diff --git a/src/image.zig b/src/image.zig
index 3e38903..0e9c775 100644
--- a/src/image.zig
+++ b/src/image.zig
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ pub const Image = struct {
     /// Open a BMP image for later.
     pub fn open(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, path: []const u8) !*Image {
         var in_fmt = mkSfInfo();
-
         var sndfile = try sopen(allocator, path, c.SFM_READ, &in_fmt);
         var image = try allocator.create(Image);
 
@@ -149,6 +148,26 @@ pub const Image = struct {
         return image;
     }
 
+    pub fn clone(self: *Image) !*Image {
+        var in_fmt = mkSfInfo();
+        // clone sndfile
+        var sndfile = try sopen(self.allocator, self.curpath, c.SFM_READ, &in_fmt);
+        var image = try self.allocator.create(Image);
+
+        std.debug.assert(in_fmt.frames > i64(0));
+        std.debug.assert(in_fmt.seekable == i32(1));
+
+        image.* = Image{
+            .allocator = self.allocator,
+            .sndfile = sndfile,
+            .path = self.path,
+            .curpath = self.curpath,
+            .frames = @intCast(usize, in_fmt.frames),
+        };
+
+        return image;
+    }
+
     pub fn close(self: *Image) void {
         //self.allocator.free(self.path);
         //self.allocator.free(self.curpath);
diff --git a/src/lang.zig b/src/lang.zig
index 3af632c..9724dfb 100644
--- a/src/lang.zig
+++ b/src/lang.zig
@@ -3,10 +3,8 @@ const std = @import("std");
 const plugin = @import("plugin.zig");
 
 pub const ParseError = error{
-    NoCommandGiven,
-    UnknownCommand,
+    OutOfMemory,
     ArgRequired,
-    FloatParseFail,
     ParseFail,
 };
 
@@ -160,6 +158,11 @@ pub const Lang = struct {
         self.keywords.deinit();
     }
 
+    pub fn reset(self: *Lang) void {
+        self.has_error = false;
+        self.line = 0;
+    }
+
     fn fillKeywords(self: *Lang) !void {
         _ = try self.keywords.put("noop", .Noop);
         _ = try self.keywords.put("load", .Load);
@@ -261,7 +264,7 @@ pub const Lang = struct {
 
     fn expectAny(self: *Lang, count: usize, args: ArgList) !void {
         if (args.len != count) {
-            std.debug.warn("expected {} arguments, found {}\n", count, args.len);
+            self.doError("expected {} arguments, found {}", count, args.len);
             return error.ArgRequired;
         }
     }
@@ -274,7 +277,7 @@ pub const Lang = struct {
         var i: usize = 0;
 
         if (args.len != count) {
-            std.debug.warn("expected {} arguments, found {}\n", count, args.len);
+            self.doError("expected {} arguments, found {}", count, args.len);
             return error.ArgRequired;
         }
 
@@ -319,7 +322,7 @@ pub const Lang = struct {
         self.has_error = true;
     }
 
-    pub fn parse(self: *Lang, data: []const u8) !CommandList {
+    pub fn parse(self: *Lang, data: []const u8) ParseError!CommandList {
         var splitted_it = std.mem.separate(data, ";");
         try self.fillKeywords();
         var cmds = CommandList.init(self.allocator);
@@ -359,7 +362,7 @@ pub const Lang = struct {
             // construct final Command based on command
             var cmd = Command{ .command = ctype, .args = args };
             self.validateCommand(cmd) catch |err| {
-                self.doError("Unknown command '{}' (length {})", command, command.len);
+                //self.doError("error validating command '{}': {}", command, err);
                 continue;
             };
 
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 156855e..be034f9 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -1,12 +1,122 @@
 const std = @import("std");
 const langs = @import("lang.zig");
 const runners = @import("runner.zig");
+const printer = @import("printer.zig");
 
 test "scritcher" {
     _ = @import("lang.zig");
     _ = @import("runner.zig");
 }
 
