diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 4a94637..15bef38 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,121 @@
-fn main() {}
+use std::fmt::Display;
+
+use winnow::{IResult, bytes::{take_while0, take_until0}, character::{alphanumeric1, multispace0}, error::ParseError, Parser, sequence::{delimited, preceded}, branch, combinator::todo, multi::{fold_many0, many0}};
+
+const TEST_IHL: &str = "
+html {
+    head {
+        title \"test file!\"
+    }
+    body {
+        h1 \"hello world\"
+        p \"this is a test file\"
+        p {
+            \"some text followed by \"
+            a \"a hyperlink\"
+        }
+    }
+}
+";
+
+fn main() {
+    let (remainder, e) = el_parser.parse_next(TEST_IHL).unwrap();
+
+    println!("{e}");
+}
+
+fn el_parser(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, Element> {
+    (
+        el_name_parser, 
+        el_body_parser
+    ).map(|(name, children)| Element { name, children }).parse_next(input)
+}
+
+
+fn el_name_parser(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, &str> {
+    ws(alphanumeric1).parse_next(input)
+}
+
+fn el_body_parser(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, ElBody> {
+    ws(branch::alt((
+        string_parser.map(|s| ElBody::Text(s)),
+        delimited(
+            '{', 
+            many0(content_parser).map(|v| ElBody::Elements(v)),
+            '}'
+        )
+    ))).parse_next(input)
+}
+
+fn content_parser(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, ElContent> {
+    ws(branch::alt((
+        string_parser.map(|s| ElContent::Text(s)),
+        el_parser.map(|e| ElContent::El(e))
+    ))).parse_next(input)
+}
+
+fn string_parser(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, &str> {
+    delimited(
+        '"',
+        take_until0("\""),
+        '"',
+    ).parse_next(input)
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct Element<'a> {
+    name: &'a str,
+    children: ElBody<'a>,
+}
+
+impl<'a> Display for Element<'a> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "<{0}>{1}</{0}>", self.name, self.children)
+    }
+}
+
+/// the direct content of `children`, so it can be a plaintext element
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum ElBody<'a> {
+    Elements(Vec<ElContent<'a>>),
+    Text(&'a str),
+}
+impl<'a> Display for ElBody<'a> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            ElBody::Text(s) => f.write_str(s),
+            ElBody::Elements(els) => els.iter().try_for_each(|e| f.write_str(&e.to_string())) 
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum ElContent<'a> {
+    El(Element<'a>),
+    Text(&'a str),
+}
+
+impl<'a> Display for ElContent<'a> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            ElContent::Text(s) => f.write_str(s),
+            ElContent::El(el) => f.write_str(&el.to_string()) 
+        }
+    }
+}
 
 #[test]
 fn parse_basic() {
-    const TESTDATA: &str = "";
+}
+
+// whitespace combinator from [winnow docs](https://docs.rs/winnow/latest/winnow/_topic/language/index.html#wrapper-combinators-that-eat-whitespace-before-and-after-a-parser)
+fn ws<'a, F, O, E: ParseError<&'a str>>(inner: F) -> impl Parser<&'a str, O, E>
+  where
+  F: Parser<&'a str, O, E>,
+{
+  delimited(
+    multispace0,
+    inner,
+    multispace0
+  )
 }