diff --git a/src/data/base.rs b/src/data/base.rs
index f7b875ef53..c95ee26e86 100644
--- a/src/data/base.rs
+++ b/src/data/base.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use crate::Text;
 use chrono::{DateTime, Utc};
 use chrono_humanize::Humanize;
 use derive_new::new;
+use indexmap::IndexMap;
 use log::trace;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::fmt;
@@ -452,7 +453,7 @@ impl Value {
         match self {
             Value::Primitive(p) => p.type_name(),
             Value::Row(_) => format!("row"),
-            Value::Table(_) => format!("list"),
+            Value::Table(_) => format!("table"),
             Value::Block(_) => format!("block"),
             Value::Error(_) => format!("error"),
         }
@@ -684,6 +685,15 @@ impl Value {
                                 Value::Row(ref mut o) => {
                                     current = o;
                                 }
+                                Value::Table(ref mut l) => match l.get_mut(0) {
+                                    Some(Tagged {
+                                        item: Value::Row(ref mut dict),
+                                        ..
+                                    }) => {
+                                        current = dict;
+                                    }
+                                    _ => return None,
+                                },
                                 _ => return None,
                             }
                         }
@@ -769,6 +779,21 @@ impl Value {
         }
     }
 
+    #[allow(unused)]
+    pub fn row(entries: IndexMap<String, Tagged<Value>>) -> Value {
+        Value::Row(entries.into())
+    }
+
+    pub fn table(list: &Vec<Tagged<Value>>) -> Value {
+        let mut out = vec![];
+
+        for v in list {
+            out.push(v.clone());
+        }
+
+        Value::Table(out)
+    }
+
     pub fn string(s: impl Into<String>) -> Value {
         Value::Primitive(Primitive::String(s.into()))
     }
@@ -927,3 +952,106 @@ fn coerce_compare_primitive(
         _ => return Err((left.type_name(), right.type_name())),
     })
 }
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+
+    use crate::data::meta::*;
+    use crate::Value;
+    use indexmap::IndexMap;
+
+    fn string(input: impl Into<String>) -> Tagged<Value> {
+        Value::string(input.into()).tagged_unknown()
+    }
+
+    fn row(entries: IndexMap<String, Tagged<Value>>) -> Tagged<Value> {
+        Value::row(entries).tagged_unknown()
+    }
+
+    fn table(list: &Vec<Tagged<Value>>) -> Tagged<Value> {
+        Value::table(list).tagged_unknown()
+    }
+
+    fn column_path(paths: &Vec<Tagged<Value>>) -> Tagged<Vec<Tagged<String>>> {
+        let paths = paths
+            .iter()
+            .map(|p| string(p.as_string().unwrap()))
+            .collect();
+        let table = table(&paths);
+        table.as_column_path().unwrap()
+    }
+    #[test]
+    fn gets_the_matching_field_from_a_row() {
+        let field = "amigos";
+
+        let row = Value::row(indexmap! {
+            field.into() => table(&vec![
+                string("andres"),
+                string("jonathan"),
+                string("yehuda"),
+            ]),
+        });
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            table(&vec![
+                string("andres"),
+                string("jonathan"),
+                string("yehuda")
+            ]),
+            *row.get_data_by_key(field).unwrap()
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn gets_the_first_row_with_matching_field_from_rows_inside_a_table() {
+        let field = "name";
+
+        let table = Value::table(&vec![
+            row(indexmap! {field.into() =>   string("andres")}),
+            row(indexmap! {field.into() => string("jonathan")}),
+            row(indexmap! {field.into() =>   string("yehuda")}),
+        ]);
+
+        assert_eq!(string("andres"), *table.get_data_by_key(field).unwrap());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn gets_the_matching_field_from_nested_rows_inside_a_row() {
+        let _field = "package.version";
+        let field = vec![string("package"), string("version")];
+        let field = column_path(&field);
+
+        let (version, tag) = string("0.4.0").into_parts();
+
+        let row = Value::row(indexmap! {
+            "package".into() => row(indexmap!{
+                "name".into() => string("nu"),
+                "version".into() => string("0.4.0"),
+            })
+        });
+
+        assert_eq!(version, **row.get_data_by_column_path(tag, &field).unwrap())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn gets_the_first_row_with_matching_field_from_nested_rows_inside_a_table() {
+        let _field = "package.authors.name";
+        let field = vec![string("package"), string("authors"), string("name")];
+        let field = column_path(&field);
+
+        let (name, tag) = string("Andrés N. Robalino").into_parts();
+
+        let row = Value::row(indexmap! {
+            "package".into() => row(indexmap!{
+                "authors".into() => table(&vec![
+                    row(indexmap!{"name".into()=> string("Andrés N. Robalino")}),
+                    row(indexmap!{"name".into()=> string("Jonathan Turner")}),
+                    row(indexmap!{"name".into() => string("Yehuda Katz")})
+                ]),
+                "name".into() => string("nu"),
+                "version".into() => string("0.4.0"),
+            })
+        });
+
+        assert_eq!(name, **row.get_data_by_column_path(tag, &field).unwrap())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index bfcaa4510f..520e08a136 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #![recursion_limit = "1024"]
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[macro_use]
+extern crate indexmap;
+
 #[macro_use]
 mod prelude;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/embed.rs b/src/plugins/embed.rs
index 97dd6a2713..e659bfeb3b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/embed.rs
+++ b/src/plugins/embed.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+#[macro_use]
+extern crate indexmap;
+
 use nu::{
     serve_plugin, CallInfo, Plugin, Primitive, ReturnSuccess, ReturnValue, ShellError, Signature,
-    SyntaxShape, Tag, Tagged, TaggedDictBuilder, Value,
+    SyntaxShape, Tag, Tagged, TaggedItem, Value,
 };
 
