diff --git a/src/api/lib.zig b/src/api/lib.zig
index ab19097..4b2a434 100644
--- a/src/api/lib.zig
+++ b/src/api/lib.zig
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ pub const TimelineArgs = struct {
 };
 
 pub const TimelineResult = struct {
-    items: []services.notes.Note,
+    items: []services.notes.NoteDetailed,
 
     prev_page: TimelineArgs,
     next_page: TimelineArgs,
diff --git a/src/api/services/actors.zig b/src/api/services/actors.zig
index 2a7f964..30dd6d2 100644
--- a/src/api/services/actors.zig
+++ b/src/api/services/actors.zig
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ pub const CreateError = error{
     DatabaseFailure,
 };
 
+pub const ActorDetailed = struct {
+    id: Uuid,
+    username: []const u8,
+    host: []const u8,
+    created_at: DateTime,
+};
+
 pub const LookupError = error{
     DatabaseFailure,
 };
diff --git a/src/api/services/notes.zig b/src/api/services/notes.zig
index 086a85a..f413f76 100644
--- a/src/api/services/notes.zig
+++ b/src/api/services/notes.zig
@@ -14,6 +14,17 @@ pub const Note = struct {
     created_at: DateTime,
 };
 
+pub const NoteDetailed = struct {
+    id: Uuid,
+
+    author: struct {
+        id: Uuid,
+        username: []const u8,
+    },
+    content: []const u8,
+    created_at: DateTime,
+};
+
 pub const CreateError = error{
     DatabaseFailure,
 };
@@ -81,7 +92,7 @@ pub const QueryArgs = struct {
 };
 
 pub const QueryResult = struct {
-    items: []Note,
+    items: []NoteDetailed,
 
     prev_page: QueryArgs,
     next_page: QueryArgs,
@@ -91,7 +102,9 @@ pub fn query(db: anytype, args: QueryArgs, alloc: std.mem.Allocator) !QueryResul
     var builder = sql.QueryBuilder.init(alloc);
     defer builder.deinit();
 
-    try builder.appendSlice(selectStarFromNote ++
+    try builder.appendSlice(
+        \\SELECT note.id, note.content, note.created_at, actor.id AS "author.id", actor.username AS "author.username"
+        \\FROM note
         \\  JOIN actor ON actor.id = note.author_id
         \\
     );
@@ -140,7 +153,7 @@ pub fn query(db: anytype, args: QueryArgs, alloc: std.mem.Allocator) !QueryResul
     };
 
     const results = try db.queryRowsWithOptions(
-        Note,
+        NoteDetailed,
         try builder.terminate(),
         query_args,
         max_items,
diff --git a/src/sql/lib.zig b/src/sql/lib.zig
index 9b1f599..88c2bf1 100644
--- a/src/sql/lib.zig
+++ b/src/sql/lib.zig
@@ -120,12 +120,60 @@ const RawResults = union(Engine) {
     }
 };
 
+fn FieldPtr(comptime Ptr: type, comptime names: []const []const u8) type {
+    if (names.len == 0) return Ptr;
+
+    const T = std.meta.Child(Ptr);
+
+    const field = for (@typeInfo(T).Struct.fields) |f| {
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, f.name, names[0])) break f;
+    } else @compileError("Unknown field " ++ names[0] ++ " in type " ++ @typeName(T));
+
+    return FieldPtr(*field.field_type, names[1..]);
+}
+
+fn fieldPtr(ptr: anytype, comptime names: []const []const u8) FieldPtr(@TypeOf(ptr), names) {
+    if (names.len == 0) return ptr;
+
+    return fieldPtr(&@field(ptr.*, names[0]), names[1..]);
+}
+
+fn isScalar(comptime T: type) bool {
+    if (comptime std.meta.trait.isZigString(T)) return true;
+    if (comptime std.meta.trait.isIntegral(T)) return true;
+    if (comptime std.meta.trait.isFloat(T)) return true;
+    if (comptime std.meta.trait.is(.Enum)(T)) return true;
+    if (T == bool) return true;
+    if (comptime std.meta.trait.hasFn("parse")(T)) return true;
+
+    if (comptime std.meta.trait.is(.Optional)(T) and isScalar(std.meta.Child(T))) return true;
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+fn recursiveFieldPaths(comptime T: type, comptime prefix: []const []const u8) []const []const []const u8 {
+    comptime {
+        var fields: []const []const []const u8 = &.{};
+
+        for (std.meta.fields(T)) |f| {
+            const full_name = prefix ++ [_][]const u8{f.name};
+            if (isScalar(f.field_type)) {
+                fields = fields ++ [_][]const []const u8{full_name};
+            } else {
+                fields = fields ++ recursiveFieldPaths(f.field_type, full_name);
+            }
+        }
+
+        return fields;
+    }
+}
+
 // Represents a set of results.
 // row() must be called until it returns null, or the query may not complete
 // Must be deallocated by a call to finish()
 pub fn Results(comptime T: type) type {
     // would normally make this a declaration of the struct, but it causes the compiler to crash
-    const fields = if (T == void) .{} else std.meta.fields(T);
+    const fields = if (T == void) .{} else recursiveFieldPaths(T, &.{});
     return struct {
         const Self = @This();
 