+fn wrapInCmdList(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, cmd: langs.Command) !langs.CommandList {
+    var cmds = langs.CommandList.init(allocator);
+    try cmds.append(cmd);
+    return cmds;
+}
+
+pub fn doRepl(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, args_it: var) !void {
+    var stdout_file = try std.io.getStdOut();
+    const stdout = &stdout_file.outStream().stream;
+
+    const scri_path = try (args_it.next(allocator) orelse @panic("expected scri path"));
+
+    var file = try std.fs.File.openWrite(scri_path);
+    defer file.close();
+
+    var out = file.outStream();
+    var stream = &out.stream;
+
+    // the thing here is that 'load :0' would load the scri_path, since we
+    // now have a 'repl' argument right before it. to counteract that, the
+    // initial repl buffer contains 'load :1' instead.
+
+    var loadargs = langs.ArgList.init(allocator);
+    defer loadargs.deinit();
+    try loadargs.append(":1");
+
+    var cmds = try wrapInCmdList(allocator, langs.Command{
+        .command = .Load,
+        .args = loadargs,
+    });
+
+    defer cmds.deinit();
+
+    // we keep
+    //  - a CommandList with the full commands we have right now
+    //  - a Command with the current last typed successful command
+
+    //  - one runner that contains the current full state of the image
+    //     as if the current cmds was ran over it (TODO better wording)
+    //  - one runner that gets copied from the original on every new
+    //    command the user issues
+
+    var lang = langs.Lang.init(allocator);
+    defer lang.deinit();
+
+    var current: langs.Command = undefined;
+
+    var runner = runners.Runner.init(allocator);
+    defer runner.deinit();
+
+    // run the load command
+    try runner.runCommands(cmds, true);
+
+    var runqs_args = langs.ArgList.init(allocator);
+    defer runqs_args.deinit();
+
+    // TODO change the runqs command to something given in an env var
+    try runqs_args.append("ristretto");
+
+    while (true) {
+        lang.reset();
+        try stdout.print("> ");
+
+        var buffer = try std.Buffer.init(allocator, ""[0..]);
+        var line = std.io.readLine(&buffer) catch |err| {
+            if (err == error.EndOfStream) break;
+            return err;
+        };
+
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, line, "push")) {
+            try cmds.append(current);
+
+            // run the current added command to main cmds list
+            // with the main parent runner
+            var cmds_wrapped = try wrapInCmdList(allocator, current);
+            defer cmds_wrapped.deinit();
+            try runner.runCommands(cmds_wrapped, true);
+
+            continue;
+        } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, line, "list")) {
+            try printer.printList(cmds, stdout);
+            continue;
+        } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, line, "save")) {
+            try file.seekTo(0);
+            try printer.printList(cmds, stream);
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        var cmds_parsed = lang.parse(line) catch |err| {
+            std.debug.warn("repl: error while parsing: {}\n", err);
+            continue;
+        };
+        current = cmds_parsed.at(0);
+
+        // by cloning the parent runner, we can iteratively write
+        // whatever command we want and only commit the good results
+        // back to the parent runner
+        var runner_clone = try runner.clone();
+        defer runner_clone.deinit();
+
+        try cmds_parsed.append(langs.Command{
+            .command = .RunQS,
+            .args = runqs_args,
+        });
+
+        try runner_clone.runCommands(cmds_parsed, true);
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn main() !void {
     const allocator = std.heap.direct_allocator;
 
@@ -18,9 +128,15 @@ pub fn main() !void {
 
     var args_it = std.process.args();
 
+    // TODO print help
+
     _ = try (args_it.next(allocator) orelse @panic("expected exe name"));
     const scri_path = try (args_it.next(allocator) orelse @panic("expected scri path"));
 
+    if (std.mem.eql(u8, scri_path, "repl")) {
+        return try doRepl(allocator, &args_it);
+    }
+
     var file = try std.fs.File.openRead(scri_path);
     defer file.close();
 
diff --git a/src/printer.zig b/src/printer.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a30f8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/printer.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+const langs = @import("lang.zig");
+
+pub fn printList(list: langs.CommandList, stream: var) !void {
+    for (list.toSlice()) |cmd| {
+        var command = switch (cmd.command) {
+            .Noop => "noop",
+            .Load => "load",
+            .Quicksave => "quicksave",
+            .RunQS => "runqs",
+
+            .Amp => "amp",
+            .RFlanger => "rflanger",
+            .Eq => "eq",
+            .Phaser => "phaser",
+            .Mbeq => "mbeq",
+            .Chorus => "chorus",
+            .PitchScaler => "pitchscaler",
+            .Reverb => "reverb",
+            .Highpass => "highpass",
+            .Delay => "delay",
+            .Vinyl => "vinyl",
+            .RevDelay => "revdelay",
+
+            .Noise => "noise",
+            .WildNoise => "wildnoise",
+            .Write => "write",
+
+            .Rotate => "rotate",
+        };
+
+        try stream.print("{}", command);
+
+        for (cmd.args.toSlice()) |arg| {
+            try stream.print(" {}", arg);
+        }
+
+        try stream.write(";\n");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/runner.zig b/src/runner.zig
index a348f22..072e38b 100644
--- a/src/runner.zig
+++ b/src/runner.zig
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ pub const Runner = struct {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn clone(self: *Runner) !Runner {
+        var cloned_image = if (self.image) |image| try image.clone() else null;
+        return Runner{ .allocator = self.allocator, .image = cloned_image };
+    }
+
     fn resolveArg(self: *Runner, load_path: []const u8) ![]const u8 {
         if (load_path[0] == ':') {
             // parse the index from 1 to end
@@ -173,7 +178,7 @@ pub const Runner = struct {
         );
         defer proc.deinit();
 
-        std.debug.warn("running '{} {}'", program, out_path);
+        std.debug.warn("running '{} {}'\n", program, out_path);
         _ = try proc.spawnAndWait();
     }