diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8eb1803
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+*\#*
+*~*
+build
+.cache
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8f71dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+.PHONY: build tests
+
+build:
+	meson setup build
+	meson compile -C build
+
+tests: build
+	build/zarn-tests
+
+install: tests
+	meson install -C build
diff --git a/doc/grammar.bnf b/doc/grammar.bnf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..448143e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/grammar.bnf
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+MODULE ::= EXPR*
+EXPR ::=
+int
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3dd5a81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+project('zarn',
+        'cpp',
+        version: '0.0.0',
+        default_options: [
+          'prefix=/usr',
+          'warning_level=3',
+          'cpp_std=c++17'
+        ])
+
+extra_libdir = get_option('prefix') / get_option('libdir') / 'zarn'
+
+zarn_lib = shared_library('zarn',
+                          sources: [
+                            'src/Module.cpp',
+                            'src/Loc.cpp',
+                            'src/Node.cpp',
+                            'src/Logger.cpp',
+                            'src/Lexer.cpp',
+                            'src/Parser.cpp'
+                          ],
+                          install: true)
+
+zarn_dep = declare_dependency(link_with: zarn_lib)
+
+executable('zarn',
+           sources: [
+             'src/main.cpp'
+           ],
+           dependencies: [
+             zarn_dep
+           ],
+           install: true)
+
+executable('zarn-tests',
+           sources: [
+             'tests/main.cpp',
+             'tests/Lexer.cpp',
+             'tests/Parser.cpp',
+           ],
+           dependencies: [
+             zarn_dep,
+             dependency('catch2')
+           ])
diff --git a/src/Lexer.cpp b/src/Lexer.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51557c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Lexer.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+#include "Lexer.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  /*explicit*/ Lexer::Lexer(Logger& logger, Loc const& loc)
+    : m_logger { logger }
+    , m_loc { loc }
+  {
+    m_scanners.push_back(std::bind(&Lexer::scan_int, this));
+  }
+
+  /*virtual*/ Lexer::~Lexer()
+  {
+  }
+
+  void Lexer::scan(std::string const& source)
+  {
+    m_source = source;
+    m_cursor = 0;
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node> Lexer::try_next()
+  {
+    std::optional<ScanInfo> info;
+
+    skip_spaces();
+
+    while (m_cursor < m_source.size()
+           && m_source[m_cursor] == ';')
+      {
+        while (m_cursor < m_source.size()
+               && m_source[m_cursor] != '\n')
+          {
+            m_cursor++;
+          }
+
+        skip_spaces();
+      }
+
+    for (auto const& scanner: m_scanners)
+      {
+        auto myinfo = scanner();
+
+        if (myinfo &&
+            (info == std::nullopt
+             || info->cursor < myinfo->cursor))
+          {
+            info = myinfo;
+          }
+      }
+
+    if (info == std::nullopt
+        && m_cursor < m_source.size())
+      {
+        std::string tok;
+
+        while (m_cursor < m_source.size()
+               && !std::isspace(m_source[m_cursor]))
+          {
+            tok += m_source[m_cursor];
+            m_cursor++;
+          }
+
+        m_logger.log<lex_error>(LOG_ERROR, m_loc,
+                                "unexpected token '" + tok + "'");
+      }
+
+    if (info)
+      {
+        m_cursor = info->cursor;
+        return std::make_shared<Node>(info->type, info->repr, m_loc);
+      }
+
+    return nullptr;
+  }
+
+  std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Node>> Lexer::all()
+  {
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Node>> result;
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> n;
+
+    while ( (n = try_next()) )
+      {
+        result.push_back(n);
+      }
+
+    return result;
+  }
+
+  void Lexer::skip_spaces()
+  {
+    while (m_cursor < m_source.size()
+           && std::isspace(m_source[m_cursor]))
+      {
+        if (m_source[m_cursor] == '\n')
+          {
+            m_loc = Loc {m_loc.file_path(), m_loc.line() + 1};
+          }
+
+        m_cursor++;
+      }
+  }
+
+  std::optional<ScanInfo> Lexer::scan_int()
+  {
+    size_t cursor = m_cursor;
+    std::string repr;
+
+    if (cursor < m_source.size()
+        && m_source[cursor] == '-')
+      {
+        repr += '-';
+        cursor++;
+      }
+
