diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index da20e99..dc54c20 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+mod string;
 mod fmt_debug;
 
 // when a String is passed to this function a move occurs:
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ fn _get_static_str() -> &'static str {
 }
 
 fn main() {
+    println!("Hello, world!");
     fmt_debug::test_report();
 
     let s = String::new(); // no heap allocation until we add characters (capacity > 0)
@@ -78,6 +80,4 @@ fn main() {
     let _s6 = String::from(s_lit); //underlying data copied to heap
 
     // todo: Cow
-
-    println!("Hello, world!");
 }
diff --git a/src/string.rs b/src/string.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45be15e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/string.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+
+// when a String is passed to this function a move occurs:
+// BUT only the stack allocation (ptr, len, cap) is copied over
+// AND the underlying heap is preserved, without copy
+//
+// Why do we call it a "move"?
+// A move indicates ownership transfer, not data transfer
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+fn takes_string(_s: String) {
+
+}
+
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+fn takes_string_ref(_s: &String) {
+
+}
+
+// Compilation error and warning:
+// rustc: the size for values of type `str` cannot be known at compilation time
+// the trait `Sized` is not implemented for `str` [E0277]
+// rustc: function arguments must have a statically known size,
+// borrowed types always have a known size: `&` [E0277]
+//
+// Ok, so rust is an unsized type,
+// and compiler requires sized types for function params at compile time
+//
+// Why is this a problem?
+// rust doesn't know how much space to allocate for the variable
+//
+// str inactuality is the raw (UTF-8) bytes, not a container
+// fn takes_str(s: str) { }
+
+// this is fine because now the variable is a fat pointer: pointer + length
+// it's the length aspect that makes us abot to work on the str
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+fn takes_str_ref(_s: &str) {
+
+}
+
+// yeah, we can do this
+fn _get_static_str() -> &'static str {
+    "hello"
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_string() {
+    let s = String::new(); // no heap allocation until we add characters (capacity > 0)
+
+    // let s_r: str; // ERROR: size not known at compile time
+    let _s_rr: &str; // allowed
+    let _s_rrr: &String; // allowed
+
+    takes_string_ref(&s);
+    takes_string_ref(&s); // works because the string was not moved in first call
+
+    let ss = String::from("1"); // one heap allocation!
+    takes_string(ss); // move occurs here
+    // takes_string(ss); // ERROR: use of moved value here
+    // takes_string_ref(&ss); // ERROR: borrow of moved value here
+
+    let sss = String::new();
+    // deref coersion:
+    // because String implements the trait Deref<Target = str>
+    takes_str_ref(&sss);
+    // *sss dereferences the String into its underlying str
+    takes_str_ref(&*sss); // same as this!
+    takes_str_ref(sss.as_ref()); // and this! 
+
+    let s4 = String::from("string4");
+    //let s4_slice = s4[0..]; // again we hit no size problem at compile time
+    let _s4_slice = &s4[0..]; // but this works, because the &str has the length! 
+
+    // literals
+    // &'static str is held onto by &str:
+    // that's the programs read-only binary
+    let s_lit = "easy as pie, right?";
+    let _s_lit2 : &str = "easy as pie, right?"; // same, data not copied, we just point to it
+    let _s5 = String::from("literal is copied to heap"); // data copied to heap
+    let _s6 = String::from(s_lit); //underlying data copied to heap
+
+    // todo: Cow
+}
+