diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 00ad1d4..e0e52fe 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
-project(fun VERSION 0.38.14 LANGUAGES C)
+project(fun VERSION 0.38.15 LANGUAGES C)
 
 set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD 99)
 set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
diff --git a/docs/style-guide.md b/docs/style-guide.md
index 5c97cc9..b2f1645 100644
--- a/docs/style-guide.md
+++ b/docs/style-guide.md
@@ -3,23 +3,60 @@
 Conventions for writing C and Fun code in this repository.
 
 ## General principles
+
 - Two-space indentation. No tabs.
 - Keep lines reasonably short (~100 cols). Wrap thoughtfully.
 - Prefer explicit over implicit; favor clarity.
 
 ## C (C99)
-- Indentation: two spaces, K&R-ish braces.
+
+- Indentation: four spaces, K&R-ish braces.
 - Naming: `snake_case` for functions and variables; `CAPS_SNAKE` for macros.
 - Error handling: return error codes or booleans; avoid hidden globals.
 - Headers: minimize includes in headers; forward-declare where practical.
 - Memory: clearly document ownership; free what you allocate.
 
 ## Fun language
+
 - Indentation: two spaces.
 - Naming: `snake_case` for functions/variables; `PascalCase` for classes/constructors.
 - Modules: one primary concept per file; export a minimal, cohesive API.
 - Idioms: prefer arrays and maps over ad-hoc structures; keep functions small.
 
