diff --git a/inc/expander.h b/inc/expander.h
index 4d22de6..b926783 100644
--- a/inc/expander.h
+++ b/inc/expander.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 /*   By: qmennen <qmennen@student.codam.nl>         +#+  +:+       +#+        */
 /*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
 /*   Created: 2025/02/18 19:00:51 by qmennen           #+#    #+#             */
-/*   Updated: 2025/02/18 19:05:14 by qmennen          ###   ########.fr       */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/18 20:40:04 by qmennen          ###   ########.fr       */
 /*                                                                            */
 /* ************************************************************************** */
 
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 
 #include "minishell.h"
 
+
+size_t	expander_count_vars(const char *s);
 char	*expander_parse_string(char *s, t_minishell *minishell);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/expander/expander.c b/src/expander/expander.c
index bf8a6eb..8307e2c 100644
--- a/src/expander/expander.c
+++ b/src/expander/expander.c
@@ -6,89 +6,58 @@
 /*   By: qmennen <qmennen@student.codam.nl>         +#+  +:+       +#+        */
 /*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
 /*   Created: 2025/02/18 19:00:35 by qmennen           #+#    #+#             */
-/*   Updated: 2025/02/18 20:31:36 by qmennen          ###   ########.fr       */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/18 21:04:00 by qmennen          ###   ########.fr       */
 /*                                                                            */
 /* ************************************************************************** */
 
+#include "environment.h"
+#include "libft.h"
 #include "minishell.h"
-#include <stdio.h>
+#include "typedef.h"
 
-static size_t	len_prefix(const char *s)
+static size_t	len_var_name(const char *s, int idx)
 {
 	size_t	i;
 
 	i = 0;
-	while (s[i] != '$' && s[i])
+	while (s[idx + i] && ft_isalpha(s[idx + i]))
 		i++;
 	return (i);
 }
 
-static size_t	len_var_name(const char *s)
+t_environment	*get_var(const char *s, int idx, t_minishell *minishell)
 {
-	size_t	start;
-	size_t	i;
+	int				i;
+	t_environment	*env;
+	char			*name;
 
-	start = len_prefix(s);
-	if (start == ft_strlen(s))
-		return (0);
-	start++;
 	i = 0;
-	while (s[start + i] && !ft_isspace(s[start + i]))
+	while (s[idx + i] && ft_isalpha(s[idx + i]))
 		i++;
-	return (i);
-}
-
-static char	*get_env_value(char *s)
-{
-	int		start;
-
-	start = 0;
-	while (s[start] != '$' && s[start])
-		start++;
-	if (s[start] != '$' || !s[start + 1])
-		return (NULL);
-	start++;
-	return ft_substr(s, start, len_var_name(s));
-}
-
-static char	*expand_string(char *s, t_environment *env)
-{
-	char	*s1;
-	char	*s2;
-	char	*s3;
-	char	*final_str;
-
-	final_str = ft_calloc(1, ft_strlen(env->value) + ft_strlen(s) - len_var_name(s));
-	if (!final_str)
-	{
-		perror("malloc");
-		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-	}
-	s1 = ft_substr(s, 0, len_prefix(s));
-	s2 = ft_strdup(env->value);
-	s3 = ft_substr(s, len_prefix(s) + 1 + len_var_name(s),len_prefix(s) + len_var_name(s) - ft_strlen(s));
-	if (!s1 || !s2 || !s3)
-		perror("expand");
-	return (ft_strjoin(ft_strjoin(s1, s2), s3));
+	name = ft_substr(s, idx, i);
+	if (!name)
+		perror("name");
+	env = environment_get(minishell->environment, name);
+	free(name);
+	return (env);
 }
 
 char	*expander_parse_string(char *s, t_minishell *minishell)
 {
-	size_t			l1;
-	char			*result;
-	char			*name;
+	int				i;
 	t_environment	*env;
+	t_list			*var_list;
 
-	l1 = len_prefix(s);
-	if (l1 == ft_strlen(s))
-		return (ft_strdup(s));
-	name = get_env_value(s);
-	if (!name)
-		return (ft_strdup(""));
-	env = environment_get(minishell->environment, name);
-	if (!env)
-		return (ft_strdup(""));
-	result = expand_string(s, env);
-	free(name);
-	return (result);
+	i = 0;
+	while (s[i])
+	{
+		if (s[i] == '$')
+		{
+			env = get_var(s, i, minishell);
+			if (env)
+				ft_lstadd_back(&var_list, ft_lstnew(env->value));
+		}
+		i++;
+	}
+	return ft_strdup("");
 }
diff --git a/src/expander/expander_count_vars.c b/src/expander/expander_count_vars.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eceae4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/expander/expander_count_vars.c
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/* ************************************************************************** */
+/*                                                                            */
+/*                                                        :::      ::::::::   */
+/*   expander_count_vars.c                              :+:      :+:    :+:   */
+/*                                                    +:+ +:+         +:+     */
+/*   By: qmennen <qmennen@student.codam.nl>         +#+  +:+       +#+        */
+/*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
+/*   Created: 2025/02/18 20:38:17 by qmennen           #+#    #+#             */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/18 20:39:53 by qmennen          ###   ########.fr       */
+/*                                                                            */
+/* ************************************************************************** */
+
+#include "minishell.h"
+
+size_t	expander_count_vars(const char *s)
+{
+	size_t	vars;
+	size_t	i;
+
+	i = 0;
+	vars = 0;
+	while (s[i])
+	{
+		if (s[i] == '$' && ft_isalpha(s[i + 1]))
+			vars++;
+		i++;
+	}
+	return (vars);
+}