diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/AsmGen.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/AsmGen.kt
index c416e07ce..162ea47fe 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/AsmGen.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/AsmGen.kt
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import prog8.compiler.target.c64.codegen.assignment.TargetStorageKind
 import prog8.compiler.target.generatedLabelPrefix
 import prog8.functions.BuiltinFunctions
 import prog8.functions.FSignature
+import java.io.CharConversionException
 import java.nio.file.Path
 import java.time.LocalDate
 import java.time.LocalDateTime
@@ -231,8 +232,12 @@ internal class AsmGen(private val program: Program,
     }
 
     private fun encode(str: String, altEncoding: Boolean): List<Short> {
-         val bytes = if(altEncoding) Petscii.encodeScreencode(str, true) else Petscii.encodePetscii(str, true)
-         return bytes.plus(0)
+        try {
+            val bytes = if (altEncoding) Petscii.encodeScreencode(str, true) else Petscii.encodePetscii(str, true)
+            return bytes.plus(0)
+        } catch(x: CharConversionException) {
+            throw AssemblyError("There was a problem converting a string to the target machine's char encoding: ${x.message}")
+        }
     }
 
     private fun zeropagevars2asm(statements: List<Statement>) {
diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/assignment/AssignmentAsmGen.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/assignment/AssignmentAsmGen.kt
index ec7014cdc..d202956f0 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/assignment/AssignmentAsmGen.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/assignment/AssignmentAsmGen.kt
@@ -132,7 +132,24 @@ internal class AssignmentAsmGen(private val program: Program, private val asmgen
                                 asmgen.translateFunctionCall(value, preserveStatusRegisterAfterCall)
                                 val returnValue = sub.returntypes.zip(sub.asmReturnvaluesRegisters).single { it.second.registerOrPair!=null }
                                 if(returnValue.first==DataType.STR) {
-                                    TODO("assignment of string => copy string  ${assign.position}")
+                                    when(assign.target.datatype) {
+                                        DataType.UWORD -> {
+                                            // assign the address of the string result value
+                                            assignRegisterpairWord(assign.target, RegisterOrPair.AY)
+                                        }
+                                        DataType.STR, DataType.ARRAY_UB, DataType.ARRAY_B -> {
+                                            // copy the actual string result into the target string variable
+                                            asmgen.out("""
+                                                pha
+                                                lda  #<${assign.target.asmVarname}
+                                                sta  P8ZP_SCRATCH_W1
+                                                lda  #>${assign.target.asmVarname}
+                                                sta  P8ZP_SCRATCH_W1+1
+                                                pla
+                                                jsr  prog8_lib.strcpy""")
+                                        }
+                                        else -> throw AssemblyError("weird target dt")
+                                    }
                                 } else {
                                     when (returnValue.second.registerOrPair) {
                                         RegisterOrPair.A -> assignRegisterByte(assign.target, CpuRegister.A)
@@ -156,7 +173,7 @@ internal class AssignmentAsmGen(private val program: Program, private val asmgen
                                 when(returntype.typeOrElse(DataType.STRUCT)) {
                                     in ByteDatatypes -> assignRegisterByte(assign.target, CpuRegister.A)            // function's byte result is in A
                                     in WordDatatypes -> assignRegisterpairWord(assign.target, RegisterOrPair.AY)    // function's word result is in AY
-                                    DataType.STR -> TODO("assign string => copy string")
+                                    DataType.STR -> TODO("assign string => copy string or assign string address")
                                     DataType.FLOAT -> TODO("assign float result from ${sub.name}")
                                     else -> throw AssemblyError("weird result type")
                                 }
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index a7948b7ab..32c0d0999 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -7,73 +7,26 @@
 ; Note: this program is compatible with C64 and CX16.
 
 main {
-    sub start() {
-
-        uword ss
-
-        ss = %1000000110101010
-        ss <<= 8
-        txt.print_uwbin(ss, 1)
-        txt.chrout('\n')
-
-        ss = %1000000110101111
-        ss <<= 9
-        txt.print_uwbin(ss, 1)
-        txt.chrout('\n')
-
-        ss = %1000000110101111
-        ss <<= 14
-        txt.print_uwbin(ss, 1)
-        txt.chrout('\n')
-
-        ss = %1000000110101111
-        ss <<= 15
-        txt.print_uwbin(ss, 1)
-        txt.chrout('\n')
-
-        ss = %1000000110101111
-        ss <<= 16
-        txt.print_uwbin(ss, 1)
-        txt.chrout('\n')
-
-        ss = %1000000110101010
-        ss <<= 17
-        txt.print_uwbin(ss, 1)
-        txt.chrout('\n')
-
-        main22.testX()
-    }
-}
-
-main22 {
 
     sub start() {
-        ubyte char
-        uword ssss
-        float fl
+        str string1 = "abcdef"
+        str string2 = "%=&"
+        uword sa
 
-        ;char = 1+(lsb(ssss) * 2)
-        ;fl = 2.0*(abs(fl) + 1.0)
-
-        char = abs(char)
-        char = lsb(ssss)
-        char++
-        char = msb(ssss)
-        char++
-        char = c64.CHRIN()
-
-        txt.print_ub(char)
+        txt.print(string1)
         txt.chrout('\n')
-
-        char = chrin()
-
-        txt.print_ub(char)
+        string1=string2
+        txt.print(string1)
         txt.chrout('\n')
 
         void getstr()
-        ; TODO string assign ssss = getstr()
 
-        txt.print_uwhex(ssss, true)
+        sa = getstr()
+        txt.print_uwhex(sa, true)
+        txt.chrout('\n')
+
+        string1 = getstr()
+        txt.print(string1)
         txt.chrout('\n')
 
 ;        fl = getfloat()
@@ -82,7 +35,6 @@ main22 {
 ;        txt.chrout('\n')
 
         testX()
-        ;char=strlen(ssss)
     }
 
     sub chrin() -> ubyte {
@@ -91,7 +43,7 @@ main22 {
 
     sub getstr() -> str {
         @($d020)++
-        return "foo"
+        return "foobar"
     }
 
 ;    sub getfloat() -> float {