diff --git a/assembler-8608.lua b/assembler-8608.lua
index 4810897..a73b239 100644
--- a/assembler-8608.lua
+++ b/assembler-8608.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 
 local arch8608 = require("rom-8608-defs")
 
+local aliases = {
+	-- todo
+}
+
 local function trim(s) return s:gsub("^ +", ""):gsub(" +$", "").."" end
 local function validWordsFromInstrs(instrs)
 	local words = {}
@@ -18,7 +22,7 @@ local function decodeNumber(n)
 	elseif n:sub(1, 2)=="0x"  then return sign*(tonumber(n:sub(3, #n  ), 16) or error("invalid number "..n)), math.ceil((#n-2)/2)
 	elseif n:sub(#n, #n)=="h" then return sign*(tonumber(n:sub(1, #n-1), 16) or error("invalid number "..n)), math.ceil((#n-1)/2)
 	else
-		local v = tonumber(n) or error("invalid number "..n)
+		local v = sign*(tonumber(n) or error("invalid number "..n))
 		if v>=-128 and v<=255 then return v, 1
 		elseif v>=-32768 and v<=65535 then return v, 2
 		else error("out-of-range number "..v) end
@@ -28,6 +32,7 @@ local function mnemFromLine(line, instrs, validWords)
 	local firstWord = line:match("^[^ ]+")
 	local imms = {}
 	local function addNum(n)
+		n = trim(n)
 		local val, len = decodeNumber(n)
 		table.insert(imms, { val = val, len = len } )
 		return " imm"..(len*8).." "
@@ -42,7 +47,8 @@ local function mnemFromLine(line, instrs, validWords)
 	end
 	
 	local mnem = " "..line:gsub(" ", "  ").." "
-	mnem = mnem:gsub("([%*%+%-])", " %1 ")
+	mnem = mnem:gsub("%- *", " %+%-")
+	mnem = mnem:gsub("([%*%+])", " %1 ")
 	mnem = mnem:gsub(" %-?%$[0-9a-fA-F]+ "       , function(n)                                 return addNum  (n)     end)
 	mnem = mnem:gsub(" %-?0x[0-9a-fA-F]+ "       , function(n)                                 return addNum  (n)     end)
 	mnem = mnem:gsub(" %-?[0-9a-fA-F]+h "        , function(n) if not validWords[trim(n)] then return addNum  (n) end end)
@@ -309,7 +315,6 @@ local function fixFilename(fn)
 	return fn
 end
 local function includeFile(fn)
-	fn = fn:gsub("\\", "/")
 	local code = readFile(fn)
 	code = prefixCode(code, fn)
 	local fnf = fixFilename(fn)
@@ -487,4 +492,4 @@ ts.eval [[
 	function AssembleFile(%fn, %romsize, %offset, %len) { luacall("AssembleFile", %fn, %romsize, %offset, %len); }
 ]]
 
-if arg then AssembleFile(arg[1] or "../8608programs/redos.asm", "16 16 8", "0", "256") end
+if arg then AssembleFile(arg[1] or "../8608programs/test.asm", "16 16 8", "0", "256") end