diff --git a/builtin/string.v b/builtin/string.v
index 9c656ad783..36be510b3e 100644
--- a/builtin/string.v
+++ b/builtin/string.v
@@ -54,10 +54,6 @@ fn tos2(s byteptr) string {
 	return res
 }
 
-fn tos_no_len(s byteptr) string {
-	return tos2(s)
-}
-
 fn (a string) clone() string {
 	mut b := string {
 		len: a.len
diff --git a/compiler/fn.v b/compiler/fn.v
index 4899a1f02e..c9be766c69 100644
--- a/compiler/fn.v
+++ b/compiler/fn.v
@@ -160,7 +160,6 @@ fn (p mut Parser) fn_decl() {
 	}
 	if p.tok == PLUS || p.tok == MINUS || p.tok == MUL {
 		f.name = p.tok.str()
-		println('!!! $f.name')
 		p.next()
 	}
 	else {
diff --git a/compiler/parser.v b/compiler/parser.v
index c4c0ea7973..d9501773f0 100644
--- a/compiler/parser.v
+++ b/compiler/parser.v
@@ -1274,16 +1274,13 @@ fn (p mut Parser) name_expr() string {
 	if p.table.known_type(name) {
 		// float(5), byte(0), (*int)(ptr) etc
 		if p.peek() == LPAR || (deref && p.peek() == RPAR) {
-			// println('CASTT $name')
 			if deref {
-				// p.check(RPAR)
-				// p.next()
 				name += '*'
 			}
 			else if ptr {
 				name += '*'
 			}
-			p.gen('(/*casttt*/')
+			p.gen('(')
 			mut typ := p.cast(name)
 			p.gen(')')
 			for p.tok == DOT {
@@ -2470,27 +2467,29 @@ fn (p mut Parser) struct_init(is_c_struct_init bool) string {
 // `f32(3)`
 // tok is `f32` or `)` if `(*int)(ptr)`
 fn (p mut Parser) cast(typ string) string {
-	// typ := p.lit
-	if p.file_path.contains('test') {
-		println('CAST TYP=$typ tok=')
-		p.print_tok()
-	}
-	p.gen('($typ)(')
-	// p.fgen(typ)
 	p.next()
+	pos := p.cgen.add_placeholder()
 	if p.tok == RPAR {
 		// skip `)` if it's `(*int)(ptr)`, not `int(a)`
 		p.ptr_cast = true
 		p.next()
 	}
 	p.check(LPAR)
-	p.gen('/*77*/')
 	expr_typ := p.bool_expression()
 	p.check(RPAR)
-	p.gen(')')
-	if typ == 'string' && expr_typ == 'int' {
-		p.error('cannot convert `$expr_typ` to `$typ`')
+	// `string(buffer)` => `tos2(buffer)`
+	if typ == 'string' && (expr_typ == 'byte*' || expr_typ == 'byteptr') {
+		p.cgen.set_placeholder(pos, 'tos2(')
 	}
+	// `string(234)` => error
+	else if typ == 'string' && expr_typ == 'int' {
+		p.error('cannot cast `$expr_typ` to `$typ`, use `str()` method instead')
+	} 
+	else {
+		p.cgen.set_placeholder(pos, '($typ)(')
+		// p.fgen(typ)
+	}
+	p.gen(')')
 	return typ
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/VCasino/VCasino.v b/examples/VCasino/VCasino.v
index a147155cd3..da924282a2 100644
--- a/examples/VCasino/VCasino.v
+++ b/examples/VCasino/VCasino.v
@@ -144,4 +144,4 @@ fn main() {
         }
     }
     game_loop()
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/examples/log.v b/examples/log.v
index 57167968b5..e49b251021 100644
--- a/examples/log.v
+++ b/examples/log.v
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@ fn main(){
     l.set_level(log.DEBUG)
     l.debug('debug')
     l.fatal('fatal')
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/gl/gl.v b/gl/gl.v
index 454c8f3d8b..1280468781 100644
--- a/gl/gl.v
+++ b/gl/gl.v
@@ -86,14 +86,14 @@ pub fn shader_info_log(shader int) string {
 	# char infoLog[512];
 	# glGetShaderInfoLog(shader, 512, NULL, infoLog);
 	# printf("log=%s\n", infoLog);
-	# return tos_no_len(infoLog);
+	# return tos2(infoLog);
 	return ''
 }
 
 pub fn get_program_info_log(program int) string {
 	# char infoLog[512];
 	# glGetProgramInfoLog(program, 1024, NULL, infoLog);
-	# return tos_no_len(infoLog);
+	# return tos2(infoLog);
 	return ''
 }
 
diff --git a/glfw/glfw.v b/glfw/glfw.v
index 74cc27940a..bd4e13ccfe 100644
--- a/glfw/glfw.v
+++ b/glfw/glfw.v
@@ -255,10 +255,7 @@ pub fn key_pressed(wnd voidptr, key int) bool {
 
