diff --git a/bin/bashbot_stats.sh b/bin/bashbot_stats.sh
index 66358a9..ea5a911 100755
--- a/bin/bashbot_stats.sh
+++ b/bin/bashbot_stats.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 #          FILE: bin/bashbot_stats.sh
 # 
-#         USAGE: bashbot_stats.sh [-h|--help] [debug]
+USAGE='bashbot_stats.sh [-h|--help] [debug]'
 # 
 #   DESCRIPTION: output bashbot user stats
 # 
@@ -16,14 +16,14 @@
 #        AUTHOR: KayM (gnadelwartz), kay@rrr.de
 #       CREATED: 23.12.2020 20:34
 #
-#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-34-gda214ab
+#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-45-g2a3ab2a
 #===============================================================================
 
 ####
 # parse args
 case "$1" in
 	"-h"*)
-		echo "usage: send_message [-h|--help] [debug]"
+		printf "usage: %s\n" "${USAGE}"
 		exit 1
 		;;
 	'--h'*)
diff --git a/bin/delete_message.sh b/bin/delete_message.sh
index e0c08ce..927af12 100755
--- a/bin/delete_message.sh
+++ b/bin/delete_message.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 #          FILE: bin/delete_message.sh
 # 
-#         USAGE: delete_message.sh [-h|--help]  "CHAT[ID]" "MESSAGE[ID]" [debug]
+USAGE='delete_message.sh [-h|--help]  "CHAT[ID]" "MESSAGE[ID]" [debug]'
 # 
 #   DESCRIPTION: delete a message in the given user/group
 # 
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #        AUTHOR: KayM (gnadelwartz), kay@rrr.de
 #       CREATED: 03.01.2021 15:37
 #
-#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-34-gda214ab
+#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-45-g2a3ab2a
 #===============================================================================
 
 ####
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		printf "missing arguments\n"
 		;&
 	"-h"*)
-		printf 'usage: send_edit_message [-h|--help] [format] "CHAT[ID]" "MESSAGE[ID]" "message ..."  [debug]\n'
+		printf 'usage: %s\n' "${USAGE}"
 		exit 1
 		;;
 	'--h'*)
diff --git a/bin/send_edit_message.sh b/bin/send_edit_message.sh
index 6dbb640..7e6f968 100755
--- a/bin/send_edit_message.sh
+++ b/bin/send_edit_message.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 #          FILE: bin/send_message.sh
 # 
-#         USAGE: send_edit_message.sh [-h|--help] [format] "CHAT[ID]" "MESSAGE[ID]" "message ...." [debug]
+USAGE='send_edit_message.sh [-h|--help] [format] "CHAT[ID]" "MESSAGE[ID]" "message ...." [debug]'
 # 
 #   DESCRIPTION: replace a message in the given user/group
 # 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #        AUTHOR: KayM (gnadelwartz), kay@rrr.de
 #       CREATED: 23.12.2020 16:52
 #
-#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-34-gda214ab
+#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-45-g2a3ab2a
 #===============================================================================
 
 ####
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		printf "missing arguments\n"
 		;&
 	"-h"*)
-		printf 'usage: send_edit_message [-h|--help] [format] "CHAT[ID]" "MESSAGE[ID]" "message ..."  [debug]\n'
+		printf 'usage: %s\n' "${USAGE}"
 		exit 1
 		;;
 	'--h'*)
diff --git a/bin/send_file.sh b/bin/send_file.sh
index 64c3579..f38ca69 100755
--- a/bin/send_file.sh
+++ b/bin/send_file.sh
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 #===============================================================================
 #
 #          FILE: bin/send_file.sh
-# 
-#         USAGE: send_file.sh [-h|--help] "CHAT[ID]" "file|URL" "caption ...." [type] [debug]
+#
+USAGE='send_file.sh [-h|--help] "CHAT[ID]" "file|URL" "caption ...." [type] [debug]'
 # 
 #   DESCRIPTION: send a file to the given user/group
 # 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #        AUTHOR: KayM (gnadelwartz), kay@rrr.de
 #       CREATED: 25.12.2020 20:24
 #
-#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-34-gda214ab
+#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-45-g2a3ab2a
 #===============================================================================
 
 ####
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		printf "missing arguments\n"
 		;&
 	"-h"*)
-		printf 'usage: send_file [-h|--help] "CHAT[ID]" "file" "caption ...." [type] [debug]\n'
+		printf 'usage: %s\n' "${USAGE}"
 		exit 1
 		;;
 	'--h'*)
diff --git a/bin/send_message.sh b/bin/send_message.sh
index 1ec494e..13b1334 100755
--- a/bin/send_message.sh
+++ b/bin/send_message.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 #          FILE: bin/send_message.sh
 # 
-#         USAGE: send_message.sh [-h|--help] [format] "CHAT[ID]" "message ...." [debug]
+USAGE='send_message.sh [-h|--help] [format] "CHAT[ID]" "message ...." [debug]'
 # 
 #   DESCRIPTION: send a message to the given user/group
 # 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #        AUTHOR: KayM (gnadelwartz), kay@rrr.de
 #       CREATED: 16.12.2020 11:34
 #
-#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-34-gda214ab
+#### $$VERSION$$ v1.25-dev-45-g2a3ab2a
 #===============================================================================
 
 ####
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		printf "missing arguments\n"
 		;&
 	"-h"*)
-		printf 'usage: send_message [-h|--help] [format] "CHAT[ID]" "message ...." [debug]\n'
+		printf 'usage: %s\n' "${USAGE}"
 		exit 1
 		;;
 	'--h'*)