make_pair(ret, i);
+}
+
 // parse one argument
 // must start at a read char
 // ends at either " \t|&;\n()"
-std::pair<arg*, uint32_t> parse_arg(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t start)
+std::pair<arg*, uint32_t> parse_arg(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t start, const char* end, const char* unexpected, bool doquote)
 {
   arg* ret = new arg;
   // j : start of subarg , q = start of quote
@@ -188,23 +214,23 @@ std::pair<arg*, uint32_t> parse_arg(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t star
   try
   {
 
-    if(is_in(in[i], SPECIAL_TOKENS))
+    if(unexpected != NULL && is_in(in[i], unexpected))
       throw PARSE_ERROR( strf("Unexpected token '%c'", in[i]) , i);
 
-    while(i<size && !is_in(in[i], ARG_END))
+    while(i<size && !is_in(in[i], end))
     {
       if(i+1<size && is_in(in[i], "<>") && in[i+1]=='&') // special case for <& and >&
       {
         i+=2;
       }
-      else if(in[i]=='\\') // backslash: don't check next char
+      else if(doquote && in[i]=='\\') // backslash: don't check next char
       {
         i++;
         if(i>=size)
-        break;
+          break;
         i++;
       }
-      else if(in[i] == '"') // start double quote
+      else if(doquote && in[i] == '"') // start double quote
       {
         q=i;
         i++;
@@ -218,9 +244,8 @@ std::pair<arg*, uint32_t> parse_arg(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t star
           {
             // add previous subarg
             ret->sa.push_back(new string_subarg(std::string(in+j, i-j)));
-            i+=3;
             // get arithmetic
-            auto r=parse_arithmetic(in, size, i);
+            auto r=parse_arithmetic(in, size, i+3);
             ret->sa.push_back(r.first);
             j = i = r.second;
           }
@@ -228,12 +253,20 @@ std::pair<arg*, uint32_t> parse_arg(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t star
           {
             // add previous subarg
             ret->sa.push_back(new string_subarg(std::string(in+j, i-j)));
-            i+=2;
             // get subshell
-            auto r=parse_subshell(in, size, i);
+            auto r=parse_subshell(in, size, i+2);
             ret->sa.push_back(new subshell_subarg(r.first, true));
             j = i = r.second;
           }
+          else if( word_eq("${", in, size, i) ) // variable manipulation
+          {
+            // add previous subarg
+            ret->sa.push_back(new string_subarg(std::string(in+j, i-j)));
+            // get manipulation
+            auto r=parse_manipulation(in, size, i+2);
+            ret->sa.push_back(r.first);
+            j = i = r.second;
+          }
           else if( in[i] == '$' )
           {
             auto r=parse_varname(in, size, i+1);
@@ -256,7 +289,7 @@ std::pair<arg*, uint32_t> parse_arg(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t star
         }
         i++;
       }
-      else if(in[i] == '\'') // start single quote
+      else if(doquote && in[i] == '\'') // start single quote
       {
         q=i;
         i++;
@@ -270,9 +303,8 @@ std::pair<arg*, uint32_t> parse_arg(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t star
       {
         // add previous subarg
         ret->sa.push_back(new string_subarg(std::string(in+j, i-j)));
-        i+=3;
         // get arithmetic
-        auto r=parse_arithmetic(in, size, i);
+        auto r=parse_arithmetic(in, size, i+3);
         ret->sa.push_back(r.first);
         j = i = r.second;
       }
@@ -280,12 +312,20 @@ std::pair<arg*, uint32_t> parse_arg(const char* in, uint32_t size, uint32_t star
       {
         // add previous subarg
         ret->sa.push_back(new string_subarg(std::string(in+j, i-j)));
-        i+=2;
         // get subshell
-        auto r=parse_subshell(in, size, i);
+        auto r=parse_subshell(in, size, i+2);
         ret->sa.push_back(new subshell_subarg(r.first, false));
         j = i = r.second;
       }
+      else if( word_eq("${", in, size, i) ) // variable manipulation
+      {
+        // add previous subarg
+        ret->sa.push_back(new string_subarg(std::string(in+j, i-j)));
+        // get manipulation
+        auto r=parse_manipulation(in, size, i+2);
+        ret->sa.push_back(r.first);
+        j = i = r.second;
+      }
       else if( in[i] == '$' )
       {
         auto r=parse_varname(in, size, i+1);