diff --git a/doc/grammar.bnf b/doc/grammar.bnf
index 6b915a6..5558c21 100644
--- a/doc/grammar.bnf
+++ b/doc/grammar.bnf
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
-DOC ::= RULE*
+DOC ::= (VAR_DECL | RULE)*
 RULE ::= TARGET rarrow DEPS BLOCK
-TARGET ::= ident+
-DEPS ::= ident*
+TARGET ::= LITERAL+
+DEPS ::= LITERAL*
 BLOCK ::= obrace CMD_LST cbrace
 CMD_LST ::= (CMD (comma CMD)* comma?)?
-CMD ::= ident*
+CMD ::= LITERAL*
+LITERAL ::= ident | var
+
+VAR_DECL ::= var assign ident
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 7695a44..bfea405 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ snake_lib = static_library('snake',
                              'src/Interpreter.cpp',
                              'src/State.cpp',
                              'src/DAG.cpp',
+                             'src/SymTable.cpp',
                            ],
                            dependencies: [
                              dependency('sqlite3')
diff --git a/src/Interpreter.cpp b/src/Interpreter.cpp
index be8e068..1389a5f 100644
--- a/src/Interpreter.cpp
+++ b/src/Interpreter.cpp
@@ -161,6 +161,23 @@ namespace sn
     return node;
   }
 
+  std::string Interpreter::get_value(std::shared_ptr<Node> node)
+  {
+    if (node->type() == NODE_IDENT)
+      {
+        return node->repr();
+      }
+    else if (node->type() == NODE_VAR)
+      {
+        auto var = *m_sym.get(node->repr());
+        return var.value;
+      }
+
+    throw run_error {"cannot find value for '"
+                     + SN_GET(NodeTypeStr, node->type(), "NODE_")
+                     + "'"};
+  }
+
   std::vector<std::filesystem::path>
   Interpreter::targets(std::filesystem::path path) const
   {
@@ -191,6 +208,12 @@ namespace sn
           }
       } break;
 
+      case NODE_VAR_DECL: {
+        std::string name = (*node->get(0))->repr();
+        auto n = *node->get(1);
+        m_sym.declare(name, get_value(n));
+      } break;
+
       case NODE_RULE: {
         auto all_targets = *node->get(0);
         auto deps = *node->get(1);
@@ -203,11 +226,11 @@ namespace sn
             for (size_t j=0; j<deps->size(); j++)
               {
                 auto dep = *deps->get(j);
-                auto path = format_path(dep->repr());
+                auto path = format_path(get_value(dep));
 
-                m_dependencies[format_path(target->repr())].push_back(path);
+                m_dependencies[format_path(get_value(target))].push_back(path);
 
-                auto target_path = format_path(target->repr());
+                auto target_path = format_path(get_value(target));
 
                 m_scripts[target_path] = scripts(block);
               }
@@ -237,7 +260,18 @@ namespace sn
 
         for (size_t j=0; j<cmd->size(); j++)
           {
-            script += sep + (*cmd->get(j))->repr();
+            auto c = *cmd->get(j);
+
+            if (c->type() == NODE_IDENT)
+              {
+                script += sep + c->repr();
+              }
+            else
+              {
+                auto var = *m_sym.get(c->repr());
+                script += sep + var.value;
+              }
+
             sep = " ";
           }
 
diff --git a/src/Interpreter.hpp b/src/Interpreter.hpp
index f512893..27b9dd2 100644
--- a/src/Interpreter.hpp
+++ b/src/Interpreter.hpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "Node.hpp"
 #include "State.hpp"
 #include "DAG.hpp"
+#include "SymTable.hpp"
 
 namespace sn
 {
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ namespace sn
 
     std::unordered_map<std::filesystem::path,
                        std::vector<std::string>> m_scripts;
+    SymTable m_sym;
+
+    std::string get_value(std::shared_ptr<Node> node);
 
     std::vector<std::filesystem::path>
     targets(std::filesystem::path path) const;
@@ -45,7 +49,6 @@ namespace sn
 
     std::filesystem::path
     format_path(std::filesystem::path path) const;
-
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Lexer.cpp b/src/Lexer.cpp
index 883b085..ef0b6d4 100644
--- a/src/Lexer.cpp
+++ b/src/Lexer.cpp
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ namespace sn
     m_separators.push_back('\n');
     m_separators.push_back(' ');
 