@@ -141,13 +189,16 @@ pub fn Results(comptime T: type) type {
             return Self{ .underlying = underlying, .column_indices = blk: {
                 var indices: [fields.len]u15 = undefined;
                 inline for (fields) |f, i| {
-                    indices[i] = if (!std.meta.trait.isTuple(T))
-                        underlying.columnIndex(f.name) catch {
-                            std.log.err("Could not find column index for field {s}", .{f.name});
+                    if (comptime std.meta.trait.isTuple(T)) {
+                        indices[i] = i;
+                    } else {
+                        const name = util.comptimeJoin(".", f);
+                        indices[i] =
+                            underlying.columnIndex(name) catch {
+                            std.log.err("Could not find column index for field {s}", .{name});
                             return error.ColumnMismatch;
-                        }
-                    else
-                        i;
+                        };
+                    }
                 }
                 break :blk indices;
             } };
@@ -168,15 +219,19 @@ pub fn Results(comptime T: type) type {
                     // Iteration bounds must be defined at comptime (inline for) but the number of fields we could
                     // successfully allocate is defined at runtime. So we iterate over the entire field array and
                     // conditionally deallocate fields in the loop.
-                    if (i < fields_allocated) util.deepFree(alloc, @field(result, f.name));
+                    const ptr = fieldPtr(&result, f);
+                    if (i < fields_allocated) util.deepFree(alloc, ptr.*);
                 };
 
