diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96236f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+example
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/editor.nim b/editor.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3540f14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/editor.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import unicode
+import strutils
+import terminal
+import strformat
+import posix
+
+import keycodes
+
+type
+  EditorState* = ref object
+    # config
+    prompt: string # prompt to display
+    maxRowsGoal: int # if terminal resizes, how to compute max rows
+    # positive: it will set max rows to maxRowsGoal, or terminal height, whichever is lower
+    # negative: it will set it to terminal height - maxRowsGoal or terminal height, whichever is lower
+    # 0: terminal height
+
+    # state reached during execution
+    x: int # current cursor x position on screen
+    bx: int # current x position in buffer (not same as x due to UTF-8)
+    y: int # which row are we editing
+    size: int # size of the row being edited in characters
+    buffer: seq[string] # current text
+    history: seq[seq[string]] # past texts
+    historyIndex: int # where are we in history
+    cols: int # number of columns in the terminal
+    maxRows: int # max number of rows allowed
+
+# for editors
+var editors: seq[EditorState]
+
+# resize support
+onSignal(28):
+  discard
+
+proc newEditor*(prompt: string = "> ", multiline: bool = true): EditorState =
+  new(result)
+  result.prompt = prompt
+  result.maxRowsGoal = if multiline: 0 else: 1
+  result.buffer.add("")
+  editors.add(result)
+
+proc destroyEditor*(oldEditor: EditorState) =
+  for i in 0..editors.high():
+    let ed = editors[i]
+    if ed == oldEditor:
+      editors.del(i)
+      return
+
+proc render(ed: EditorState) =
+  eraseLine()
+  setCursorXPos(0)
+  write stdout, ed.prompt
+  write stdout, ed.buffer[ed.y]
+
+template cline(ed: EditorState): var string =
+  ed.buffer[ed.y]
+
+proc read*(ed: EditorState): string =
+  ed.render()
+  while true:
+    let key = getKey()
+    case key:
+    of jkEnter.int:
+      break
+    of jkBackspace.int:
+      if ed.x == 0:
+        discard # merge two lines TODO
+      elif ed.x > ed.cline().high():
+        ed.cline() = ed.cline[0..ed.cline().high()-1]
+        dec ed.x
+        dec ed.bx
+      else:
+        # TODO UTF8
+        ed.cline() = ed.cline[0..ed.x-1] & ed.cline[ed.x+1..ed.cline().high()]
+        dec ed.x
+        dec ed.bx
+    else:
+      if key > 31 and key < 127:
+        # ascii char
+        let ch = key.char()
+        if ed.x == 0:
+          ed.cline() = $ch & ed.cline
+        elif ed.x > ed.cline.high():
+          ed.cline() = ed.cline & $ch
+        else:
+          ed.cline() = ed.cline[0..ed.x-1] & $ch & ed.cline[ed.x..ed.cline().high()]
+        inc ed.x
+        inc ed.bx
+
+    ed.render()
+  
+  # return val
+  result = ed.buffer.join("\n")
+
+  # cleanup
+  write(stdout, "\n")
+  ed.history.add(ed.buffer)
+  ed.buffer = @[""]
+  ed.y = 0
+  ed.x = 0
+  
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/example.nim b/example.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddfc2f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import editor
+
+let e = newEditor("> ", false)
+
+while true:
+  let text = e.read()
+  if text == "quit":
+    break
+  echo text
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/keycodes.nim b/keycodes.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1477e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keycodes.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+# keycodes.nim
+
+import tables
+import strutils
+import terminal
+
+type
+  JaleKeycode* = enum
+    jkStart = 255 # jale keycodes exported start one above jkStart
+    # arrow keys
+    jkLeft = 256, jkRight, jkUp, jkDown, 
+    jkCtrlLeft, jkCtrlRight, jkCtrlUp, jkCtrlDown,
+    # other 4 move keys
+    jkHome, jkEnd, jkPageUp, jkPageDown,
+    jkCtrlHome, jkCtrlEnd, jkCtrlPageUp, jkCtrlPageDown,
+    # special keys
+    jkDelete, jkBackspace, jkInsert, jkEnter,
+
+    jkFinish, # jale keycodes exported end one below jkFinish
+    # non-exported jale keycodes come here:
+    jkContinue # represents an unfinished escape sequence
+
+var keysById*: Table[int, string]
+var keysByName*: Table[string, int]
+
+block:
+  # 1 - 26
+  for i in countup(1, 26): # iterate through lowercase letters
+    keysById[i] = "ctrl+" & $char(i + 96)
+
+  keysById[9] = "tab"
+  # keysById[8] will never get triggered because it's an escape seq
+
+  keysById[28] = r"ctrl+\"
+  keysById[29] = "ctrl+]"
+  keysByName[r"ctrl+\"] = 28
+  keysByName["ctrl+]"] = 29
+
+  for i in countup(1, 26):
+    keysByName[keysById[i]] = i
+
+  # jale keycodes:
+  for i in countup(int(jkStart) + 1, int(jkFinish) - 1):
+    var name: string = ($JaleKeycode(i))
+    name = name[2..name.high()].toLower()
+    keysByName[name] = i
+    keysById[i] = name
+
+var escapeSeqs*: Table[int, JaleKeycode]
+
+proc defEscSeq(keys: seq[int], id: JaleKeycode) =
+  var result = 0
+  for key in keys:
+    result *= 256
+    result += key
+  if escapeSeqs.hasKey(result):
+    raise newException(Defect, "Duplicate escape sequence definition")
+  escapeSeqs[result] = id