+    add_text("=", NODE_ASSIGN);
     add_text("->", NODE_RARROW);
     add_text("{", NODE_OBRACE);
     add_text("}", NODE_CBRACE);
     add_text(",", NODE_COMMA);
 
+    m_scanners.push_back(std::bind(&Lexer::scan_var, this));
     m_scanners.push_back(std::bind(&Lexer::scan_ident, this));
   }
 
@@ -151,4 +153,39 @@ namespace sn
 
     return std::nullopt;
   }
+
+  std::optional<ScanInfo> Lexer::scan_var()
+  {
+    size_t cursor = m_cursor;
+    std::string repr;
+
+    if (cursor < m_source.size()
+           && m_source[cursor] == '$')
+      {
+        repr += '$';
+        cursor++;
+      }
+    else
+      {
+        return std::nullopt;
+      }
+
+    while (cursor < m_source.size()
+           && !is_separator(m_source[cursor]))
+      {
+        repr += m_source[cursor];
+        cursor++;
+      }
+
+    if (repr.empty() == false)
+      {
+        return ScanInfo {
+          cursor,
+          NODE_VAR,
+          repr.substr(1)
+        };
+      }
+
+    return std::nullopt;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/Lexer.hpp b/src/Lexer.hpp
index 5d7789d..0763bcd 100644
--- a/src/Lexer.hpp
+++ b/src/Lexer.hpp
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ namespace sn
                   bool has_repr=false);
 
     std::optional<ScanInfo> scan_ident();
+    std::optional<ScanInfo> scan_var();
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Node.hpp b/src/Node.hpp
index 41978bd..02ed308 100644
--- a/src/Node.hpp
+++ b/src/Node.hpp
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 #define NODE_TYPES(G)                                                   \
   G(NODE_DOC), G(NODE_IDENT), G(NODE_RARROW), G(NODE_OBRACE),           \
     G(NODE_CBRACE), G(NODE_CMD), G(NODE_CMD_LST), G(NODE_COMMA),        \
-    G(NODE_BLOCK), G(NODE_TARGET), G(NODE_DEPS), G(NODE_RULE)
+    G(NODE_BLOCK), G(NODE_TARGET), G(NODE_DEPS), G(NODE_RULE), \
+    G(NODE_VAR), G(NODE_ASSIGN), G(NODE_VAR_DECL)
 
 namespace sn
 {
diff --git a/src/Parser.cpp b/src/Parser.cpp
index c210def..fa5dc6e 100644
--- a/src/Parser.cpp
+++ b/src/Parser.cpp
@@ -66,7 +66,16 @@ namespace sn
 
     while (m_cursor < m_tokens.size())
       {
-        node->add_child(parse_rule());
+        if (type_is(NODE_VAR)
+            && type_is(NODE_ASSIGN, 1))
+          {
+            node->add_child(parse_var_decl());
+          }
+        else
+          {
+            node->add_child(parse_rule());
+          }
+
       }
 
     return node;
@@ -91,11 +100,11 @@ namespace sn
   {
     auto node = std::make_shared<Node>(NODE_TARGET);
 
-    node->add_child(*consume(NODE_IDENT));
+    node->add_child(parse_literal());
 
     while (!type_is(NODE_RARROW))
       {
-        node->add_child(*consume(NODE_IDENT));
+        node->add_child(parse_literal());
       }
 
     consume();
@@ -109,7 +118,7 @@ namespace sn
 
     while (!type_is(NODE_OBRACE))
       {
-        node->add_child(*consume(NODE_IDENT));
+        node->add_child(parse_literal());
       }
 
     return node;
@@ -163,9 +172,34 @@ namespace sn
 
     while (!type_is(NODE_CBRACE) && !type_is(NODE_COMMA))
       {
-        node->add_child(*consume(NODE_IDENT));
+        node->add_child(parse_literal());
       }
 