                 inline for (fields) |f, i| {
                     // TODO: Causes compiler segfault. why?
                     //const F = f.field_type;
-                    const F = @TypeOf(@field(result, f.name));
-                    @field(result, f.name) = row_val.get(F, self.column_indices[i], alloc) catch |err| {
-                        std.log.err("SQL: Error getting column {s} of type {}", .{ f.name, F });
+                    //const F = @TypeOf(@field(result, f.name));
+                    const F = std.meta.Child(FieldPtr(*@TypeOf(result), f));
+                    const ptr = fieldPtr(&result, f);
+                    const name = util.comptimeJoin(".", f);
+                    ptr.* = row_val.get(F, self.column_indices[i], alloc) catch |err| {
+                        std.log.err("SQL: Error getting column {s} of type {}", .{ name, F });
                         return err;
                     };
                     fields_allocated += 1;
diff --git a/src/template/lib.zig b/src/template/lib.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c997629
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/template/lib.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,402 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+
+pub fn main() !void {
+    try execute(std.io.getStdOut().writer(), @embedFile("./test.tmp.html"), .{
+        .community = .{ .name = "abcd" },
+        .foo = [_][]const u8{ "5", "4", "3", "2", "1" },
+        .baz = [_][]const []const u8{
+            &.{ "5", "4", "3", "2", "1" },
+            &.{ "5", "4", "3", "2", "1" },
+        },
+    });
+}
+
+pub fn execute(writer: anytype, comptime template: []const u8, args: anytype) !void {
+    @setEvalBranchQuota(@intCast(u32, template.len * 6));
+    const tmpl = comptime parseTemplate(TokenIter{ .text = template }, .root);
+    try executeTemplate(writer, tmpl.item, args, .{});
+}
+
+fn executeTemplate(writer: anytype, comptime items: []const TemplateItem, args: anytype, captures: anytype) !void {
+    inline for (items) |it| switch (it) {
+        .text => |text| try writer.writeAll(text),
+        .statement => |stmt| try executeStatement(writer, stmt, args, captures),
+    };
+}
+
+fn executeStatement(writer: anytype, comptime stmt: Statement, args: anytype, captures: anytype) !void {
+    switch (stmt) {
+        .expression => |expr| {
+            const val = evaluateExpression(expr, args, captures);
+            try print(writer, val);
+        },
+        .for_loop => |loop| {
+            const iterable = evaluateExpression(loop.iterable, args, captures);
+            const subtemplate = loop.subtemplate;
+            for (iterable) |v| {
+                try executeTemplate(
+                    writer,
+                    subtemplate,
+                    args,
+                    addCapture(captures, loop.capture, v),
+                );
+            }
+        },
+        else => @compileError("TODO"),
+    }
+}
+
+fn print(writer: anytype, arg: anytype) !void {
+    if (comptime std.meta.trait.isZigString(@TypeOf(arg))) return writer.writeAll(arg);
+    @compileLog(@TypeOf(arg));
+
+    @compileError("TODO");
+}
+
+fn Deref(comptime T: type, comptime names: []const []const u8) type {
+    if (names.len == 0) return T;
+
+    // Compiler segfaults when I use std.meta to get this info so we search it manually
+    const field = for (@typeInfo(T).Struct.fields) |f| {
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, f.name, names[0])) break f;
+    } else @compileError("Unknown field " ++ names[0] ++ " in type " ++ @typeName(T));
+
+    return Deref(field.field_type, names[1..]);
+}
+
+fn deref(arg: anytype, comptime names: []const []const u8) Deref(@TypeOf(arg), names) {
+    if (names.len == 0) return arg;
+    return deref(@field(arg, names[0]), names[1..]);
+}
+
+fn EvaluateExpression(comptime expression: Expression, comptime Args: type, comptime Captures: type) type {
+    return switch (expression) {
+        .arg_deref => |names| Deref(Args, names),
+        .capture_deref => |names| Deref(Captures, names),
+    };
+}
+
+fn evaluateExpression(
+    comptime expression: Expression,
+    args: anytype,
+    captures: anytype,
+) EvaluateExpression(expression, @TypeOf(args), @TypeOf(captures)) {
+    return switch (expression) {
+        .arg_deref => |names| deref(args, names),
+        .capture_deref => |names| deref(captures, names),
+    };
+}
+
+fn AddCapture(comptime Root: type, comptime name: []const u8, comptime Val: type) type {
+    var fields = std.meta.fields(Root) ++ [_]std.builtin.Type.StructField{.{
+        .name = name,
+        .field_type = Val,
+        .default_value = null,
+        .is_comptime = false,
+        .alignment = @alignOf(Val),
+    }};
+
+    return @Type(.{ .Struct = .{
+        .layout = .Auto,
+        .fields = fields,
+        .decls = &.{},
+        .is_tuple = false,
+    } });
+}
+
+fn addCapture(root: anytype, comptime name: []const u8, val: anytype) AddCapture(@TypeOf(root), name, @TypeOf(val)) {
+    var result = std.mem.zeroInit(AddCapture(@TypeOf(root), name, @TypeOf(val)), root);
+    @field(result, name) = val;
+    return result;
+}
+
+const TemplateType = enum {
+    root,
+    subtemplate,
+};
+
