diff -r aa8621b58cd7 -r 38b051dea6b1 tests/test_string.c
--- a/tests/test_string.c	Mon Dec 22 00:20:41 2025 +0100
+++ b/tests/test_string.c	Mon Dec 22 15:28:07 2025 +0100
@@ -740,57 +740,53 @@
     CxAllocator *alloc = &talloc.base;
 
     cxstring str = cx_str("test ababab string aba");
-    cxstring longstr = cx_str(
-            "xyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacd");
-    cxstring notrail = cx_str("test abab");
-    cxstring empty = cx_str("");
     cxstring astr = cx_str("aaaaaaaaaa");
     cxstring csstr = cx_str("test AB ab TEST xyz");
 
-    cxmutstr repl = cx_strreplace(str, cx_str("abab"), cx_str("muchlonger"));
+    cxmutstr repl = cx_strreplace(str, "abab", "muchlonger");
     const char *expected = "test muchlongerab string aba";
 
-    cxmutstr repln = cx_strreplacen(str, cx_str("ab"), cx_str("c"), 2);
+    cxmutstr repln = cx_strreplacen(str, "ab", "c", 2);
     const char *expectedn = "test ccab string aba";
 
-    cxmutstr longrepl = cx_strreplace(longstr, cx_str("a"), cx_str("z"));
+    cxmutstr longrepl = cx_strreplace("xyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacd", "a", "z");
     const char *longexpect = "xyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzcd";
 
-    cxmutstr replnotrail = cx_strreplace(notrail, cx_str("ab"), cx_str("z"));
+    cxmutstr replnotrail = cx_strreplace("test abab", "ab", "z");
     const char *notrailexpect = "test zz";
 
-    cxmutstr repleq = cx_strreplace(str, str, cx_str("hello"));
+    cxmutstr repleq = cx_strreplace(str, str, "hello");
     const char *eqexpect = "hello";
 
-    cxmutstr replempty1 = cx_strreplace(empty, cx_str("ab"), cx_str("c")); // expect: empty
-    cxmutstr replempty2 = cx_strreplace(str, cx_str("abab"), empty);
+    cxmutstr replempty1 = cx_strreplace("", "ab", "c"); // expect: empty
+    cxmutstr replempty2 = cx_strreplace(str, "abab", "");
     const char *emptyexpect2 = "test ab string aba";
 
-    cxmutstr replpre = cx_strreplace(str, cx_str("test "), cx_str("TEST "));
+    cxmutstr replpre = cx_strreplace(str, "test ", "TEST ");
     const char *preexpected = "TEST ababab string aba";
 
-    cxmutstr replan1 = cx_strreplacen(astr, cx_str("a"), cx_str("x"), 1);
+    cxmutstr replan1 = cx_strreplacen(astr, "a", "x", 1);
     const char *an1expected = "xaaaaaaaaa";
 
-    cxmutstr replan4 = cx_strreplacen(astr, cx_str("a"), cx_str("x"), 4);
+    cxmutstr replan4 = cx_strreplacen(astr, "a", "x", 4);
     const char *an4expected = "xxxxaaaaaa";
 
-    cxmutstr replan9 = cx_strreplacen(astr, cx_str("a"), cx_str("x"), 9);
+    cxmutstr replan9 = cx_strreplacen(astr, "a", "x", 9);
     const char *an9expected = "xxxxxxxxxa";
 
-    cxmutstr replan10 = cx_strreplacen(astr, cx_str("a"), cx_str("x"), 10);
+    cxmutstr replan10 = cx_strreplacen(astr, "a", "x", 10);
     const char *an10expected = "xxxxxxxxxx";
 
-    cxmutstr norepl = cx_strreplace(cx_strn("hello world", 11), cx_str("worlds"), cx_str("test"));
+    cxmutstr norepl = cx_strreplace(cx_strn("hello worlds", 11), "worlds", "test");
     const char *noreplexpect = "hello world";
 
+    cxmutstr repl1_a = cx_strreplace_a(alloc, csstr, "AB", "*");
+    const char *expeced1_a = "test * ab TEST xyz";
+
+    cxmutstr repl2_a = cx_strreplace_a(alloc, csstr, "test", "TEST");
+    const char *expected2_a = "TEST AB ab TEST xyz";
+
     CX_TEST_DO {
-        cxmutstr repl1_a = cx_strreplace_a(alloc, csstr, cx_str("AB"), cx_str("*"));
-        const char *expeced1_a = "test * ab TEST xyz";
-
-        cxmutstr repl2_a = cx_strreplace_a(alloc, csstr, cx_str("test"), cx_str("TEST"));
-        const char *expected2_a = "TEST AB ab TEST xyz";
-
         CX_TEST_ASSERT(repl.ptr != str.ptr);
         ASSERT_ZERO_TERMINATED(repl);
         CX_TEST_ASSERT(0 == strcmp(repl.ptr, expected));