diff --git a/namelist/namelist.py b/namelist/namelist.py
index 5c14511023ca786566931b2908a99c856ebc32af..14dc5c89067ebc25b176547f78e8c81be77a31f4 100644
--- a/namelist/namelist.py
+++ b/namelist/namelist.py
@@ -62,8 +62,13 @@ class Namelist(DictClass):
         """
         retstr = "&%s\n" % str(self.name)
         for k, v in self.items():
-            if hasattr(v, '__iter__'):
-                retstr += "%s = (/ " % k
+            if hasattr(v, 'islower'):  # is a string
+                retstr += "{} = {}\n".format(k, repr(v))
+            elif hasattr(v, 'items'):  # is a dictionary
+                for i, ival in v.items():
+                    retstr += "{}({}) = {}\n".format(k, i, repr(ival))
+            elif hasattr(v, 'index'):  # is an array
+                retstr += "{} = (/ ".format(k)
                 tmpstr = ""
                 for vv in v:
                     if isinstance(vv, bool):
@@ -226,7 +231,7 @@ def _add_value(container, value, key):
         # test if container is a dict like object
         container.keys()
         container[key] = value
-    except:  # container is a list
+    except AttributeError:  # container is a list
         container.append(value)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_parsing.py b/tests/test_parsing.py
index 6aeed30abe76cf81847b2eca713fd5ea9c4a65bf..0236f370e53eaa8790235fca310b15f54868f96e 100644
--- a/tests/test_parsing.py
+++ b/tests/test_parsing.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ def test_parse_file(string):
      "&nml\nval1 = .FALSE.\n/\n",
      "&nml\nval1 = (/ 1,2,3,4,5,6 /)\n/\n",
      "&nml\nval1 = (/ .TRUE.,.FALSE.,.TRUE.,.TRUE. /)\n/\n",
+     "&nml\nval1 = 3\nval2 = 5\n/\n",
      ]
 )
 def test_string_out(string):
@@ -189,6 +190,7 @@ def test_var_bool(string, val):
 )
 def test_var_string(string, val):
     nml = namelist.parse_namelist_string(string)["nml"]
+    print(str(nml))
     assert nml["val"] == val
 
 
@@ -243,30 +245,41 @@ def test_index_assignment(string, val1, d):
     assert nml["val"] == d
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("string", ["&nml {} /", "&nml {} val2=34 /"])
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("val1", ["lala", "((1 + 2) + 3)", 3, 3.0, 3e6, ".T."])
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("d", [{1: None, 2: 35},{1: None}])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("string", ["&nml\n{}/\n", "&nml\n{}val2 = 34\n/\n"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "val1",
+    ["some_string", "((1 + 2) + 3)", 3, 3.0, 3e6, ".T."]
+)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("d", [{1: None, 2: 35}, {1: None}])
 def test_index_assignment_to_str(string, d, val1):
-    val_str = ""
     try:
         int(eval(val1))
         is_expression = True
-    except:
+    except (NameError, SyntaxError, TypeError):
         is_expression = False
     is_bool = (val1 == ".T.")
     d[1] = val1
+    val_str = ""
     for k, v in d.items():
         if is_expression | is_bool:
-            val_str += "val({}) = {} ".format(k, v)
+            val_str += "val({}) = {}\n".format(k, v)
         else:
-            val_str += "val({}) = {} ".format(k, repr(v))
+            val_str += "val({}) = {}\n".format(k, repr(v))
+    nml_string = string.format(val_str)
+    nml = namelist.parse_namelist_string(nml_string)["nml"]
+
     if is_expression:
         d[1] = eval(d[1])
     if is_bool:
         d[1] = (val1 == ".T.")
-    nml_string = string.format(val_str)
-    nml = namelist.parse_namelist_string(nml_string)["nml"]
-    assert nml_string == str(nml)
+    valid_String = ""
+    for k, v in d.items():
+        valid_String += "val({}) = {}\n".format(k, repr(v))
+    valid_String = string.format(valid_String)
+
+    print(valid_String, nml_string, str(nml))
+    print(is_expression, is_bool)
+    assert valid_String == str(nml)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("string", ["&nml val= {}, val2='lsl'/"])