diff --git a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/CxxOps.td b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/CxxOps.td
index 0d317992..578df640 100644
--- a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/CxxOps.td
+++ b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/CxxOps.td
@@ -113,6 +113,15 @@ def Cxx_FuncOp : Cxx_Op<"func", [FunctionOpInterface, IsolatedFromAbove]> {
   let hasCustomAssemblyFormat = 1;
 }
 
+def Cxx_GlobalOp : Cxx_Op<"global"> {
+  let arguments = (ins
+      TypeAttrOf<AnyType>:$global_type
+    , UnitAttr:$constant
+    , SymbolNameAttr:$sym_name
+    , OptionalAttr<AnyAttr>:$value
+  );
+}
+
 def Cxx_ReturnOp : Cxx_Op<"return", [Pure, HasParent<"FuncOp">, Terminator]> {
   let arguments = (ins Variadic<AnyType>:$input);
 
@@ -121,8 +130,6 @@ def Cxx_ReturnOp : Cxx_Op<"return", [Pure, HasParent<"FuncOp">, Terminator]> {
   let extraClassDeclaration = [{
     bool hasOperand() { return getNumOperands() != 0; }
   }];
-
-  let hasVerifier = 0;
 }
 
 def Cxx_CallOp : Cxx_Op<"call"> {
@@ -160,6 +167,12 @@ def Cxx_SubscriptOp : Cxx_Op<"subscript"> {
   let results = (outs Cxx_PointerType:$result);
 }
 
+def Cxx_AddressOfOp : Cxx_Op<"addressof"> {
+  let arguments = (ins FlatSymbolRefAttr:$sym_name);
+
+  let results = (outs AnyType:$result);
+}
+
 def Cxx_BoolConstantOp : Cxx_Op<"constant.bool", [
   Pure
 ]> {
diff --git a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.cc b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.cc
index b901edb2..a050510e 100644
--- a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.cc
+++ b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.cc
@@ -56,6 +56,15 @@ auto Codegen::newBlock() -> mlir::Block* {
   return newBlock;
 }
 
+auto Codegen::newUniqueSymbolName(std::string_view prefix) -> std::string {
+  auto& uniqueName = uniqueSymbolNames_[prefix];
+  if (uniqueName == 0) {
+    uniqueName = 1;
+    return std::format("{}{}", prefix, uniqueName);
+  }
+  return std::format("{}{}", prefix, ++uniqueName);
+}
+
 void Codegen::branch(mlir::Location loc, mlir::Block* block,
                      mlir::ValueRange operands) {
   if (currentBlockMightHaveTerminator()) return;
diff --git a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.h b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.h
index 8702fee0..3800c7aa 100644
--- a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.h
+++ b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.h
@@ -269,6 +269,10 @@ class Codegen {
       -> std::optional<mlir::Value>;
 
   [[nodiscard]] auto newBlock() -> mlir::Block*;
+
+  [[nodiscard]] auto newUniqueSymbolName(std::string_view prefix)
+      -> std::string;
+
   void branch(mlir::Location loc, mlir::Block* block,
               mlir::ValueRange operands = {});
 
@@ -315,6 +319,8 @@ class Codegen {
   std::unordered_map<ClassSymbol*, mlir::Type> classNames_;
   std::unordered_map<Symbol*, mlir::Value> locals_;
   std::unordered_map<FunctionSymbol*, mlir::cxx::FuncOp> funcOps_;
+  std::unordered_map<std::string_view, int> uniqueSymbolNames_;
+  std::unordered_map<const StringLiteral*, mlir::StringAttr> stringLiterals_;
   Loop loop_;
   int count_ = 0;
 };
diff --git a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen_expressions.cc b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen_expressions.cc
index 6f782b8d..aaa8b57f 100644
--- a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen_expressions.cc
+++ b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen_expressions.cc
@@ -254,8 +254,31 @@ auto Codegen::ExpressionVisitor::operator()(NullptrLiteralExpressionAST* ast)
 
