diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 27b11f1..4c1af49 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -23,3 +23,6 @@ Cargo.lock
 
 # ignore files used for testing stuff like loadf
 /test*
+
+# benchmark files
+dhat.out.*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/builtins.rs b/src/builtins.rs
index 3dd67fe..2b5f305 100644
--- a/src/builtins.rs
+++ b/src/builtins.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ pub const BUILTINS: [(
     &str,
     fn(args: Vec<String>, unsplit_args: String, state: &mut super::State) -> i32,
     &str,
-); 15] = [
+); 17] = [
     ("cd", cd, "[dir]"),
     ("exit", exit, ""),
     ("echo", echo, "[-e] [text ...]"),
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ pub const BUILTINS: [(
     ("pastef", pastef, ""),
     ("setf", setf, "var [var ...]"),
     ("getf", getf, "var"),
+    ("()", nop, ""),
+    ("if", _if, "condition ( statement ) [ ( else_statement )"),
 ];
 
 /// Change the directory
@@ -52,6 +54,10 @@ pub fn exit(_: Vec<String>, _: String, state: &mut super::State) -> i32 {
 
 /// Echo a string
 pub fn echo(args: Vec<String>, mut unsplit_args: String, _: &mut super::State) -> i32 {
+    if args.len() == 1 {
+        println!();
+        return 0;
+    }
     unsplit_args = unsplit_args[(args[0].len() + 1)..].to_string();
     if args.len() != 1 && args[1] == "-e" {
         unsplit_args = unsplit_args[3..].to_string();
@@ -325,3 +331,35 @@ pub fn getf(args: Vec<String>, _: String, state: &mut super::State) -> i32 {
     state.focus = super::Focus::Str(val);
     0
 }
+
+/// Empty function that does nothing. Mainly used for benchmarking evaluating.
+pub fn nop(_: Vec<String>, _: String, _: &mut super::State) -> i32 {
+    0
+}
+
+/// if statement
+pub fn _if(args: Vec<String>, _: String, state: &mut super::State) -> i32 {
+    if args.len() < 3 {
+        println!(
+            "sesh: {0}: usage: {0} condition (statement) [ (else_statement) ]",
+            args[0]
+        );
+        return 1;
+    }
+    super::eval(&args[1].clone(), state);
+    state.shell_env.reverse();
+    let mut status = 0i32;
+    for var in &state.shell_env {
+        if var.name == "STATUS" {
+            status = var.value.parse().unwrap();
+        }
+    }
+    state.shell_env.sort_by(|v1, v2| v1.name.cmp(&v2.name));
+    if status == 0 {
+        super::eval(&args[2].clone(), state);
+    } else if args.len() == 8 {
+        super::eval(&args[3].clone(), state);
+    }
+
+    0
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 5caa6a8..ce2c1dd 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #![warn(missing_docs, clippy::missing_docs_in_private_items)]
 #![feature(cfg_match)]
 #![feature(slice_concat_trait)]
+#![feature(test)]
 
 use std::{
     ffi::OsStr,
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ use termion::raw::IntoRawMode;
 
 mod builtins;
 mod escapes;
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests;
 
 /// sesh is a shell designed to be as semantic to use as possible
 #[derive(Parser, Debug)]
@@ -85,8 +88,6 @@ impl Display for Focus {
 struct State {
     /// Shell-local variables only accessible via builtins.
     shell_env: ShellVars,
-    /// The previous history of the states.
-    history: Vec<State>,
     /// Current working directory.
     working_dir: PathBuf,
     /// A list of aliases from name to actual.
@@ -103,20 +104,37 @@ unsafe impl Send for State {}
 /// Split a statement.
 fn split_statement(statement: &str) -> Vec<String> {
     let mut out = vec![String::new()];
-    let mut i: usize = 0;
+    let mut i = 0usize;
     let mut in_str = (false, ' ');
     let mut escape = false;
+    let mut f = 0usize;
     for ch in statement.chars() {
         if ch == '\\' && !in_str.0 {
             escape = true;
         }
-        if ['"', '\'', '`'].contains(&ch) && !escape {
-            if in_str.0 && in_str.1 == ch {
-                in_str.0 = false
-            } else {
-                in_str = (true, ch);
+        if in_str.0 && in_str.1 == ch {
+            in_str.0 = false;
+            if ch == ']' {
+                out[i].push(ch);
             }
             escape = false;
+            f += 1;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if !(!['"', '\'', '`', '(', '['].contains(&ch) || escape || in_str.0 || ch == '[' && f <= 1)
+        {
+            in_str = (true, ch);
+            if ch == '(' {
+                in_str.1 = ')';
+            }
+            if ch == '[' {
+                in_str.1 = ']';
+            }
+            if ch == '[' {
+                out[i].push(ch);
+            }
+            escape = false;
+            f += 1;
             continue;
         }
         if !in_str.0 && ch == ' ' {
@@ -125,10 +143,12 @@ fn split_statement(statement: &str) -> Vec<String> {
                 out.push(String::new());
             }
             escape = false;
+            f += 1;
             continue;
         }
         out[i].push(ch);
         escape = false;
+        f += 1;
     }
     out.iter()
         .map(|v| v.trim().to_string())
@@ -326,9 +346,6 @@ fn eval(statement: &str, state: &mut State) {
             }
         }
     }
-
-    let s = state.clone();
-    state.history.push(s);
 }
 
 /// Write the prompt to the screen.
@@ -388,7 +405,6 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
 
     let mut state = State {
         shell_env: Vec::new(),
-        history: Vec::new(),
         focus: Focus::Str(String::new()),
         working_dir: std::env::current_dir()
             .unwrap_or(std::env::home_dir().unwrap_or(PathBuf::from("/"))),
diff --git a/src/tests.rs b/src/tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d894cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#![allow(clippy::unit_arg)]
+
+extern crate test; // needed
+use super::*;
+
+#[bench]
+pub fn bench_eval(bencher: &mut test::Bencher) {
+    bencher.iter(|| {
+        let mut state = State {
+            shell_env: Vec::new(),
+            focus: Focus::Str(String::new()),
+            working_dir: std::env::current_dir()
+                .unwrap_or(std::env::home_dir().unwrap_or(PathBuf::from("/"))),
+            aliases: Vec::new(),
+            raw_term: None,
+        };
+        state.shell_env.push(ShellVar {
+            name: "PROMPT1".to_string(),
+            value: "\x1b[32m$u@$h\x1b[39m \x1b[34m$P\x1b[39m> ".to_string(),
+        });
+        state.shell_env.push(ShellVar {
+            name: "PROMPT2".to_string(),
+            value: "> ".to_string(),
+        });
+        core::hint::black_box(eval("", &mut state));
+        core::hint::black_box(eval("()", &mut state));
+        core::hint::black_box(eval("echo", &mut state));
+    });
+}