diff --git a/pwiki/page.js b/pwiki/page.js
index 6278870..a01e91d 100755
--- a/pwiki/page.js
+++ b/pwiki/page.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ var markdown = require('./filters/markdown')
 
 var relProxy = 
 function(name){
-	var func = function(path='.', ...args){
+	var func = function(path='.:$ARGS', ...args){
 		return this.store[name](
 			pwpath.relative(this.path, path), 
 			...args) } 
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ function(name){
 	return func } 
 var relMatchProxy = 
 function(name){
-	var func = function(path='.', strict=this.strict){
+	var func = function(path='.:$ARGS', strict=this.strict){
 		if(path === true || path === false){
 			strict = path
-			path = '.' }
+			path = '.:$ARGS' }
 		return this.store[name](
 			pwpath.relative(this.path, path), 
 			strict) } 
@@ -372,6 +372,7 @@ object.Constructor('BasePage', {
 	// 		-> path
 	// 		-> undefined
 	//
+	// XXX ARGS preserve args...
 	find: function(path='.', strict=false){
 		if(path === true || path === false){
 			strict = path
@@ -403,7 +404,7 @@ object.Constructor('BasePage', {
 		// 		we really have to...
 		path = path ?
 			pwpath.relative(this.path, path)
-			: this.path
+			: this.location
 		var paths = path.includes('*') 
 				// XXX ENERGETIC...
 				&& !(await this.energetic
@@ -844,7 +845,8 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 					key = key ?? 'included' }
 				var base = this.get(this.path.split(/\*/).shift())
 				var src = args.src
-					&& await base.parse(args.src, state)
+					//&& await base.parse(args.src, state)
+					&& this.resolvePathVars(await base.parse(args.src, state))
 				if(!src){
 					return }
 				var recursive = args.recursive ?? body
@@ -875,7 +877,8 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 						yield join }
 					first = false
 
-					var full = page.path
+					//var full = page.path
+					var full = page.location
 
 					// handle recursion...
 					var parent_seen = 'seen' in state
@@ -1266,7 +1269,7 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 
 	'!': Object.assign(
 		function(){
-			return this.get('.', {energetic: true}).raw },
+			return this.get('.:$ARGS', {energetic: true}).raw },
 		{energetic: true}),
 
 	// XXX DEBUG -- remove these...
@@ -1315,17 +1318,6 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 		state = state ?? {}
 		return this.__parser__.parse(this, text, state) },
 