 auto Codegen::ExpressionVisitor::operator()(StringLiteralExpressionAST* ast)
     -> ExpressionResult {
+  auto loc = gen.getLocation(ast->literalLoc);
+  auto type = gen.convertType(ast->type);
+  auto resultType = mlir::cxx::PointerType::get(type.getContext(), type);
+
+  auto it = gen.stringLiterals_.find(ast->literal);
+  if (it == gen.stringLiterals_.end()) {
+    // todo: clean up
+    std::string str(ast->literal->stringValue());
+    str.push_back('\0');
+
+    auto initializer = gen.builder_.getStringAttr(str);
+
+    // todo: generate unique name for the global
+    auto name = gen.builder_.getStringAttr(gen.newUniqueSymbolName(".str"));
+
+    auto x = mlir::OpBuilder(gen.module_->getContext());
+    x.setInsertionPointToEnd(gen.module_.getBody());
+    x.create<mlir::cxx::GlobalOp>(loc, type, true, name, initializer);
+
+    it = gen.stringLiterals_.insert_or_assign(ast->literal, name).first;
+  }
+
   auto op =
-      gen.emitTodoExpr(ast->firstSourceLocation(), to_string(ast->kind()));
+      gen.builder_.create<mlir::cxx::AddressOfOp>(loc, resultType, it->second);
+
   return {op};
 }
 
@@ -1024,6 +1047,11 @@ auto Codegen::ExpressionVisitor::operator()(ImplicitCastExpressionAST* ast)
       return {op};
     }
 
+    case ImplicitCastKind::kQualificationConversion: {
+      auto expressionResult = gen.expression(ast->expression);
+      return expressionResult;
+    }
+
     default:
       break;
 
diff --git a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/cxx_dialect_conversions.cc b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/cxx_dialect_conversions.cc
index 0af89bce..61512b80 100644
--- a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/cxx_dialect_conversions.cc
+++ b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/cxx_dialect_conversions.cc
@@ -100,6 +100,25 @@ class FuncOpLowering : public OpConversionPattern<cxx::FuncOp> {
   }
 };
 
+class GlobalOpLowering : public OpConversionPattern<cxx::GlobalOp> {
+ public:
+  using OpConversionPattern::OpConversionPattern;
+
+  auto matchAndRewrite(cxx::GlobalOp op, OpAdaptor adaptor,
+                       ConversionPatternRewriter &rewriter) const
+      -> LogicalResult override {
+    auto typeConverter = getTypeConverter();
+
+    auto elementType = getTypeConverter()->convertType(op.getGlobalType());
+
+    rewriter.replaceOpWithNewOp<LLVM::GlobalOp>(
+        op, elementType, op.getConstant(), LLVM::linkage::Linkage::Private,
+        op.getSymName(), adaptor.getValue().value());
+
+    return success();
+  }
+};
+
 class ReturnOpLowering : public OpConversionPattern<cxx::ReturnOp> {
  public:
   using OpConversionPattern::OpConversionPattern;
@@ -145,6 +164,28 @@ class CallOpLowering : public OpConversionPattern<cxx::CallOp> {
   }
 };
 
+class AddressOfOpLowering : public OpConversionPattern<cxx::AddressOfOp> {
+ public:
+  using OpConversionPattern::OpConversionPattern;
+
+  auto matchAndRewrite(cxx::AddressOfOp op, OpAdaptor adaptor,
+                       ConversionPatternRewriter &rewriter) const
+      -> LogicalResult override {
+    auto typeConverter = getTypeConverter();
+
+    auto resultType = typeConverter->convertType(op.getType());
+    if (!resultType) {
+      return rewriter.notifyMatchFailure(op,
+                                         "failed to convert address of type");
+    }
+
+    rewriter.replaceOpWithNewOp<LLVM::AddressOfOp>(op, resultType,
+                                                   adaptor.getSymName());
+
+    return success();
+  }
+};
+
 class AllocaOpLowering : public OpConversionPattern<cxx::AllocaOp> {
  public:
   AllocaOpLowering(const TypeConverter &typeConverter,
@@ -461,7 +502,6 @@ class ArrayToPointerOpLowering
 
     SmallVector<LLVM::GEPArg> indices;
 
-    indices.push_back(0);
     indices.push_back(0);
 
     auto resultType = LLVM::LLVMPointerType::get(context);
@@ -1254,8 +1294,8 @@ void CxxToLLVMLoweringPass::runOnOperation() {
   RewritePatternSet patterns(context);
 
   // function operations
-  patterns.insert<FuncOpLowering, ReturnOpLowering, CallOpLowering>(
-      typeConverter, context);
+  patterns.insert<FuncOpLowering, GlobalOpLowering, ReturnOpLowering,
+                  CallOpLowering, AddressOfOpLowering>(typeConverter, context);
 
   // memory operations
   DataLayout dataLayout{module};