 ## Formatting and tools
+
 - No auto-formatters required; follow these simple rules.
 - Keep diffs small and focused; avoid reformat-only commits.
+
+## Additional details (merged from legacy MVP draft)
+
+This section consolidates practical guidelines that were previously kept in docs/style_guide.md.
+
+1. Files and headers
+- Keep the standard header block with license and date when editing stdlib files.
+
+2. Naming
+- Functions and variables: snake_case (e.g., parse_int, is_some).
+- Classes: PascalCase (e.g., DateTime).
+- Constants: ALL_CAPS when truly constant.
+
+3. Layout
+- Indent with two spaces; no tabs.
+- One statement per line; no trailing spaces.
+- Use blank lines sparingly to separate logical blocks.
+
+4. Comments
+- Line comments with //; block comments with /* ... */ for file headers and longer notes.
+
+5. Collections
+- Prefer [] for arrays and {"key": value} for dictionaries; use has_key() before subscripting unknown keys.
+
+6. Error handling
+- Prefer Result and Option helpers from lib/utils over ad-hoc nil checks.
+- Avoid unwrap() in library code; propagate errors using and_then()/or_else() patterns.
+
+7. Examples
+- Keep examples executable via shebang: #!/usr/bin/env fun
+- Print informative labels for outputs.
+
+This guide will evolve. Contributions and suggestions are welcome.
diff --git a/docs/testing.md b/docs/testing.md
index acb140b..8e754aa 100644
--- a/docs/testing.md
+++ b/docs/testing.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Release profile example:
 
 ```
 cmake --build build_release --target test_opcodes && ./build/test_opcodes
-``>
+```
 
 If `fun_test` exists in your configuration:
 
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ ctest --test-dir build -j
 - C/C++/VM-side tests: look for existing tests under `src` or `spec` and mirror the structure. Add a new source and register it in CMake with an executable or via `add_test()`.
 - Fun-level examples as tests: minimal scripts under `examples/` can act as smoke tests and are runnable via `./play.fun`. Consider adding a new example for new features and have CI invoke a subset.
 
-Guidelines:
+### Guidelines:
+
 - Keep each test focused; prefer several small tests over one monolith.
 - Avoid nondeterminism; set seeds where randomness is involved.
 - Make tests independent of the working directory unless the behavior under test is precisely path resolution.
diff --git a/examples/crypto/openssl_md5.fun b/examples/crypto/openssl_md5.fun
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/examples/crypto/openssl_ripemd160.fun b/examples/crypto/openssl_ripemd160.fun
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/examples/crypto/openssl_sha256.fun b/examples/crypto/openssl_sha256.fun
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/examples/crypto/openssl_sha512.fun b/examples/crypto/openssl_sha512.fun
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/examples/error_handling.fun b/examples/error_handling.fun
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9b6ab38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/error_handling.fun
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env fun
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Fun programming language.
+ * https://fun-lang.xyz/
+ *
+ * Copyright 2026 Johannes Findeisen
+ * Licensed under the terms of the Apache-2.0 license.
+ * https://opensource.org/license/apache-2-0
+ *
+ * Added: 2026-02-19
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Error handling examples using Result and Option helpers.
+ */
+
+#include <utils/option.fun>
+#include <utils/result.fun>
+
+// Simulate a fallible parse
+fun parse_int(s)
+  if regex_match("^[+-]?[0-9]+$", s)
+    return ok(to_number(s))
+  return err("invalid integer: " + s)
+
+// Divide two integers, handling division by zero
+fun safe_div(a, b)
+  if b == 0
+    return err("division by zero")
+  return ok(a / b)
+
+// Option example: get environment variable
+fun get_env_opt(name)
+  v = env(name)
+  if v == nil
+    return none()
+  if v == ""
+    return none()
+  return some(v)
+
+print("-- Result examples --")
+r = parse_int("123")
+print("parse_int 123 ok? " + to_string(is_ok(r)) + ", value: " + to_string(unwrap_or(r, -1)))
+
+q = parse_int("x12")
+print("parse_int x12 ok? " + to_string(is_ok(q)) + ", or default 0: " + to_string(unwrap_or(q, 0)))
+
+print("chained and_then: '10' / '2'")
+// Simpler explicit flow without nested anonymous functions
+a = parse_int("10")
+b = parse_int("2")
+if is_ok(a) && is_ok(b)
+  res = safe_div(unwrap(a), unwrap(b))
+else
+  if is_err(a)
+    res = a
+  else
+    res = b
+print("=> ok? " + to_string(is_ok(res)) + ", value: " + to_string(unwrap_or(res, -1)))
+
+print("-- Option examples --")
+home = get_env_opt("HOME")
+print("HOME is set? " + to_string(is_some(home)) + ", value: " + to_string(unwrap_or(home, "<none>")))
diff --git a/examples/match.fun b/examples/match.fun
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..aedbfb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/match.fun
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env fun
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Fun programming language.
+ * https://fun-lang.xyz/
+ *
+ * Copyright 2026 Johannes Findeisen
+ * Licensed under the terms of the Apache-2.0 license.
+ * https://opensource.org/license/apache-2-0