+
+block:
+  when defined(windows):
+    defEscSeq(@[224], jkContinue)
+    
+    # arrow keys
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 72], jkUp)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 80], jkDown)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 77], jkRight)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 75], jkLeft)
+    # ctrl+arrow keys
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 141], jkCtrlUp)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 145], jkCtrlDown)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 116], jkCtrlRight)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 115], jkCtrlLeft)
+    # moves
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 71], jkHome)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 79], jkEnd)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 73], jkPageUp)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 81], jkPageDown)
+    # ctrl+moves
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 134], jkCtrlPageUp)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 118], jkCtrlPageDown)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 119], jkCtrlHome)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 117], jkCtrlEnd)
+    
+    # special keys
+    defEscSeq(@[8], jkBackspace)
+    defEscSeq(@[13], jkEnter)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 82], jkInsert)
+    defEscSeq(@[224, 83], jkDelete)
+  else:
+    # arrow keys
+    defEscSeq(@[27], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 65], jkUp)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 66], jkDown)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 67], jkRight)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 68], jkLeft)
+
+    # ctrl+arrow keys
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 59], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 59, 53], jkContinue) # ctrl
+
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 59, 50], jkContinue) # shift
+
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 59, 53, 65], jkCtrlUp) # ctrl
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 59, 53, 66], jkCtrlDown) # ctrl
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 59, 53, 67], jkCtrlRight) # ctrl
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 59, 53, 68], jkCtrlLeft) # ctrl
+
+    # urxvt
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 79], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 79, 97], jkCtrlUp)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 79, 98], jkCtrlDown)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 79, 99], jkCtrlRight)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 79, 100], jkCtrlLeft)
+
+    # other 4 move keys
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 72], jkHome)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 70], jkEnd)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 54], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 53], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 53, 126], jkPageUp)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 54, 126], jkPageDown)
+    # alternative home/end for tty
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 126], jkHome)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 52], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 52, 126], jkEnd)
+    # urxvt
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 55], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 56], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 55, 126], jkHome)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 56, 126], jkEnd)
+
+    # ctrl + fancy keys like pgup, pgdown, home, end
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 53, 59], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 53, 59, 53], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 53, 59, 53, 126], jkCtrlPageUp)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 54, 59], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 54, 59, 53], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 54, 59, 53, 126], jkCtrlPageDown)
+
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 59, 53, 72], jkCtrlHome)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 49, 59, 53, 70], jkCtrlEnd)
+
+    # urxvt
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 53, 94], jkCtrlPageUp)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 54, 94], jkCtrlPageDown)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 55, 94], jkCtrlHome)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 56, 94], jkCtrlEnd)
+
+    # other keys
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 51], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 50], jkContinue)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 51, 126], jkDelete)
+    defEscSeq(@[27, 91, 50, 126], jkInsert)
+    defEscSeq(@[13], jkEnter)
+    defEscSeq(@[127], jkBackspace)
+    defEscSeq(@[8], jkBackspace) 
+
+
+proc getChar: int =
+  getch().int
+
+proc getKey*: int =
+  var key = 0
+  while true:
+    key *= 256
+    key += getChar()
+    if escapeSeqs.hasKey(key):
+      if escapeSeqs[key] != jkContinue:
+        key = escapeSeqs[key].int()
+        break
+    else:
+      break
+  return key