diff --git a/examples/02_Calc_Sum.mers b/examples/02_Calc_Sum.mers
index d30fce2..482a83a 100755
--- a/examples/02_Calc_Sum.mers
+++ b/examples/02_Calc_Sum.mers
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 total := 0.0
-().loop(() -> {
+loop {
   ("Total: ", total, ". Type a number to change.").concat.println
   ().read_line.trim.parse_float.try((
-    n -> &total = (total, n).sum,
+    (n) -> &total = (total, n).sum
     // not a number, so return a 1-tuple to break from the loop
     () -> (())
   ))
-})
+}
 "Goodbye.".println
diff --git a/examples/03_Basic_Calculator.mers b/examples/03_Basic_Calculator.mers
index d0cabc8..4018ded 100755
--- a/examples/03_Basic_Calculator.mers
+++ b/examples/03_Basic_Calculator.mers
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@
 
 current := 0.0
 
-().loop(() -> {
+loop {
   ("[ ", current, " ]").concat.println
   input := ().read_line.trim
   num := (input, 1).substring.trim.parse_float.try((
-    () -> 0.0,
-    val -> val
+    (val) -> val
+    () -> 0.0
   ))
   mode := input.substring(0, 1)
   if mode.eq("+") {
@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@ current := 0.0
   } else if (input.eq("exit"), input.eq("")).any {
     (())
   }
-})
+}
diff --git a/examples/04_Greatest_Common_Divisor.mers b/examples/04_Greatest_Common_Divisor.mers
index 2a5cccf..d2845ac 100755
--- a/examples/04_Greatest_Common_Divisor.mers
+++ b/examples/04_Greatest_Common_Divisor.mers
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 gcd := vals -> {
-  ().loop(() -> {
+  loop {
     (a, b) := vals
     if a.eq(b)
       (a)
@@ -7,21 +7,17 @@ gcd := vals -> {
       &vals = (a, b.subtract(a))
     else
       &vals = (a.subtract(b), b)
-  })
+  }
 }
 
 get_num := () -> {
-  line := ().read_line.trim
-  (
-    line.parse_float,
-    (
-      () -> {
-        ("error: '", line, "' not a number!").concat.println
-        1.panic
-      }
-      n -> n,
-    )
-  ).try
+  loop {
+    line := ().read_line.trim
+    line.parse_float.try((
+      (n) -> (n)
+      () -> ("Error: '", line, "' not a number!").concat.println
+    ))
+  }
 }
 
 ("gcd of 899 and 2900 is ", (899, 2900).gcd).concat.println // 29
diff --git a/examples/05_Matrix_Multiplicator.mers b/examples/05_Matrix_Multiplicator.mers
index 6bf475c..e0ecefa 100755
--- a/examples/05_Matrix_Multiplicator.mers
+++ b/examples/05_Matrix_Multiplicator.mers
@@ -1,53 +1,9 @@
-// if string is a + delim + b, returns (a, b),
-// otherwise returns (). b can contain delim.
-split_once := (s, delim) -> {
-  (
-    (s, delim).index_of,
-    (
-      index -> (
-        (s, 0, index).substring,
-        (s, (index, delim.len).sum).substring
-      )
-      () -> ()
-    )
-  ).try
-}
-
-// repeats split_once until no delim is left and returns a list of strings
-split_ := (s, delim, require_nonempty) -> {
-  out := (s).as_list
-  &out.pop
-  ().loop(
-    () -> s.split_once(delim).try((
-      (s1, s2) -> {
-        &s = s2
-        if s1.len.signum.eq(1)
-          &out.push(s1)
-      }
-      () -> {
-        if s.len.signum.eq(1)
-          &out.push(s)
-        (())
-      }
-    ))
-  )
-  out
-}
-
-split := (s, delim) -> s.split_(delim, true)
-
 parse_matrix_line := input -> {
-  vals := input.split(" ")
+  vals := input.str_split(" ")
   vals_len := vals.len
   // reverse vals
   vals_rev := {() -> &vals.pop}.as_list
-  nums := {() -> &vals_rev.pop.try((
-    () -> ()
-    (v) -> v.parse_float.try((
-      () -> ()
-      v -> (v)
-    ))
-  ))}.as_list
+  nums := vals_rev.filter_map(v -> v.parse_float).as_list
   if nums.len.eq(vals_len)
     if nums.len.signum.eq(1)
       (nums)
@@ -58,15 +14,16 @@ parse_matrix_line := input -> {
 read_matrix_line := width -> {
   ().read_line.trim.parse_matrix_line.try((
     (line) -> {
+      line := [List<Float>] line
       w := width.deref
       if w.eq(0) {
         width = line.len
       } else {
-        ().loop(() ->
+        loop {
           if line.len.subtract(w).signum.eq(-1) {
             &line.push(0.0)
           } else (())
-        )
+        }
       }
       (line)
     }
@@ -89,12 +46,12 @@ matrix_get := (matrix, (line, col)) -> {
 leftpad := (str, l) -> {
   str := (str).concat
   d := l.subtract(str.len)
-  ().loop(() ->
+  loop {
     if d.signum.eq(1) {
       &str = (" ", str).concat
       &d = d.subtract(1)
     } else (())
-  )
+  }
   str
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/06_TicTacToe.mers b/examples/06_TicTacToe.mers
index 5137365..c280a87 100644
--- a/examples/06_TicTacToe.mers
+++ b/examples/06_TicTacToe.mers
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ check_board := () -> {
   else if (f3.eq(0).eq(false), (f3, f5, f7).eq).all f3
 }
 