+ *
+ * Added: 2026-02-19
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Demonstrates dynamic match() helper.
+ */
+
+#include <utils/option.fun>
+
+print("-- match-like with numbers --")
+x = 0
+if (x == -1)
+  print("minus one")
+else if (x == 0)
+  print("zero")
+else if (x > 0)
+  print("positive: " + to_string(x))
+else
+  print("negative: " + to_string(x))
+
+print("-- match-like with Option --")
+o1 = some(42)
+o2 = none()
+
+if is_some(o1)
+  print("Some(" + to_string(unwrap(o1)) + ")")
+else
+  print("None")
+
+if is_some(o2)
+  print("Some(" + to_string(unwrap(o2)) + ")")
+else
+  print("None")
diff --git a/lib/utils/match.fun b/lib/utils/match.fun
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51cdf51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils/match.fun
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Fun programming language.
+ * https://fun-lang.xyz/
+ *
+ * Copyright 2026 Johannes Findeisen
+ * Licensed under the terms of the Apache-2.0 license.
+ * https://opensource.org/license/apache-2-0
+ *
+ * Added: 2026-02-19
+ */
+
+// A simple dynamic match helper.
+// Usage:
+// match(x, [
+//   {"when": fun(v) v > 0, "then": fun(v) print("pos")},
+//   {"is": 0, "then": fun(v) print("zero")},
+//   {"else": fun(v) print("neg or other")}
+// ])
+
+fun match(value, cases)
+  // Iterate cases in order; support keys: is, when, else
+  for c in cases
+    if (has_key(c, "is"))
+      if (value == c["is"]) 
+        th = c["then"]
+        return th(value)
+    else if (has_key(c, "when"))
+      pred = c["when"]
+      if (pred(value))
+        th = c["then"]
+        return th(value)
+    else if (has_key(c, "else"))
+      el = c["else"]
+      return el(value)
+  // No match; return nil
+  return nil
diff --git a/lib/utils/option.fun b/lib/utils/option.fun
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74e35f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils/option.fun
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Fun programming language.
+ * https://fun-lang.xyz/
+ *
+ * Copyright 2026 Johannes Findeisen
+ * Licensed under the terms of the Apache-2.0 license.
+ * https://opensource.org/license/apache-2-0
+ *
+ * Added: 2026-02-19
+ */
+
+// Option helpers for ergonomic error-absent values.
+// Represented as dictionaries with a _tag and optional value field.
+
+// Constructors
+fun some(x)
+  return {"_tag": "Some", "value": x}
+
+fun none()
+  return {"_tag": "None"}
+
+// Predicates
+fun is_some(opt)
+  return opt["_tag"] == "Some"
+
+fun is_none(opt)
+  return opt["_tag"] == "None"
+
+// Extractors
+fun unwrap(opt)
+  if is_some(opt)
+    return opt["value"]
+  // Fall back to raising a runtime error
+  error("called unwrap() on None")
+  return nil
+
+fun unwrap_or(opt, default)
+  if is_some(opt)
+    return opt["value"]
+  return default
+
+// Functional helpers
+// map(opt, f) -> Some(f(value)) or None
+fun option_map(opt, f)
+  if is_some(opt)
+    return some(f(opt["value"]))
+  return none()
+
+// and_then(opt, f) where f: a -> Option[b]
+fun and_then(opt, f)
+  if is_some(opt)
+    return f(opt["value"])
+  return none()
+
+// or_else(opt, f) where f: () -> Option[a]
+fun or_else(opt, f)
+  if is_some(opt)
+    return opt
+  return f()
+
+// to_result(opt, err)
+fun to_result(opt, err)
+  if is_some(opt)
+    return ok(opt["value"])
+  return err(err)
+
+// Convenience: try_get(dict, key) -> Option[value]
+fun try_get(dict, key)
+  if has_key(dict, key)
+    return some(dict[key])
+  return none()
diff --git a/lib/utils/result.fun b/lib/utils/result.fun
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f834517
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils/result.fun
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Fun programming language.
+ * https://fun-lang.xyz/
+ *
+ * Copyright 2026 Johannes Findeisen
+ * Licensed under the terms of the Apache-2.0 license.
+ * https://opensource.org/license/apache-2-0
+ *
+ * Added: 2026-02-19
+ */
+
+// Result helpers: Ok(value) or Err(error)
+
+// Constructors
+fun ok(x)
+  return {"_tag": "Ok", "value": x}
+
+fun err(e)
+  return {"_tag": "Err", "error": e}
+
+// Predicates
+fun is_ok(res)
+  return res["_tag"] == "Ok"
+
+fun is_err(res)
+  return res["_tag"] == "Err"
+
+// Extractors
+fun unwrap(res)
+  if is_ok(res)
+    return res["value"]
+  error("called unwrap() on Err: " + to_string(res["error"]))
+  return nil
+
+fun unwrap_or(res, default)
+  if is_ok(res)
+    return res["value"]
+  return default
+
+fun unwrap_err(res)
+  if is_err(res)
+    return res["error"]
+  error("called unwrap_err() on Ok")
+  return nil
+
+// map(res, f) applies f to Ok value; Err passes through
+fun result_map(res, f)
+  if is_ok(res)
+    return ok(f(res["value"]))
+  return res
+
+// map_err(res, f) applies f to error; Ok passes through
+fun map_err(res, f)
+  if is_err(res)
+    return err(f(res["error"]))
+  return res
+
+// and_then(res, f) where f: a -> Result[b]
+fun and_then(res, f)
+  if is_ok(res)
+    return f(res["value"]) // caller should return Result
+  return res
+
+// or_else(res, f) where f: () -> Result[a]
+fun or_else(res, f)
+  if is_ok(res)
+    return res
+  return f()
+
+// to_option(res) -> Some(value) or None
+fun to_option(res)
+  if is_ok(res)
+    return some(res["value"]) // requires option.fun loaded
+  return none()