diff --git a/pwiki/page.js b/pwiki/page.js
index a80205e..fac307c 100755
--- a/pwiki/page.js
+++ b/pwiki/page.js
@@ -838,8 +838,9 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 	// 		-> <func>(<state>)
 	// 			-> ...
 	//
+	// XXX do we need to make .macro.__proto__ module level object???
 	// XXX ASYNC make these support async page getters...
-	macros: {
+	macros: { __proto__: {
 		//
 		//	@(<name>[ <default>][ local])
 		//	@(name=<name>[ default=<default>][ local])
@@ -855,6 +856,7 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 		// 		- .renderer
 		// 		- .root
 		//
+		// NOTE: default value is parsed when accessed...
 		arg: Macro(
 			['name', 'default', ['local']],
 			function(args){
@@ -868,7 +870,8 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 					args.name
 					: v
 				return v
-					|| args.default }),
+					|| (args.default 
+						&& this.parse(args.default)) }),
 		'': Macro(
 			['name', 'default', ['local']],
 			function(args){
@@ -887,6 +890,7 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 		// 		<filter> <filter-spec>
 		// 		| -<filter> <filter-spec>
 		//
+		// XXX REVISE...
 		filter: function(args, body, state, expand=true){
 			var that = this
 
@@ -1299,6 +1303,9 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 		'content': ['slot'],
 
 		// XXX EXPERIMENTAL...
+		//
+		// NOTE: var value is parsed only on assignment and not on dereferencing...
+		//
 		// XXX INC_DEC do we need inc/dec and parent???
 		'var': Macro(
 			['name', 'text', 
@@ -1616,7 +1623,23 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 		// nesting rules...
 		'else': ['macro'],
 		'join': ['macro'],
-	},
+	} },
+
+	// XXX EXPERIMENTAL...
+	//
+	// 	Define a global macro...
+	// 	.defmacro(<name>, <func>)
+	// 	.defmacro(<name>, <args>, <func>)
+	// 		-> this
+	//
+	// XXX do we need this???
+	defmacro: function(name, args, func){
+		this.macros[name] = 
+			arguments.length == 2 ?
+				arguments[1]
+				: Macro(args, func)
+		return this },
+
 
 	// direct actions...
 	//
@@ -2413,8 +2436,8 @@ module.System = {
 		text: object.doc`
 			<slot title/>
 			<div class="error">
-				<div class="msg" wikiwords="no">ParseError: @(msg)</div>
-				Page: [@(path)]
+				<div class="msg" wikiwords="no">ParseError: @(msg "no message")</div>
+				Page: [@(path "@source(./path)")]
 			</div> `,},
 	RecursionError: {
 		text: 'RECURSION ERROR: @source(../path)' },
diff --git a/pwiki/parser.js b/pwiki/parser.js
index b0d46bc..397c89e 100755
--- a/pwiki/parser.js
+++ b/pwiki/parser.js
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ module.BaseParser = {
 
 		// XXX should this be cached???
 		var macro_pattern = this.MACRO_PATTERN 
-			?? this.buildMacroPattern(Object.keys(page.macros))
+			?? this.buildMacroPattern(Object.deepKeys(page.macros))
 		var macro_pattern_groups = this.MACRO_PATTERN_GROUPS 
 			?? this.countMacroPatternGroups()
 		var macro_args_pattern = this.MACRO_ARGS_PATTERN 
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ module.BaseParser = {
 					// XXX add line number and page path...
 					'@include("./ParseError'
 						+':path='
-							// XXX use pwiki.encodeElem(..) ???
+							// XXX use pwpath.encodeElem(..) ???
 							+ page.path 
 						+':msg='
 							+ err.message 
diff --git a/pwiki2.html b/pwiki2.html
index a77e17a..de1a8cf 100755
--- a/pwiki2.html
+++ b/pwiki2.html
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ body.loading .page.spinner span {
 .error {
 	background: lightyellow;
 	padding: 1em;
-	box-shadow: inset 3px 5px 15px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
+	box-shadow: inset 3px 5px 15px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.03);
 	border: dashed red 1px;
 }
 
diff --git a/pwiki2.js b/pwiki2.js
index d81716c..e7c0742 100755
--- a/pwiki2.js
+++ b/pwiki2.js
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@
 * 		- 
 *
 *
-* XXX BUG? can't use < and > (both?) in page title...
 * XXX parser: error handling: revise page quoting... 
+* 		...need a standard mechanism to quote urls, url-args and paths...
+* XXX BUG? can't use < and > (both?) in page title...
 * XXX parser: error handling: add line number + context... (???) 
 * XXX BUG: parser:
 * 		This will break:
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@
 *		This will not:
 * 			await pwiki.parse('<macro src="../tags" join=", ">@source(.)</macro>')
 * XXX ASAP test: can we store the file handler with permissions in a ServiceWorker??
+* XXX Q: do we need macros for printing errors and the like???
+* XXX Q: do we need a macro to define user macros???
+* 		...see: <page>.defmacro(..)
 * XXX the parser should handle all action return values, including:
 * 			- lists			-- XXX
 * 			- strings		-- DONE