-().loop(() -> {
+loop {
   (if player c_blue else c_green, "Turn: ", if player "x" else "o", c_reset).concat.println
   ().print_board
-  ().loop(() -> {
+  loop {
     (if player c_blue else c_green, "> ", c_gray).concat.print
     input := ().read_line.trim
     input.parse_int.try((
-      field -> {
+      (field) -> {
         if (field.gt(0), field.ltoe(9)).all {
           (l, m, r) := if field.gt(6) (&f1, &f2, &f3) else if field.gt(3) (&f4, &f5, &f6) else (&f7, &f8, &f9)
           col := field.subtract(1).modulo(3)
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ check_board := () -> {
       }
       () -> "not a number!".println
     ))
-  })
+  }
   &player = player.eq(false)
   ().check_board.try((
     () -> (),
@@ -94,4 +94,4 @@ check_board := () -> {
       (())
     }
   ))
-})
+}
diff --git a/examples/07_Threads.mers b/examples/07_Threads.mers
index 26da3e2..ced4558 100644
--- a/examples/07_Threads.mers
+++ b/examples/07_Threads.mers
@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
 is_prime := n -> {
   0.1.sleep // wow, what an inefficient algorithm, oh no
   d := 1
-  ().loop(() -> {
+  loop {
     &d = (d, 1).sum
     if d.lt(n) {
       if n.modulo(d).eq(0) (false)
     } else (true)
-  })
+  }
 }
 
 find_primes := start_at -> {
-  () -> (().loop(() -> {
+  () -> (loop {
     out := if start_at.is_prime (start_at)
     &start_at = (start_at, 1).sum
     out
-  }))
+  })
 }
 
 primes_count := 0
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ background_thread := {() ->
 }.thread
 
 // Show status to the user while the background thread works
-().loop(() -> {
+loop {
   0.2.sleep
   (" Found ", primes_count, " primes...\r").concat.print
   if background_thread.thread_finished (())
-})
+}
 
 ("\nPrimes: ", background_thread.thread_await).concat.println
diff --git a/examples/08_Type_Annotations.mers b/examples/08_Type_Annotations.mers
index de5b233..c2e2c2e 100644
--- a/examples/08_Type_Annotations.mers
+++ b/examples/08_Type_Annotations.mers
@@ -77,4 +77,4 @@ make_list_maybe_none := (val_1, val_2) -> {
 
 maybe_none_list := ("one", 2).make_list_maybe_none
 maybe_none_list.println
-maybe_none_list // use `--check only` to see the type: `List<String/Int/()>`
+maybe_none_list // use `check` to see the type: `List<String/Int/()>`
diff --git a/examples/fib.mers b/examples/fib.mers
index 2dc7f61..ea54fe3 100755
--- a/examples/fib.mers
+++ b/examples/fib.mers
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 fib := n -> {
   // we start with these two values
   v := (0, 1)
-  {() -> {
+  loop {
     // subtract 1 from n
     &n = (n, -1).sum
     // extract the latest values
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ fib := n -> {
       // so we break with the latest value
       (r)
     }
-  }}.loop
+  }
 }
 
 ((1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 25, 50, 100), i -> {
diff --git a/mers_lib/src/parsing/types.rs b/mers_lib/src/parsing/types.rs
index 97880ae..5dfa643 100755
--- a/mers_lib/src/parsing/types.rs
+++ b/mers_lib/src/parsing/types.rs
@@ -60,14 +60,14 @@ pub fn parse_single_type(src: &mut Source, srca: &Arc<Source>) -> Result<ParsedT
                     let t = parse_type(src, srca)?;
                     src.skip_whitespace();
                     match src.peek_char() {
-                        Some(')') => {
-                            src.next_char();
-                            break;
-                        }
-                        Some(',') => {
+                        Some(',' | ')') => {
+                            let last = src.peek_char().is_some_and(|c| c == ')');
                             if inner_f.is_empty() {
                                 inner_t.push(t);
                                 src.next_char();
+                                if last {
+                                    break;
+                                }
                             } else {
                                 let pos1 = src.get_pos();
                                 src.next_char();