diff --git a/examples/hello.c b/examples/hello.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7583bb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/hello.c
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+int main()
+{
+    printf("hello\n");
+}
diff --git a/parse.c b/parse.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6119f43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parse.c
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+#include "parse.h"
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+// phases:
+// https://en.cppreference.com/c/language/translation_phases
+
+// phase 1 - source chars
+
+void source_char_iter_init(SourceCharIter* r, const char* text)
+{
+    *r = (SourceCharIter) {
+        .text = text,
+        .i = 0,
+        .line = 1,
+        .col = 1,
+    };
+}
+
+SourceChar source_iter_next(SourceCharIter* r)
+{
+    char ch = r->text[r->i];
+    int line = r->line;
+    int col = r->col;
+
+    if (r->text[r->i] != '\0') {
+        if (ch == '\n') {
+            r->line += 1;
+            r->col = 1;
+        } else {
+            r->col += 1;
+        }
+        r->i += 1;
+    }
+
+    return (SourceChar) { ch, line, col };
+}
+
+// phase 2 - logical source lines
+
+void lsl_iter_init(LslCharIter* r, SourceCharIter* source_char_iter)
+{
+    SourceChar curr = source_iter_next(source_char_iter);
+
+    *r = (LslCharIter) {
+        .source_char_iter = source_char_iter,
+        .curr = curr,
+    };
+}
+
+LslChar lsl_iter_next(LslCharIter* r)
+{
+    SourceChar next = source_iter_next(r->source_char_iter);
+
+    if (r->curr.ch == '\\' && next.ch == '\n') {
+        r->curr = source_iter_next(r->source_char_iter);
+        return lsl_iter_next(r);
+    }
+
+    LslChar lsl_char = { r->curr.ch, r->curr.line, r->curr.col };
+
+    r->curr = next;
+    return lsl_char;
+}
+
+// phase 3 - preprocessor tokens
+
+void lexer_init(Lexer* r, LslCharIter* lsl_char_iter)
+{
+    LslChar curr = lsl_iter_next(lsl_char_iter);
+
+    *r = (Lexer) {
+        .lsl_char_iter = lsl_char_iter,
+        .curr = curr,
+    };
+}
+
+static Tok tok(TokTy ty, const char* text, int line, int col)
+{
+    return (Tok) { ty, strdup(text), line, col };
+}
+
+static bool l_done(Lexer* l)
+{
+    return l->curr.ch == '\0';
+}
+
+constexpr size_t max_token_text_len = 64;
+
+static void l_step(Lexer* l, char text[], size_t* text_len)
+{
+    assert(*text_len < max_token_text_len);
+    text[*text_len] = l->curr.ch;
+    *text_len += 1;
+
+    l->curr = lsl_iter_next(l->lsl_char_iter);
+}
+
+Tok lexer_next(Lexer* l)
+{
+    int line = l->curr.line;
+    int col = l->curr.col;
+
+    char text[max_token_text_len] = "";
+    size_t text_len = 0;
+
+    if (l_done(l)) {
+        return tok(Tok_Eof, text, line, col);
+    }
+
+    bool matched = false;
+    while (strchr(" \t\r", l->curr.ch)) {
+        matched = true;
+        l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+    }
+    if (matched) {
+        return lexer_next(l);
+    }
+
+    while ((l->curr.ch >= 'a' && l->curr.ch <= 'z')
+        || (l->curr.ch >= 'A' && l->curr.ch <= 'Z')
+        || (matched && l->curr.ch >= '0' && l->curr.ch <= '9')
+        || strchr("_", l->curr.ch)) {
+        matched = true;
+        l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+    }
+    if (matched) {
+        return tok(Tok_Ident, text, line, col);
+    }
+
+    while ((l->curr.ch >= '1' && l->curr.ch <= '9')
+        || (matched && l->curr.ch == '0')) {
+        matched = true;
+        l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+    }
+    if (matched) {
+        return tok(Tok_Int, text, line, col);
+    }
+
+    if (l->curr.ch == '"') {
+        l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+        while (l->curr.ch != '"') {
+            if (l->curr.ch == '\\') {
+                l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+                if (l_done(l))
+                    break;
+            }
+            l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+        }
+        if (l_done(l) || l->curr.ch != '"') {
+            fprintf(stderr, "error: malformed string literal\n");
+            return lexer_next(l);
+        }
+        l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+        return tok(Tok_Str, text, line, col);
+    }
+
+    if (l->curr.ch == '\'') {
+        l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+        if (l->curr.ch == '\\') {
+            l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+        }
+        if (!l_done(l)) {
+            l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+        }
+        if (l_done(l) && l->curr.ch != '\'') {
+            fprintf(stderr, "error: malformed character literal\n");
+            return lexer_next(l);
+        }
+        l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+        return tok(Tok_Char, text, line, col);
+    }
+
+    if (strchr("\n;(){}", l->curr.ch)) {
+        TokTy ty = (TokTy)l->curr.ch;
+        l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+        return tok(ty, text, line, col);
+    }
+    fprintf(stderr, "error: illegal character '%c'\n", l->curr.ch);
+    l_step(l, text, &text_len);
+    return lexer_next(l);
+}
diff --git a/parse.h b/parse.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b77b871
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parse.h
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#ifndef PARSE_H
+#define PARSE_H
+
+#include <stddef.h>
+
+typedef struct {
+    char ch;
+    int line;
+    int col;
+} SourceChar;
+
+typedef struct {
+    const char* text;
+    size_t i;
+    int line;
+    int col;
+} SourceCharIter;
+
+void source_char_iter_init(SourceCharIter* r, const char* text);
+SourceChar source_iter_next(SourceCharIter* r);
+
+typedef struct {
+    char ch;
+    int line;
+    int col;
+} LslChar;
+
+typedef struct {
+    SourceCharIter* source_char_iter;
+    SourceChar curr;
+} LslCharIter;
+
+void lsl_iter_init(LslCharIter* r, SourceCharIter* source_char_iter);
+LslChar lsl_iter_next(LslCharIter* r);
+
+typedef enum {
+    Tok_Eof,
+    Tok_Eol,
+    Tok_Ident,
+    Tok_Int,
+    Tok_Str,
+    Tok_Char,
+    Tok_HeaderName,
+    Tok_Newline = '\n', // NOTE: has value 10
+    Tok_Semicolon = ';',
+    Tok_LParen = '(',
+    Tok_RParen = ')',
+    Tok_LBrace = '{',
+    Tok_RBrace = '}',
+} TokTy;
+
+typedef struct {
+    TokTy ty;
+    char* text;
+    int line;
+    int col;
+} Tok;
+
+typedef struct {
+    LslCharIter* lsl_char_iter;
+    LslChar curr;
+} Lexer;
+
+void lexer_init(Lexer* r, LslCharIter* lsl_char_iter);
+Tok lexer_next(Lexer* l);
+
+#endif