-	// true if page has an array value but is not a pattern page...
-	//
-	// XXX the split into pattern and array pages feels a bit overcomplicated...
-	// 		...can we merge the two and simplify things???
-	// XXX EXPERIMENTAL
-	get isArray(){ return (async function(){
-		return !this.isPattern 
-			// NOTE: we can't only use .data here as it can be a function 
-			// 		that will return an array...
-			&& await this.raw instanceof Array }).call(this) },
-
 	// raw page text...
 	//
 	// NOTE: writing to .raw is the same as writing to .text...
@@ -1379,7 +1371,7 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 	// 		actions...
 	//
 	// XXX revise name...
-	asPages: async function*(path='.', strict=false, noexpandactions=false){
+	asPages: async function*(path='.:$ARGS', strict=false, noexpandactions=false){
 		// options...
 		var args = [...arguments]
 		var opts = typeof(args.at(-1)) == 'object' ?
@@ -1389,7 +1381,7 @@ object.Constructor('Page', BasePage, {
 			...opts,
 			path: typeof(args[0]) == 'string' ?
 				args.shift()
-				: '.',
+				: '.:$ARGS',
 			strict: args.shift() 
 				?? false,
 		}
diff --git a/pwiki/path.js b/pwiki/path.js
index fb5d376..23f42bc 100755
--- a/pwiki/path.js
+++ b/pwiki/path.js
@@ -315,7 +315,6 @@ module = {
 	splitArgs: function(path){
 		path = this.normalize(path, 'string')
 		var [path, ...args] = path.split(/(?<!\\):/g)
-
 		return {
 			path,
 			args: args.reduce(function(res, arg){
diff --git a/pwiki/store/base.js b/pwiki/store/base.js
index afc0e58..e325b17 100755
--- a/pwiki/store/base.js
+++ b/pwiki/store/base.js
@@ -241,7 +241,8 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 		/*/
 		path = pwpath.normalize(path, 'string')
 		//*/
-		return (await this.__exists__(path))
+		var {path, args} = pwpath.splitArgs(path)
+		var res = (await this.__exists__(path))
 			// NOTE: all paths at this point and in store are 
 			// 		absolute, so we check both with the leading 
 			// 		'/' and without it to make things a bit more 
@@ -266,10 +267,15 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 							: ('/'+ path)))) 
 					//*/
 			// normalize the output...
-			|| false },
+			|| false 
+		if(!res){
+			return false }
+		return pwpath.joinArgs(res, args) },
 	// find the closest existing alternative path...
 	// XXX CACHED....
 	find: async function(path, strict=false){
+		var {path, args} = pwpath.splitArgs(path)
+		args = pwpath.joinArgs('', args)
 		// build list of existing page candidates...
 		var names = await this.names()
 		var pages = new Set(
@@ -280,12 +286,12 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 		// select accessible candidate...
 		for(var p of pwpath.paths(path, !!strict)){
 			if(pages.has(p)){
-				return p }
+				return p+args }
 			p = p[0] == '/' ? 
 				p.slice(1) 
 				: '/'+p
 			if(pages.has(p)){
-				return p } } },
+				return p+args } } },
 	/*/
 	find: async function(path, strict=false){
 		for(var p of pwpath.paths(path, !!strict)){
@@ -317,12 +323,14 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 		if(path.includes('*') 
 				|| path.includes('**')){
 			var order = (this.metadata(path) ?? {}).order || []
+			var {path, args} = pwpath.splitArgs(path)
+			args = pwpath.joinArgs('', args)
 			// NOTE: we are matching full paths only here so leading and 
 			// 		trainling '/' are optional...
 			// NOTE: we ensure that we match full names and always split 
 			// 		at '/' only...
 			var pattern = new RegExp(`^\\/?${
-					pwpath.normalize(path, 'string')
+					path
 						.replace(/^\/|\/$/g, '')
 						.replace(/\//g, '\\/')
 						.replace(/\*\*/g, '.*')
@@ -353,7 +361,9 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 									m[0].slice(1) 
 									: m[0])
 						return res }, new Set())]
-			   .sortAs(order) }
+				.sortAs(order)
+				.map(function(p){
+					return p+args })}
 		// direct search...
 		return this.find(path, strict) },
 	//
@@ -378,8 +388,9 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 		// pattern match * / **
 		if(path.includes('*') 
 				|| path.includes('**')){
-			path = pwpath.split(path)
-			var p = path.slice()
+			var p = pwpath.splitArgs(path)
+			var args = pwpath.joinArgs('', p.args)
+			p = pwpath.split(p.path)
 			var tail = []
 			while(!p.at(-1).includes('*')){
 				tail.unshift(p.pop()) }
@@ -387,7 +398,7 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 			if(tail.length > 0){
 				return (await this.match(p.join('/'), strict))
 					.map(function(p){
-						return pwpath.join(p, tail) }) } }
+						return pwpath.join(p, tail) + args }) } }
 		// direct...
 		return this.match(path, strict) },
 	// 
@@ -419,6 +430,7 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 		// XXX SANITIZE...
 		path = pwpath.sanitize(path, 'string')
 		//*/
+		var path = pwpath.splitArgs(path).path
 		path = path.includes('*') 
 			&& (energetic == true ?
 				await this.find(path)
@@ -461,6 +473,7 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 	// NOTE: setting/removing metadata is done via .update(..) / .delete(..)
 	// NOTE: this uses .__get__(..) internally...
 	metadata: async function(path, ...args){
+		path = pwpath.splitArgs(path).path
 		// set...
 		if(args.length > 0){
 			return this.update(path, ...args) }
@@ -491,6 +504,7 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 			/*/
 			|| pwpath.normalize(path, 'string')
 			//*/
+		path = pwpath.splitArgs(path).path
 		data = data instanceof Promise ?
 			await data
 			: data
@@ -517,6 +531,7 @@ module.BaseStore = {
 		// read-only...
 		if(this.__delete__ == null){
 			return this }
+		path = pwpath.splitArgs(path).path
 		path = await this.exists(path)
 		if(path){
 			await this.__delete__(path)
diff --git a/pwiki2.js b/pwiki2.js
index 32b4c1e..85c744e 100755
--- a/pwiki2.js
+++ b/pwiki2.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 * 		examples:
 * 			// NOTE: .text is redered via _view and thus is on a different
 *			//		level to .raw...
+* 			// XXX should renderer.args be the same in .text and .parse(..)???
 *			// XXX for .text and .parse(..), the action is called twice...
 * 			// root path: /System/testAction:a:b:c
 * 			await pwiki.get('/path/testDirect:x:y:z').raw
@@ -29,28 +30,23 @@
 * 				.args			- x y z 
 * 				.renderer.args	- a b c
 * 				.root.args		- a b c
-* 			await pwiki.get('/path/testDirect:x:y:z').parse('@include(.)') 
-* 				.args			- empty
+* 			await pwiki.get('/path/testDirect:x:y:z').parse('@include(.:$ARGS)') 
+* 				.args			- x y z
 * 				.renderer.args	- a b c
 * 				.root.args		- a b c
-* 				XXX losing args on this path...
 * 				XXX triggered twice...
-* 			await pwiki.get('/path/testAction:x:y:z').parse('@include(.)') 
-* 				.args			- empty
+* 			await pwiki.get('/path/testAction:x:y:z').parse('@include(.:$ARGS)') 
+* 				.args			- x y z
 * 				.renderer.args	- a b c
 * 				.root.args		- a b c
-* 				XXX losing args on this path...
 * 				XXX triggered twice...
-* 			XXX .text uses .parse(..) internally...
 * 			await pwiki.get('/path/testDirect:x:y:z').text
-* 				.args			- empty
+* 				.args			- x y z
 * 				.renderer.args	- x y z
 * 				.root.args		- a b c
-* 				XXX args should be local...
-* 					... @include(.:$ARGS) not working???
 * 				XXX triggered twice...
 * 			await pwiki.get('/path/testAction:x:y:z').text 
-* 				.args			- empty
+* 				.args			- x y z
 * 				.renderer.args	- x y z
 * 				.root.args		- a b c
 * 				XXX triggered twice...