diff --git a/source/esql.l b/source/esql.l
index 4bcf7a8..060ee57 100644
--- a/source/esql.l
+++ b/source/esql.l
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ using namespace std;
 
 extern Database * db;
 
+int state_buffer;
+
 string sql = "";
 
 extern YY_BUFFER_STATE esql__scan_string (const char * yystr);
@@ -19,10 +21,12 @@ extern int esql_parse (void);
 %option noyywrap
 %option nodefault
 
-%x SQL TEST
+%x SQL DECLARE
+%x EAT2COLON
 
 ws			[ \t\r\v\f]
 wsnl		[ \t\r\v\f\n]
+identifier	[a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z_0-9$]*
 
 %%
 
@@ -54,11 +58,29 @@ EXEC{wsnl}+SQL{wsnl}+ {
 }
 
 <SQL>{
-CONNECT\ TO { return CONNECT; }
-AS          { return AS; }
 ;           { BEGIN INITIAL; return END; }
 .           { esql_lval.strval = yytext; return CHAR; }
 \n          { ; }
+
+CONNECT{wsnl}+TO    { return CONNECT; }
+AS                  { return AS; }
+
+BEGIN{wsnl}+DECLARE{wsnl}+SECTION{wsnl}*; { BEGIN DECLARE; return DECLARE_START; }
+}
+
+<DECLARE>{
+const           { ECHO; }   // XXX: this is no good
+extern|static   { ECHO; }
+{identifier}    { ECHO; return IDENTIFIER; }
+\*|\[.*\]       { ECHO; return PTR; }
+=               { BEGIN EAT2COLON; ECHO; state_buffer = DECLARE; }
+{wsnl}          { ECHO; }
+EXEC{wsnl}+SQL{wsnl}+END{wsnl}+DECLARE{wsnl}+SECTION{wsnl}*; { BEGIN INITIAL; return DECLARE_END; }
+}
+
+<EAT2COLON>{
+;    { ECHO; BEGIN state_buffer; }
+.|\n { ECHO; }
 }
 
 %%
diff --git a/source/esql.y b/source/esql.y
index dc4f250..db1a02f 100644
--- a/source/esql.y
+++ b/source/esql.y
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-%code {
+%code provides {
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
 extern FILE * esql_out;
+extern int esql_errno;
 
 #define ECHOS(s) do {                               \
 	const char * const  ss = s;                     \
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ void esql_error(const char *s);
 
 using namespace std;
 
+int esql_errno;
+
 %}
 
 %union {
@@ -35,37 +38,64 @@ using namespace std;
     char* strval;
 }
 
-%token CONNECT AS
-%token <strval> CHAR
+%token CONNECT AS DECLARE_START DECLARE_END
+%token <strval> CHAR IDENTIFIER PTR
 %token <strval> END
 
 %type <strval> statement substatemt string
+%type <intval> pointer
+
+%initial-action {
+    ECHOS(db->top());
+}
 
 %%
 sql: %empty
     | sql connect
     | sql statement
+    | sql declaration
+    ;
+
+declaration: DECLARE_START var DECLARE_END
+    ;
+
+var: %empty
+    | IDENTIFIER pointer IDENTIFIER {
+            db->declare($1, $3);
+        }
+    ;
+
+pointer: %empty   { $$ = 0; }
+    | pointer PTR { $$ = $1 + 1; }
     ;
 
 connect: CONNECT string AS string END {
-        ECHOS(db->connect($2, $4));
+            ECHOS(db->connect($2, $4));
         }
     ;
 
 statement: substatemt END {
-        ECHOS(db->exec($$));
+            const char * const e = db->exec((string() + $$ + ';').c_str());
+            if(!e) { break; }
+            ECHOS(e);
         }
     ;
 
-substatemt: string
-    | substatemt string
+// pretty sure this could be all on the stack
+substatemt: string      { $$ = strdup((string() + $1).c_str()); free($1); }
+    | substatemt string { $$ = strdup((string() + $1 + $2).c_str()); free($1); }
     ;
 
-string: CHAR
-    | string CHAR
+string: CHAR        { $$ = strdup((string() + $1).c_str()); }
+    | string CHAR   { $$ = strdup((string() + $1 + $2).c_str()); free($1); }
     ;
 %%
 
 void esql_error(const char * msg) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "\033[1m%s:%d:\033[0m \033[31m%s\033[0m\n", esql_filename, esql_lineno, msg);
+    fprintf(stderr, "\033[1m%s:%d:\033[0m \033[31m%s\033[0m\n",
+                        esql_filename,
+                        esql_lineno,
+                        msg
+            );
+    esql_errno = 1;
 }