diff --git a/docs/custom_sql_parser.md b/docs/custom_sql_parser.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a660978c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/custom_sql_parser.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Writing a Custom SQL Parser
+
+I have explored many different ways of building this library to make it easy to extend it for custom SQL dialects. Most of my attempts ended in failure but I have now found a workable solution. It is not without downsides but this seems to be the most pragmatic solution.
+
+The concept is simply to write a new parser that delegates to the ANSI parser so that as much as possible of the core functionality can be re-used.
+
diff --git a/src/sqlast.rs b/src/sqlast.rs
index 6c40d939..5dcf5693 100644
--- a/src/sqlast.rs
+++ b/src/sqlast.rs
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ pub enum SQLType {
     Int,
     /// Big integer
     BigInt,
-    /// Floating point with precision e.g. FLOAT(8)
-    Float(usize),
+    /// Floating point with optional precision e.g. FLOAT(8)
+    Float(Option<usize>),
     /// Floating point e.g. REAL
     Real,
     /// Double e.g. DOUBLE PRECISION
diff --git a/src/sqlparser.rs b/src/sqlparser.rs
index 7e11c87c..e59fee35 100644
--- a/src/sqlparser.rs
+++ b/src/sqlparser.rs
@@ -64,32 +64,23 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse tokens until the precedence changes
-    fn parse_expr(&mut self, precedence: u8) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
-        //        println!("parse_expr() precendence = {}", precedence);
-
+    pub fn parse_expr(&mut self, precedence: u8) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
         let mut expr = self.parse_prefix()?;
-        //        println!("parsed prefix: {:?}", expr);
-
         loop {
             let next_precedence = self.get_next_precedence()?;
             if precedence >= next_precedence {
-                //                println!("break on precedence change ({} >= {})", precedence, next_precedence);
                 break;
             }
 
             if let Some(infix_expr) = self.parse_infix(expr.clone(), next_precedence)? {
-                //                println!("parsed infix: {:?}", infix_expr);
                 expr = infix_expr;
             }
         }
-
-        //        println!("parse_expr() returning {:?}", expr);
-
         Ok(expr)
     }
 
     /// Parse an expression prefix
-    fn parse_prefix(&mut self) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_prefix(&mut self) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
         match self.next_token() {
             Some(t) => {
                 match t {
@@ -150,7 +141,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse a SQL CAST function e.g. `CAST(expr AS FLOAT)`
-    fn parse_cast_expression(&mut self) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_cast_expression(&mut self) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
         let expr = self.parse_expr(0)?;
         self.consume_token(&Token::Keyword("AS".to_string()))?;
         let data_type = self.parse_data_type()?;
@@ -162,7 +153,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse an expression infix (typically an operator)
-    fn parse_infix(
+    pub fn parse_infix(
         &mut self,
         expr: ASTNode,
         precedence: u8,
@@ -206,7 +197,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Convert a token operator to an AST operator
-    fn to_sql_operator(&self, tok: &Token) -> Result<SQLOperator, ParserError> {
+    pub fn to_sql_operator(&self, tok: &Token) -> Result<SQLOperator, ParserError> {
         match tok {
             &Token::Eq => Ok(SQLOperator::Eq),
             &Token::Neq => Ok(SQLOperator::NotEq),
@@ -226,7 +217,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Get the precedence of the next token
-    fn get_next_precedence(&self) -> Result<u8, ParserError> {
+    pub fn get_next_precedence(&self) -> Result<u8, ParserError> {
         if self.index < self.tokens.len() {
             self.get_precedence(&self.tokens[self.index])
         } else {
@@ -235,7 +226,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Get the precedence of a token
-    fn get_precedence(&self, tok: &Token) -> Result<u8, ParserError> {
+    pub fn get_precedence(&self, tok: &Token) -> Result<u8, ParserError> {
         //println!("get_precedence() {:?}", tok);
 
         match tok {
@@ -252,7 +243,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Peek at the next token
-    fn peek_token(&mut self) -> Option<Token> {
+    pub fn peek_token(&mut self) -> Option<Token> {
         if self.index < self.tokens.len() {
             Some(self.tokens[self.index].clone())
         } else {
@@ -261,7 +252,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Get the next token and increment the token index
-    fn next_token(&mut self) -> Option<Token> {
+    pub fn next_token(&mut self) -> Option<Token> {
         if self.index < self.tokens.len() {
             self.index = self.index + 1;
             Some(self.tokens[self.index - 1].clone())
@@ -271,7 +262,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Get the previous token and decrement the token index
-    fn prev_token(&mut self) -> Option<Token> {
+    pub fn prev_token(&mut self) -> Option<Token> {
         if self.index > 0 {
             Some(self.tokens[self.index - 1].clone())
         } else {
@@ -280,7 +271,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Look for an expected keyword and consume it if it exists
-    fn parse_keyword(&mut self, expected: &'static str) -> bool {
+    pub fn parse_keyword(&mut self, expected: &'static str) -> bool {
         match self.peek_token() {
             Some(Token::Keyword(k)) => {
                 if expected.eq_ignore_ascii_case(k.as_str()) {
@@ -295,7 +286,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Look for an expected sequence of keywords and consume them if they exist
-    fn parse_keywords(&mut self, keywords: Vec<&'static str>) -> bool {
+    pub fn parse_keywords(&mut self, keywords: Vec<&'static str>) -> bool {
         let index = self.index;
         for keyword in keywords {
             //println!("parse_keywords aborting .. expecting {}", keyword);
@@ -312,7 +303,7 @@ impl Parser {
     //TODO: this function is inconsistent and sometimes returns bool and sometimes fails
 