+fn parseTemplate(comptime tokens: TokenIter, comptime template_type: TemplateType) ParseResult([]const TemplateItem) {
+    comptime {
+        var iter = tokens;
+        var items: []const TemplateItem = &.{};
+        var current_text: []const u8 = "";
+
+        parse_loop: while (iter.next()) |token| {
+            switch (token) {
+                .whitespace, .text => |text| current_text = current_text ++ text,
+                .open_bracket => {
+                    const next = iter.peek() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+                    if (next == .open_bracket) {
+                        current_text = current_text ++ "{";
+                        _ = iter.next();
+                    } else {
+                        if (current_text.len != 0) {
+                            items = items ++ [_]TemplateItem{.{ .text = current_text }};
+                            current_text = "";
+                        }
+                        const result = parseExpressionOrStatement(iter, true);
+                        iter = result.new_iter;
+                        if (result.item == .end_for) {
+                            if (template_type == .subtemplate) break :parse_loop else @compileError("Unexpected end statement");
+                        }
+                        items = items ++ [_]TemplateItem{.{ .statement = result.item }};
+                    }
+                },
+                .close_bracket => {
+                    const next = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+                    if (next == .close_bracket) current_text = current_text ++ "}" else @compileError("Unpaired close bracket, did you mean \"}}\"?");
+                },
+                .period => current_text = current_text ++ ".",
+                .pound => current_text = current_text ++ "#",
+                .pipe => current_text = current_text ++ "|",
+                .dollar => current_text = current_text ++ "$",
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (current_text.len != 0) {
+            items = items ++ [_]TemplateItem{.{ .text = current_text }};
+        }
+
+        return .{
+            .new_iter = iter,
+            .item = items,
+        };
+    }
+}
+
+fn parseExpressionOrStatement(
+    comptime tokens: TokenIter,
+    comptime as_statement: bool,
+) ParseResult(if (as_statement) Statement else Expression) {
+    comptime {
+        var iter = tokens;
+        var stmt: Statement = while (iter.next()) |token| switch (token) {
+            .whitespace => {},
+            .pound => {
+                if (!as_statement) @compileError("Unexpected Token");
+                const next = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+                if (next != .text) @compileError("Expected keyword following '#' character");
+                const text = next.text;
+                const keyword = std.meta.stringToEnum(Keyword, text) orelse @compileError("Unknown keyword: " ++ text);
+
+                switch (keyword) {
+                    .end_for => break .{ .end_for = {} },
+                    .@"for" => {
+                        const result = parseForLoop(iter);
+                        // statemnt already finished so just return
+                        return .{
+                            .new_iter = result.new_iter,
+                            .item = .{ .for_loop = result.item },
+                        };
+                    },
+
+                    //else => @compileError("TODO"),
+                }
+            },
+            .period => {
+                const names = parseDeref(iter);
+                iter = names.new_iter;
+                break .{ .expression = .{ .arg_deref = names.item } };
+            },
+            .dollar => {
+                const names = parseDeref(iter);
+                iter = names.new_iter;
+                break .{ .expression = .{ .capture_deref = names.item } };
+            },
+            else => if (as_statement) @compileError("TODO") else break,
+        };
+
+        if (as_statement) {
+            // search for end of statement
+            while (iter.next()) |token| switch (token) {
+                .whitespace => {},
+                .close_bracket => return .{
+                    .new_iter = iter,
+                    .item = stmt,
+                },
+                else => {
+                    @compileLog(iter.row);
+                    @compileError("TODO" ++ @tagName(token));
+                },
+            };
+
+            @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+        } else return .{ .new_iter = iter, .item = stmt.expression };
+    }
+}
+
+fn skipWhitespace(comptime tokens: TokenIter) TokenIter {
+    comptime {
+        var iter = tokens;
+        while (iter.peek()) |token| switch (token) {
+            .whitespace => _ = iter.next(),
+            else => break,
+        };
+
+        return iter;
+    }
+}
+
+fn endStatement(comptime tokens: TokenIter) TokenIter {
+    comptime {
+        var iter = skipWhitespace(tokens);
+
+        const token = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+        if (token != .close_bracket) @compileError("Unexpected token");
+        return iter;
+    }
+}
+
