diff --git a/splubp.p8 b/splubp.p8
index 8a32f60..26bd681 100644
--- a/splubp.p8
+++ b/splubp.p8
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ __lua__
 -- splubp data transport
 -- by kistaro windrider
 
--- main
+-- shrinko-8 hints
+DEBUG = true --[[const]]
 
 -- >8
 -- utilities
@@ -44,54 +45,107 @@ function mknew(tt)
  return tt
 end
 
-function set(t)
- local ret = {}
- for v in all(t) do
-  ret[v]=true
+function trim(s)
+ local f, e = 1, #s
+ while (f <= e and s[f]==" ") f += 1
+ while (e >= f and s[e]==" ") e -= 1
+ if (f<e) return sub(s,f,e)
+ return ""
+end
+
+function shatter(s)
+ local ret ={}
+ for line in all(split(s, "\n")) do
+  local row = {}
+  for cell in all(split(split(line, "--")[1], " ")) do
+   cell = trim(cell)
+   if (#cell > 0) add(row, cell)
+  end
+  if (#row > 0) add(ret, row)
  end
  return ret
 end
 
-whitespace = set(split" ,\t,\n")
-
-function trim(s)
- local f, e = 1, #s
- while (f <= e and whitespace[s[f]]) f += 1
- while (e >= f and whitespace[s[e]]) e -= 1
- if (f<e) return sub(s,f,e)
+function crush(s)
+ ret = ""
+ for line in shatter(s) do
+  for tok in line do
+   ret..=tok.." "
+  end
+  ret = sub(ret, 1, -2).."\n"
+ end
+ if (#ret > 0) return sub(ret, 1, -2)
  return ""
 end
 
+-- >8
+-- common
+
+--[[preserve-keys]] splubp = mknew{
+ ptr = 0x8000,
+ init = function(self)
+  -- fill from ffile or saved file
+  self.fmts = {}
+  if (not self.ffile) self.ffile, self.ptr = self:e()
+  for f in all(split(self.ffile, "===", false)) do
+   local tok = shatter(f)
+   assert(#tok > 1, "not enough rows in "..tostr(tok)) -- debug
+   assert(#tok[1] == 1 and tok[1][1][1] == ".", "bad extension row: "..tostr(tok[1])) -- debug
+   self.fmts[sub(deli(tok, 1)[1], 1)] = tok
+  end
+ end,
+}
+
+function splubp:e()
+ local ret = chr(peek(self.ptr + 2, %self.ptr))
+ return ret, self.ptr + 2 + #ret
+end
+
 -- >8
 -- writer
 
-splubp_writer = mknew{
- init = function(self)
-  -- fill from single file
-  self.fmts = self.fmts or {}
-  if self.ffile then
-   for f in all(split(self.ffile, "===", false)) do
-    local ext, fmt = split(f, "---")
-    self.fmts[trim(ext)] = trim(fmt)
-   end
+function splubp:emit_fmts()
+ self.ptr = self:emit_e(self.ffile)
+end
+
+function splubp:emit_item(obj, filename)
+ debug_last_emit = obj -- global debug
+ filename = filename or obj._file
+ obj._addr = self.ptr
+ self.ptr = self:write_s(filename)
+ for row in all(self.fmts[split(filename, ".")[2]]) do
+  local alt = self.wdirectives[row[1]]
+  if alt then
+   self.ptr = alt(self, obj, row)
+  else
+   self.ptr = self:write_fmt(obj[row[1]], row, 2)
   end
  end
-}
+end
 
+-- TODO: splubp.wdirectives -- a
+--       table mapping non-key
+--       special values to
+--       functions to write them     
+-- TODO: write_fmt: recursive
+--       writing thing
+
+function splubp:write_s(s)
+ poke(self.ptr, #s, ord(s, 1, #s))
+ return self.ptr + 1 + #s
+)
+end
+
+function splubp:write_e(s)
+ poke2(self.ptr, #s)
+ poke(self.ptr+2, ord(s, 1, #s))
+ return self.ptr + 2 + #s
+end
 
 -->8
 -- loader
 
--- essay: `e` directive
--- reads int16 char count,
--- then parses that many bytes
--- into a string (via chr).
--- returns string, new read offset.
-function splubp_read_essay(addr)
- local cs, n = {}, %addr
- for a2 = addr+2, addr+n+1 do
-  add(cs, @a2)
- end
- return chr(unpack(cs)), addr+2+n
+function splubp:s()
+ local ret = chr(peek(self.ptr + 1, @self.ptr))
+ return ret, self.ptr + 1 + #ret
 end
-