 struct Embed {
@@ -16,22 +19,8 @@ impl Embed {
     }
 
     fn embed(&mut self, value: Tagged<Value>) -> Result<(), ShellError> {
-        match value {
-            Tagged { item, tag } => match &self.field {
-                Some(_) => {
-                    self.values.push(Tagged {
-                        item: item,
-                        tag: tag,
-                    });
-                    Ok(())
-                }
-                None => Err(ShellError::labeled_error(
-                    "embed needs a field when embedding a value",
-                    "original value",
-                    &tag,
-                )),
-            },
-        }
+        self.values.push(value);
+        Ok(())
     }
 }
 
@@ -39,8 +28,7 @@ impl Plugin for Embed {
     fn config(&mut self) -> Result<Signature, ShellError> {
         Ok(Signature::build("embed")
             .desc("Embeds a new field to the table.")
-            .required("Field", SyntaxShape::String)
-            .rest(SyntaxShape::String)
+            .optional("field", SyntaxShape::String)
             .filter())
     }
 
@@ -67,15 +55,15 @@ impl Plugin for Embed {
     }
 
     fn end_filter(&mut self) -> Result<Vec<ReturnValue>, ShellError> {
-        let mut root = TaggedDictBuilder::new(Tag::unknown());
-        root.insert_tagged(
-            self.field.as_ref().unwrap(),
-            Tagged {
-                item: Value::Table(self.values.clone()),
-                tag: Tag::unknown(),
-            },
-        );
-        Ok(vec![ReturnSuccess::value(root.into_tagged_value())])
+        let row = Value::row(indexmap! {
+            match &self.field {
+                Some(key) => key.clone(),
+                None => "root".into(),
+            } => Value::table(&self.values).tagged(Tag::unknown()),
+        })
+        .tagged(Tag::unknown());
+
+        Ok(vec![ReturnSuccess::value(row)])
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/inc.rs b/src/plugins/inc.rs
index 38788014ad..1cb6cb2b97 100644
--- a/src/plugins/inc.rs
+++ b/src/plugins/inc.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ pub enum SemVerAction {
     Patch,
 }
 
-pub type ColumnPath = Tagged<Vec<Tagged<String>>>;
+pub type ColumnPath = Vec<Tagged<String>>;
 
 struct Inc {
     field: Option<ColumnPath>,
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@ impl Inc {
                 Ok(Value::bytes(b + 1 as u64).tagged(value.tag()))
             }
             Value::Primitive(Primitive::String(ref s)) => Ok(self.apply(&s)?.tagged(value.tag())),
+            Value::Table(values) => {
+                if values.len() == 1 {
+                    return Ok(Value::Table(vec![self.inc(values[0].clone())?]).tagged(value.tag()));
+                } else {
+                    return Err(ShellError::type_error(
+                        "incrementable value",
+                        value.tagged_type_name(),
+                    ));
+                }
+            }
             Value::Row(_) => match self.field {
                 Some(ref f) => {
                     let replacement = match value.item.get_data_by_column_path(value.tag(), f) {
@@ -91,10 +101,11 @@ impl Inc {
                             return Err(ShellError::labeled_error(
                                 "inc could not find field to replace",
                                 "column name",
-                                &f.tag,
+                                value.tag(),
                             ))
                         }
                     };
+
                     match value.item.replace_data_at_column_path(
                         value.tag(),
                         f,
@@ -105,7 +116,7 @@ impl Inc {
                             return Err(ShellError::labeled_error(
                                 "inc could not find field to replace",
                                 "column name",
-                                &f.tag,
+                                value.tag(),
                             ))
                         }
                     }
@@ -151,7 +162,7 @@ impl Plugin for Inc {
                         item: Value::Table(_),
                         ..
                     } => {
-                        self.field = Some(table.as_column_path()?);
+                        self.field = Some(table.as_column_path()?.item().to_vec());
                     }
                     value => return Err(ShellError::type_error("table", value.tagged_type_name())),
                 }