=== modified file 'aat_data.test'
--- aat_data.test	2016-01-07 15:19:29 +0000
+++ aat_data.test	2015-10-22 23:30:06 +0000
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 |}
 ---
 >>> /Makefile:.*failed/
->>>2 /error: undefined scalar 'name'/
+>>>2 /error: undefined variable 'name'/
 >>>= 2
 
 ./aattest tests/data6
@@ -132,36 +132,3 @@
 ]
 >>>2
 >>>= 0
-
-./aattest tests/data8
-<<<
-@awk ../../data.awk
-|END{
-@for n in names
-Hello {<n.name>}!
-@endfor
-|}
----
-names=[
-name
-X
-Y
-]
->>>
-Hello X!
-Hello Y!
->>>2
->>>= 0
-
-./aattest tests/data9
-<<<
-@awk ../../data.awk
-|END{
-@for n in names
-Hello {<n.name>}!
-@endfor
-|}
----
->>> /Makefile:.*failed/
->>>2 /error: undefined table 'names'/
->>>= 2

=== modified file 'data.awk'
--- data.awk	2016-01-07 15:19:29 +0000
+++ data.awk	2016-01-07 14:13:23 +0000
@@ -74,20 +74,17 @@
 	exit 1
 }
 
-function data_not_found_error(varname, type) {
-	if(ENVIRON["DATA_AWK_EMPTY_GET"]) {
-		if(DEBUG) {
-			print type" not found: " varname >"/dev/stderr"
-		}
-	} else {
-		print "error: undefined "type" '"varname"'" >"/dev/stderr"
-		exit 1
-	}
-}
-
 function loop_start(varname, prefix,    depth) {
 	if(!((varname, "fields") in V)) {
-		data_not_found_error(varname, "table")
+		if(ENVIRON["DATA_AWK_EMPTY_GET"]) {
+			if(DEBUG) {
+				print "table not found: " varname >"/dev/stderr"
+			}
+			found = ""
+		} else {
+			print "error: undefined table '"varname"'" >"/dev/stderr"
+			exit 1
+		}
 	}
 	depth = ++loop_stack["depth"]
 	loop_stack[depth,"row"] = 0
@@ -162,8 +159,15 @@
 
 function get(varname) {
 	if(!find(varname)) {
-		data_not_found_error(varname, "scalar")
-		found = ""
+		if(ENVIRON["DATA_AWK_EMPTY_GET"]) {
+			if(DEBUG) {
+				print "variable not found: " varname >"/dev/stderr"
+			}
+			found = ""
+		} else {
+			print "error: undefined variable '"varname"'" >"/dev/stderr"
+			exit 1
+		}
 	}
 	if(DEBUG) {
 		print "get →" varname "← = →"found"←" >"/dev/stderr"