+fn parseForLoop(comptime tokens: TokenIter) ParseResult(ForLoop) {
+    comptime {
+        const iterable = parseExpressionOrStatement(tokens, false);
+        var iter = iterable.new_iter;
+
+        iter = skipWhitespace(iter);
+        {
+            const token = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+            if (token != .pipe) @compileError("Unexpected token");
+        }
+        {
+            const token = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+            if (token != .dollar) @compileError("Unexpected token");
+        }
+        const capture = blk: {
+            const token = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+            if (token != .text) @compileError("Unexpected token");
+            break :blk token.text;
+        };
+        {
+            const token = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+            if (token != .pipe) @compileError("Unexpected token");
+        }
+        iter = endStatement(iter);
+
+        const subtemplate = parseTemplate(iter, .subtemplate);
+
+        return .{ .new_iter = subtemplate.new_iter, .item = .{ .iterable = iterable.item, .subtemplate = subtemplate.item, .capture = capture } };
+    }
+}
+
+fn parseDeref(comptime tokens: TokenIter) ParseResult([]const []const u8) {
+    comptime {
+        var iter = tokens;
+        var fields: []const []const u8 = &.{};
+        var wants = .text;
+        while (iter.peek()) |token| {
+            switch (token) {
+                .whitespace => {},
+                .text => |text| {
+                    if (wants != .text) @compileError("Unexpected token \"" ++ text ++ "\"");
+                    fields = fields ++ [1][]const u8{text};
+                    wants = .period;
+                },
+                .period => {
+                    if (wants != .period) @compileError("Unexpected token \".\"");
+                    wants = .text;
+                },
+                else => if (wants == .period) return .{
+                    .new_iter = iter,
+                    .item = fields,
+                } else @compileError("Unexpected token"),
+            }
+            _ = iter.next();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn ParseResult(comptime T: type) type {
+    return struct {
+        new_iter: TokenIter,
+        item: T,
+    };
+}
+
+const TemplateItem = union(enum) {
+    text: []const u8,
+    statement: Statement,
+};
+
+const Expression = union(enum) {
+    arg_deref: []const []const u8,
+    capture_deref: []const []const u8,
+};
+
+const ForLoop = struct {
+    subtemplate: []const TemplateItem,
+    iterable: Expression,
+    capture: []const u8,
+};
+
+const Statement = union(enum) {
+    expression: Expression,
+    for_loop: ForLoop,
+    end_for: void,
+};
+
+const Keyword = enum {
+    @"for",
+    end_for,
+};
+
+const Token = union(enum) {
+    text: []const u8,
+    open_bracket: void,
+    close_bracket: void,
+    period: void,
+    whitespace: []const u8,
+    pound: void,
+    pipe: void,
+    dollar: void,
+};
+
+const TokenIter = struct {
+    start: usize = 0,
+    text: []const u8,
+    peeked_token: ?Token = null,
+
+    row: usize = 0,
+
+    fn next(self: *TokenIter) ?Token {
+        if (self.peeked_token) |token| {
+            self.peeked_token = null;
+            return token;
+        }
+
+        const remaining = self.text[self.start..];
+        if (remaining.len == 0) return null;
+
+        const ch = remaining[0];
+        self.start += 1;
+        switch (ch) {
+            '{' => return .{ .open_bracket = {} },
+            '}' => return .{ .close_bracket = {} },
+            '.' => return .{ .period = {} },
+            '#' => return .{ .pound = {} },
+            '|' => return .{ .pipe = {} },
+            '$' => return .{ .dollar = {} },
+            ' ', '\t', '\n', '\r' => {
+                var idx: usize = 0;
+                while (idx < remaining.len and std.mem.indexOfScalar(u8, " \t\n\r", remaining[idx]) != null) : (idx += 1) {}
+                const newline_count = std.mem.count(u8, remaining[0..idx], "\n");
+                self.row += newline_count;
+
+                self.start += idx - 1;
+                return .{ .whitespace = remaining[0..idx] };
+            },
+            else => {
+                var idx: usize = 0;
+                while (idx < remaining.len and std.mem.indexOfScalar(u8, "{}.#|$ \t\n\r", remaining[idx]) == null) : (idx += 1) {}
+
+                self.start += idx - 1;
+                return .{ .text = remaining[0..idx] };
+            },
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn peek(self: *TokenIter) ?Token {
+        const token = self.next();
+        self.peeked_token = token;
+        return token;
+    }
+};
diff --git a/src/template/test.tmp.html b/src/template/test.tmp.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87bac71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/template/test.tmp.html
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+  <head>
+    <title>{.community.name}</title>
+  </head>
+
+  <body>
+    <h1> TITLE </h1>
+    <h2> {{ REAL BRACKETS }} </h2>
+
+    <section>
+      {#for .baz |$f|}{#for $f |$b|}{$b}:{#end_for}
+      {#end_for}
+    </section>
+  </body>
+</html>