diff --git a/lights.js b/lights.js
index 871fbf4..50bf9a2 100644
--- a/lights.js
+++ b/lights.js
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ ws281x.configure({
 });
 
 export function set_pattern(pat) {
+  pattern = pat
   log.debug("pattern set");
-  pattern = pat;
 }
 
 export const functions = {
diff --git a/parse.js b/parse.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..53d3516
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parse.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+export default function parse(data) {
+  return {
+    errors: ["not yet implemented"]
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 22d6673..c14c13e 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as net from 'net';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
-import { functions, reqs } from './lights.js'
 import Logger, { levels } from './logger.js';
+import parse from './parse.js'
 
 const cfg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./config.json'));
 const log = new Logger("server", cfg.log_level ? levels[cfg.log_level] : levels.INFO);
@@ -16,18 +16,27 @@ export function recv(callback, errorCallback) {
     server.on('connection', (con) => {
       console.log('connection recieved: ' +
         con.remoteAddress + ":" + con.remotePort);
-      let data = [];
-      for (let key of Object.keys(functions)) {
-        data.push({
-          n: key.toUpperCase(),
-          a: reqs[key.toLowerCase()] != undefined ? reqs[key.toLowerCase()] : true
-        });
-      }
-      let functions_str = JSON.stringify(data);
-      con.write(functions_str);
-      log.debug(`sending ${functions_str}`);
+      // let data = [];
+      // for (let key of Object.keys(functions)) {
+      //   data.push({
+      //     n: key.toUpperCase(),
+      //     a: reqs[key.toLowerCase()] != undefined ? reqs[key.toLowerCase()] : true
+      //   });
+      // }
+      // let functions_str = JSON.stringify(data);
+      // con.write(functions_str);
+      // log.debug(`sending ${functions_str}`);
       con.on('data', (data) => {
-        callback(data);
+        let parsed_data = parse(data);
+
+        if (parsed_data.errors) {
+          con.write(JSON.stringify(parsed_data.errors));
+          errorCallback(parsed_data);
+        }
+        else {
+          con.write("success");
+          callback(data);
+        }
       });
       con.on('close', () => {
         console.log('recieved close for ' +