     return node;
   }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node> Parser::parse_literal()
+  {
+    if (type_is(NODE_IDENT)
+        || type_is(NODE_VAR))
+      {
+        return *consume();
+      }
+
+    throw syntax_error {"unknown token '"
+                        + SN_GET(NodeTypeStr,
+                                 m_tokens[m_cursor]->type(),
+                                 "NODE_")
+                        + "'"};
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node> Parser::parse_var_decl()
+  {
+    auto node = std::make_shared<Node>(NODE_VAR_DECL);
+    node->add_child(*consume(NODE_VAR));
+    consume(NODE_ASSIGN);
+    node->add_child(*consume(NODE_IDENT));
+
+    return node;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/Parser.hpp b/src/Parser.hpp
index ee66de2..2a5a581 100644
--- a/src/Parser.hpp
+++ b/src/Parser.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ namespace sn
     std::shared_ptr<Node> parse_block();
     std::shared_ptr<Node> parse_cmd_lst();
     std::shared_ptr<Node> parse_cmd();
+
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> parse_literal();
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> parse_var_decl();
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/SymTable.cpp b/src/SymTable.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..062ad58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/SymTable.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#include "SymTable.hpp"
+
+namespace sn
+{
+  /*explicit*/ SymTable::SymTable()
+  {
+  }
+
+  /*virtual*/ SymTable::~SymTable()
+  {
+  }
+
+  void SymTable::declare(std::string const& name, std::string const& value)
+  {
+    m_vars[name] = Var { value };
+  }
+
+  std::optional<Var> SymTable::get(std::string const& name) const
+  {
+    if (auto var=m_vars.find(name);
+        var != std::end(m_vars))
+      {
+        return var->second;
+      }
+
+    return std::nullopt;
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/SymTable.hpp b/src/SymTable.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8f2c8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/SymTable.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#ifndef sn_SYMTABLE_HPP
+#define sn_SYMTABLE_HPP
+
+#include "commons.hpp"
+#include "Node.hpp"
+
+namespace sn
+{
+  /**
+   *  A variable of the snakefile.
+   **/
+  struct Var {
+    std::string value;
+  };
+
+  /**
+   * A repository to declare and get variables.
+   * @see Var
+   **/
+  class SymTable
+  {
+  public:
+    explicit SymTable();
+    virtual ~SymTable();
+
+    void declare(std::string const& name, std::string const& value);
+    std::optional<Var> get(std::string const& name) const;
+
+  private:
+    std::unordered_map<std::string, Var> m_vars;
+  };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/tests/Lexer.cpp b/tests/Lexer.cpp
index c7c7a25..d79eb73 100644
--- a/tests/Lexer.cpp
+++ b/tests/Lexer.cpp
@@ -41,3 +41,13 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(LexerTest, "Lexer_rule")
   test_next("CBRACE");
   test_end();
 }
+
+TEST_CASE_METHOD(LexerTest, "Lexer_vars")
+{
+  m_lexer.scan("$hello $WORLD = ");
+
+  test_next("VAR[hello]");
+  test_next("VAR[WORLD]");
+  test_next("ASSIGN");
+  test_end();
+}
diff --git a/tests/Parser.cpp b/tests/Parser.cpp
index 41641fd..2fb190e 100644
--- a/tests/Parser.cpp
+++ b/tests/Parser.cpp
@@ -46,3 +46,31 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(ParserTest, "Parser_rule")
              ")))",
              ss.str());
 }
+
+TEST_CASE_METHOD(ParserTest, "Parser_var_decl_and_use")
+{
+  std::stringstream ss;
+  ss << "$BIM = hello.cpp" << std::endl;
+  ss << "$BAM = world.hpp" << std::endl;
+  ss << " $BIM -> hello.cpp {" << std::endl;
+  ss << " g++ $BIM -o hello.elf, " << std::endl;
+  ss << " ls " << std::endl;
+  ss << " }" << std::endl;
+
+  test_parse("DOC("
+             "VAR_DECL(VAR[BIM],IDENT[hello.cpp]),"
+             "VAR_DECL(VAR[BAM],IDENT[world.hpp]),"
+             "RULE("
+             "TARGET("
+             "VAR[BIM]"
+             "),DEPS("
+             "IDENT[hello.cpp]"
+             "),BLOCK("
+             "CMD("
+             "IDENT[g++],VAR[BIM],IDENT[-o],IDENT[hello.elf]"
+             "),CMD("
+             "IDENT[ls]"
+             ")"
+             ")))",
+             ss.str());
+}