Index: cli.lua
==================================================================
--- cli.lua
+++ cli.lua
@@ -224,12 +224,19 @@
 	end
 
 	return main(input, outp, log, mode, suggestions, vars, extrule)
 end
 
--- local ok, e = pcall(entry_cli)
-local ok, e = true, entry_cli()
+local ok, e = xpcall(entry_cli, function(e)
+	if not ss.exn.is(e) then
+		e = ss.bug('lua vm error: %s', e)
+	end
+	e.trace = debug.traceback(nil, nil, 1)
+	log:write(e.trace .. '\n')
+	return e
+end)
+-- local ok, e = true, entry_cli()
 if not ok then
 	local str = 'translation failure'
 	if ss.exn.is(e) then
 		str = e.kind.desc
 	end
@@ -252,8 +259,11 @@
 	end
 	if color then
 		str = string.format('\27[1;31m%s\27[m', str)
 	end
 	log:write(string.format('%s: %s\n', str, e))
+	if ss._debug and ss.exn.is(e) and e.trace then
+		log:write(e.trace)
+	end
 	os.exit(1)
 end
 os.exit(e)

Index: cortav.lua
==================================================================
--- cortav.lua
+++ cortav.lua
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 -- [ʞ] cortav.lua
 --  ~ lexi hale <lexi@hale.su>
 --  © EUPL v1.2
 --  ? reference implementation of the cortav document language
+--  \ from Ranuir "written document"
 --
 --  ! TODO refactor encoding logic. it's a complete
 --         mess and i seem to have repeatedly gotten
 --         confused about how it's supposed to work.
 --         the whole shitshow needs to be replaced
@@ -118,11 +119,11 @@
 			new.generation = 1
 		end
 	end;
 	fns = {
 		fail = function(self, msg, ...)
-			--error(string.format(msg,...))
+			-- error(string.format(msg,...))
 			ct.exns.tx(msg, self.src.file, self.line or 0, ...):throw()
 		end;
 		insert = function(self, block)
 			block.origin = self:clone()
 			table.insert(self.sec.blocks,block)
@@ -360,11 +361,11 @@
 			return self.docjob:fork(name, pred, ...)
 		end;
 		sub = function(self, ctx)
 			-- convenience function for single-inheritance structure
 			-- sets up a doc/ctx pair for a subdocument embedded in the source
-			-- of a gretaer document, pointing subdoc props to global tables/values
+			-- of a greater document, pointing subdoc props to global tables/values
 			local newdoc = ct.doc.mk(self)
 			newdoc.meta = self.meta
 			newdoc.ext = self.ext
 			newdoc.enc = self.enc
 			newdoc.stage = self.stage

Index: makefile
==================================================================
--- makefile
+++ makefile
@@ -87,11 +87,11 @@
 
 # raw bytecode without shebang header, must be run as `lua cortav.lc`
 $(build)/$(executable).lc: sirsem.lua $(encoding-files) cortav.lua $(rendrs) $(extens) cli.lua | $(build)/
 	@echo ' » building with extensions $(extens-names)'
 	@echo ' » building with renderers $(rendrs-names)'
-	$(call comp-lua,$^,$@)
+	$(if $(debug),echo "require'sirsem'._debug=1" | $(call comp-lua,sirsem.lua - $(filter-out sirsem.lua,$^),$@),$(call comp-lua,$^,$@))
 
 # true standalone binary, wraps bytecode file and (optionally) lua
 $(build)/$(executable).bin: $(build)/$(executable).lc tool/makeshim.lua $(binds)
 	$(lua) tool/makeshim.lua $< "" $(binds-names) |\
 		$(CC) -s -o$@ -xc - -xnone $(binds) $(lua-standalone) $(lua-bindeps)
@@ -106,17 +106,21 @@
 .PHONY: syncdoc
 syncdoc: $(build)/cortav.html
 	fossil uv add $< --as cortav.html
 	fossil uv sync --all
 
-# clean is written in overly cautious fashion to minimize damage,
-# just in case it ever gets invoked in a bad way (e.g. build=/)
+# clean and wipe are written in overly cautious fashion to minimize damage,
+# just in case they ever get invoked in a bad way (e.g. build=/)
 .PHONY: clean
 clean:
-	rm -f $(build)/*.{html,lc,sh,txt,desktop} \
-	      $(build)/$(executable){,.bin} \
-	      $(build)/bind
+	rm -f $(build)/*.{html,lc,sh,desktop} \
+	      $(build)/$(executable){,.bin}
+	rm -r $(build)/bind
+# wipe also kills external datasheets
+.PHONY: wipe
+wipe: clean
+	rm -f $(build)/*.txt
 	rmdir $(build)
 
 $(build)/%.sh: desk/%.sh | $(build)/
 	echo >$@ "#!$(sh)"
 	echo >>$@ 'cortav_exec="$(bin-prefix)/$(executable)"'

Index: render/html.lua
==================================================================
--- render/html.lua
+++ render/html.lua
@@ -739,13 +739,15 @@
 
 		function span_renderers.deref(t,b,s)
 			local r = b.origin:ref(t.ref)
 			local name = t.ref
 			if name:find'%.' then name = name:match '^[^.]*%.(.+)$' end
+
 			if type(r) == 'string' then
 				addStyle 'abbr'
-				return tag('abbr',{title=r},next(t.spans) and htmlSpan(t.spans,b,s) or name)
+				r = ct.parse_span(r, b.origin)
+				return tag('abbr',{title=htmlentities(plainrdr.htmlSpan(r))}, next(t.spans) and htmlSpan(t.spans,b,s) or name)
 			end
 			if r.kind == 'resource' then
 				local rid = getSafeID(r, 'res-')
 				if r.class == 'image' then
 					if not cssRulesFor[r] then

Index: sirsem.lua
==================================================================
--- sirsem.lua
+++ sirsem.lua

Index: tool/makeshim.lua
==================================================================
--- tool/makeshim.lua
+++ tool/makeshim.lua