diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1a74e07e7b..9e89f66b2d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Installing V: [github.com/vlang/v#installing-v-from-source](https://github.com/v
 - Built-in ORM
 - C and JavaScript backends
 
-A stable 0.2 release is planned for February 2020. Right now V is in an alpha stage.
+A stable 0.2 release is planned for March 2020. Right now V is in an alpha stage.
 
 ## Installing V from source
 
diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
index 0140dadc10..c9ef539eb8 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ pub type Expr = InfixExpr | IfExpr | StringLiteral | IntegerLiteral | CharLitera
 FloatLiteral | Ident | CallExpr | BoolLiteral | StructInit | ArrayInit | SelectorExpr | PostfixExpr | 	
 AssignExpr | PrefixExpr | MethodCallExpr | IndexExpr | RangeExpr | MatchExpr | 	
 CastExpr | EnumVal | Assoc | SizeOf | None | MapInit | IfGuardExpr | ParExpr | OrExpr | 	
-ConcatExpr | TypeName
+ConcatExpr | TypeName | AsCast
 
 pub type Stmt = VarDecl | GlobalDecl | FnDecl | Return | Module | Import | ExprStmt | 	
 ForStmt | StructDecl | ForCStmt | ForInStmt | CompIf | ConstDecl | Attr | BranchStmt | 	
@@ -408,6 +408,11 @@ pub:
 	pos   token.Position
 }
 
+pub struct AsCast {
+pub:
+	typ table.Type
+}
+
 // e.g. `[unsafe_fn]`
 pub struct Attr {
 pub:
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index 6683423dfc..e08ea8491f 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -480,6 +480,9 @@ pub fn (c mut Checker) expr(node ast.Expr) table.Type {
 		ast.ArrayInit {
 			return c.array_init(mut it)
 		}
+		ast.AsCast {
+			return it.typ
+		}
 		ast.AssignExpr {
 			c.check_assign_expr(it)
 		}
@@ -769,7 +772,7 @@ pub fn (c mut Checker) index_expr(node ast.IndexExpr) table.Type {
 		index_type_sym := c.table.get_type_symbol(index_type)
 		// println('index expr left=$typ_sym.name $node.pos.line_nr')
 		if typ_sym.kind == .array && (!(table.type_idx(index_type) in table.number_idxs) && index_type_sym.kind != .enum_) {
-			c.error('non-integer index (type `$typ_sym.name`)', node.pos)
+			c.error('non-integer index `$index_type_sym.name` (array type `$typ_sym.name`)', node.pos)
 		}
 		else if typ_sym.kind == .map && table.type_idx(index_type) != table.string_type_idx {
 			c.error('non-string map index (type `$typ_sym.name`)', node.pos)
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
index b9d5cab290..5221083087 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
@@ -262,6 +262,9 @@ fn (g mut Gen) expr(node ast.Expr) {
 		ast.BoolLiteral {
 			g.write(it.val.str())
 		}
+		ast.CharLiteral {
+			g.write("'$it.val'")
+		}
 		ast.EnumVal {
 			g.write('${it.enum_name}_$it.val')
 		}
@@ -404,7 +407,7 @@ fn (g mut Gen) expr(node ast.Expr) {
 			}
 		}
 		else {
-			println(term.red('cgen.expr(): bad node'))
+			verror(term.red('cgen.expr(): bad node ' + typeof(node)))
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
index 4f7f909998..f3b19b95dd 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ pub fn parse_stmt(text string, table &table.Table, scope &ast.Scope) ast.Stmt {
 		pref: &pref.Preferences{}
 		scope: scope
 		// scope: &ast.Scope{start_pos: 0, parent: 0}
-		
+
 	}
 	p.init_parse_fns()
 	p.read_first_token()
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ pub fn parse_file(path string, table &table.Table, comments_mode scanner.Comment
 			parent: 0
 		}
 		// comments_mode: comments_mode
-		
+
 	}
 	p.read_first_token()
 	// p.scope = &ast.Scope{start_pos: p.tok.position(), parent: 0}
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ pub fn (p mut Parser) stmt() ast.Stmt {
 			return ast.ExprStmt{
 				expr: expr
 				// typ: typ
-				
+
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ pub fn (p mut Parser) name_expr() ast.Expr {
 		p.expr_mod = ''
 		return ast.EnumVal{
 			enum_name: enum_name // lp.prepend_mod(enum_name)
-			
+
 			val: val
 			pos: p.tok.position()
 		}
@@ -825,6 +825,9 @@ pub fn (p mut Parser) expr(precedence int) (ast.Expr,table.Type) {
 		else if p.tok.kind == .key_as {
 			p.next()
 			typ = p.parse_type()
+			node = ast.AsCast {
+				typ: typ
+			}
 		}
 		else if p.tok.kind.is_infix() {
 			node,typ = p.infix_expr(node)
@@ -1220,11 +1223,11 @@ fn (p mut Parser) if_expr() ast.Expr {
 		stmts: stmts
 		else_stmts: else_stmts
 		// typ: typ
-		
+
 		pos: pos
 		has_else: has_else
 		// left: left
-		
+
 	}
 	return node
 }
@@ -1650,12 +1653,12 @@ fn (p mut Parser) var_decl_and_assign_stmt() ast.Stmt {
 		return ast.VarDecl{
 			name: ident.name
 			// name2: name2
-			
+
 			expr: expr // p.expr(token.lowest_prec)
-			
+
 			is_mut: info0.is_mut
 			// typ: typ
-			
+
 			pos: p.tok.position()
 		}
 		// return p.var_decl(ident[0], exprs[0])
@@ -1798,7 +1801,7 @@ fn (p mut Parser) match_expr() ast.Expr {
 		blocks: blocks
 		match_exprs: match_exprs
 		// typ: typ
-		
+
 		cond: cond
 	}
 	return node
diff --git a/vlib/v/table/types.v b/vlib/v/table/types.v
index c706e4bb97..6433904503 100644
--- a/vlib/v/table/types.v
+++ b/vlib/v/table/types.v
@@ -118,9 +118,8 @@ pub fn new_type_ptr(idx int, nr_muls int) Type {
 }
 
 pub const (
-	number_idxs = [int_type_idx, byte_type_idx, u32_type_idx, u64_type_idx]
+	number_idxs = [int_type_idx, byte_type_idx, u16_type_idx, i16_type_idx, i64_type_idx, u32_type_idx, u64_type_idx]
 )
-
 /*
 pub fn is_number(typ Type) bool {
 	typ_sym := c.table.get_type_symbol(typ)