     /// Consume the next token if it matches the expected token, otherwise return an error
-    fn consume_token(&mut self, expected: &Token) -> Result<bool, ParserError> {
+    pub fn consume_token(&mut self, expected: &Token) -> Result<bool, ParserError> {
         match self.peek_token() {
             Some(ref t) => if *t == *expected {
                 self.next_token();
@@ -329,7 +320,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse a SQL CREATE statement
-    fn parse_create(&mut self) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_create(&mut self) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
         if self.parse_keywords(vec!["TABLE"]) {
             match self.next_token() {
                 Some(Token::Identifier(id)) => {
@@ -398,7 +389,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse a literal integer/long
-    fn parse_literal_int(&mut self) -> Result<i64, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_literal_int(&mut self) -> Result<i64, ParserError> {
         match self.next_token() {
             Some(Token::Number(s)) => s.parse::<i64>().map_err(|e| {
                 ParserError::ParserError(format!("Could not parse '{}' as i64: {}", s, e))
@@ -408,19 +399,19 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse a literal string
-    //    fn parse_literal_string(&mut self) -> Result<String, ParserError> {
-    //        match self.next_token() {
-    //            Some(Token::String(ref s)) => Ok(s.clone()),
-    //            other => parser_err!(format!("Expected literal string, found {:?}", other)),
-    //        }
-    //    }
+    pub fn parse_literal_string(&mut self) -> Result<String, ParserError> {
+        match self.next_token() {
+            Some(Token::String(ref s)) => Ok(s.clone()),
+            other => parser_err!(format!("Expected literal string, found {:?}", other)),
+        }
+    }
 
     /// Parse a SQL datatype (in the context of a CREATE TABLE statement for example)
-    fn parse_data_type(&mut self) -> Result<SQLType, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_data_type(&mut self) -> Result<SQLType, ParserError> {
         match self.next_token() {
             Some(Token::Keyword(k)) => match k.to_uppercase().as_ref() {
                 "BOOLEAN" => Ok(SQLType::Boolean),
-                "FLOAT" => Ok(SQLType::Float(self.parse_precision()?)),
+                "FLOAT" => Ok(SQLType::Float(self.parse_optional_precision()?)),
                 "REAL" => Ok(SQLType::Real),
                 "DOUBLE" => Ok(SQLType::Double),
                 "SMALLINT" => Ok(SQLType::SmallInt),
@@ -433,12 +424,12 @@ impl Parser {
         }
     }
 
-    fn parse_precision(&mut self) -> Result<usize, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_precision(&mut self) -> Result<usize, ParserError> {
         //TODO: error handling
         Ok(self.parse_optional_precision()?.unwrap())
     }
 
-    fn parse_optional_precision(&mut self) -> Result<Option<usize>, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_optional_precision(&mut self) -> Result<Option<usize>, ParserError> {
         if self.consume_token(&Token::LParen)? {
             let n = self.parse_literal_int()?;
             //TODO: check return value of reading rparen
@@ -450,7 +441,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse a SELECT statement
-    fn parse_select(&mut self) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_select(&mut self) -> Result<ASTNode, ParserError> {
         let projection = self.parse_expr_list()?;
 
         let relation: Option<Box<ASTNode>> = if self.parse_keyword("FROM") {
@@ -509,7 +500,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse a comma-delimited list of SQL expressions
-    fn parse_expr_list(&mut self) -> Result<Vec<ASTNode>, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_expr_list(&mut self) -> Result<Vec<ASTNode>, ParserError> {
         let mut expr_list: Vec<ASTNode> = vec![];
         loop {
             expr_list.push(self.parse_expr(0)?);
@@ -528,7 +519,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse a comma-delimited list of SQL ORDER BY expressions
-    fn parse_order_by_expr_list(&mut self) -> Result<Vec<ASTNode>, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_order_by_expr_list(&mut self) -> Result<Vec<ASTNode>, ParserError> {
         let mut expr_list: Vec<ASTNode> = vec![];
         loop {
             let expr = self.parse_expr(0)?;
@@ -575,7 +566,7 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     /// Parse a LIMIT clause
-    fn parse_limit(&mut self) -> Result<Option<Box<ASTNode>>, ParserError> {
+    pub fn parse_limit(&mut self) -> Result<Option<Box<ASTNode>>, ParserError> {
         if self.parse_keyword("ALL") {
             Ok(None)
         } else {
@@ -845,6 +836,21 @@ mod tests {
         //TODO: assertions
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_literal_string() {
+        let sql = "SELECT 'one'";
+        match parse_sql(&sql) {
+            ASTNode::SQLSelect { ref projection, .. } => {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    projection[0],
+                    ASTNode::SQLLiteralString("one".to_string())
+                );
+            }
+            _ => panic!(),
+        }
+
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn parse_select_version() {
         let sql = "SELECT @@version";