 // TODO not mut
 pub fn (w mut Window) get_clipboard_text() string {
-	return tos2(C.glfwGetClipboardString(w.data))
-	// # char *c = glfwGetClipboardString(w->data);
-	// # return tos_no_len(c);
-	// return ''
+	return string(byteptr(C.glfwGetClipboardString(w.data)))
 }
 
 pub fn (w &Window) set_clipboard_text(s string) {
diff --git a/http/http_mac.v b/http/http_mac.v
index a5702370ff..1dd3a5aa38 100644
--- a/http/http_mac.v
+++ b/http/http_mac.v
@@ -64,11 +64,11 @@ fn write_fn(contents byteptr, size, nmemb int, _mem *MemoryStruct) int {
 		}
 		contents += start + 1
 		// printf("GOOD CONTEnTS=%s\n", contents);
-		s := tos_no_len(contents)
+		s := string(contents)
 		// mem.ws_func('kek', 0)
 		# mem->ws_func(s, mem->user_ptr);
 	}
-	mut c := tos_no_len(contents)
+	mut c := string(contents)
 	c = c.trim_space()
 	// Need to clone because libcurl reuses this memory
 	mem.strings << c.clone()
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ fn (req &Request) do() Response {
 		err := C.curl_easy_strerror(res)
 		println('curl_easy_perform() failed: $err')
 	}
-	body := chunk.strings.join('')// tos_no_len(chunk.memory)
+	body := chunk.strings.join('')// string(chunk.memory)
 	// chunk.strings.free()
 	// resp.headers = hchunk.strings
 	if hchunk.strings.len == 0 {
@@ -192,11 +192,11 @@ fn (req &Request) do() Response {
 }
 
 fn unescape(s string) string {
-	return tos2(C.curl_unescape(s.cstr(), s.len))
+	return string(byteptr(C.curl_unescape(s.cstr(), s.len)))
 }
 
 fn escape(s string) string {
-	return tos2(C.curl_escape(s.cstr(), s.len))
+	return string(byteptr(C.curl_escape(s.cstr(), s.len)))
 }
 
 // ////////////////
diff --git a/http/http_win.v b/http/http_win.v
index eae052ce65..7b6b0e6823 100644
--- a/http/http_win.v
+++ b/http/http_win.v
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ fn (req &Request) do() Response {
 		println('ireadfile()')
 		buf[nr_read] = 0
 		C.printf('buf="%s"\n', buf)
-		s += tos2(buf)// TODO perf
+		s += string(buf)// TODO perf
 		nr_read = 0
 	}
 	C.InternetCloseHandle(request)
diff --git a/log/log.v b/log/log.v
index c4333b0d28..5858ca8597 100644
--- a/log/log.v
+++ b/log/log.v
@@ -50,4 +50,4 @@ pub fn (l Log) debug(s string){
         f := termcolor.blue('D')
         println('[$f]$s')
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/os/os.v b/os/os.v
index 241b2fe6aa..af367f2b44 100644
--- a/os/os.v
+++ b/os/os.v
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ import const (
 )
 
 fn C.getline(voidptr, voidptr, voidptr) int
-
 fn C.ftell(fp voidptr) int
+fn C.getenv(byteptr) byteptr
 
 fn todo_remove(){}
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ fn init_os_args(argc int, _argv *byteptr) []string {
 }
 
 fn parse_windows_cmd_line(cmd byteptr) []string {
-	s := tos2(cmd)
+	s := string(cmd)
 	return s.split(' ')
 }
 
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ pub fn getenv(key string) string {
 	if isnil(s) {
 		return ''
 	}
-	return tos2(s)
+	return string(s)
 }
 
 // `file_exists` returns true if `path` exists.
@@ -473,4 +473,4 @@ fn on_segfault(f voidptr) {
 		# sa.sa_flags   = SA_SIGINFO;
 		# sigaction(SIGSEGV, &sa, 0);
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}