+    while (cursor < m_source.size()
+           && std::isdigit(m_source[cursor]))
+      {
+        repr += m_source[cursor];
+        cursor++;
+      }
+
+    if (repr.empty() || repr.back() == '-')
+      {
+        return std::nullopt;
+      }
+
+    return ScanInfo {
+      cursor,
+      NODE_INT,
+      repr
+    };
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/Lexer.hpp b/src/Lexer.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5214c4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Lexer.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#ifndef zn_LEXER_HPP
+#define zn_LEXER_HPP
+
+#include "common.hpp"
+
+#include "Logger.hpp"
+#include "Node.hpp"
+#include "Loc.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  ZN_ERROR(lex_error);
+
+  struct ScanInfo {
+    size_t cursor;
+    NodeType type;
+    std::string repr;
+  };
+
+  using scanner_t = std::function<std::optional<ScanInfo>()>;
+
+  class Lexer
+  {
+  public:
+    explicit Lexer(Logger& logger, Loc const& loc);
+    virtual ~Lexer();
+
+    void scan(std::string const& source);
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> try_next();
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Node>> all();
+
+  private:
+    Logger& m_logger;
+    std::string m_source;
+    size_t m_cursor;
+    std::vector<scanner_t> m_scanners;
+    Loc m_loc;
+
+    void skip_spaces();
+    std::optional<ScanInfo> scan_int();
+  };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/Loc.cpp b/src/Loc.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f865306
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Loc.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#include "Loc.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  /*explicit*/ Loc::Loc(std::filesystem::path file_path, int line)
+    : m_file_path { file_path }
+    , m_line { line }
+  {
+  }
+
+  /*virtual*/ Loc::~Loc()
+  {
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/Loc.hpp b/src/Loc.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4934800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Loc.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#ifndef zn_LOC_HPP
+#define zn_LOC_HPP
+
+#include "common.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  class Loc
+  {
+  public:
+    explicit Loc(std::filesystem::path file_path, int line=1);
+    virtual ~Loc();
+
+    std::filesystem::path file_path() const { return m_file_path; }
+    int line() const { return m_line; }
+
+  private:
+    std::filesystem::path m_file_path;
+    int m_line;
+
+  };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/Logger.cpp b/src/Logger.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e931dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Logger.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#include "Logger.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  /*explicit*/ Logger::Logger()
+  {
+  }
+
+  /*virtual*/ Logger::~Logger()
+  {
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/Logger.hpp b/src/Logger.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..970d483
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Logger.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#ifndef zn_LOGGER_HPP
+#define zn_LOGGER_HPP
+
+#include "common.hpp"
+
+#include "Loc.hpp"
+
+#define LOG_CATEGORIES(G) \
+    G(LOG_ERROR),      \
+    G(LOG_WARNING)
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  ZN_MK_ENUM(LogCat, LOG_CATEGORIES);
+
+  class Logger
+  {
+  public:
+    explicit Logger();
+    virtual ~Logger();
+
+    template <typename T>
+    void log(LogCat category,
+             Loc const& loc,
+             std::string const& what);
+  private:
+  };
+
+  template <typename T>
+  void Logger::log(LogCat category,
+                   Loc const& loc,
+                   std::string const& what)
+  {
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << loc.file_path().string() << ":" << loc.line();
+    ss << " " << (LogCatStr[category] + strlen("LOG_"));
+    ss << " " << what;
+
+    throw T {ss.str()};
+  }
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/Module.cpp b/src/Module.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfb80f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Module.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#include "Module.hpp"
+#include "Lexer.hpp"
+#include "Parser.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  /*explicit*/ Module::Module(Logger& logger)
+    : m_logger { logger }
+  {
+  }
+
+  /*virtual*/ Module::~Module()
+  {
+  }
+
+  void Module::load_from_file(std::filesystem::path file_path)
+  {
+    std::string line;
+    std::ifstream file { file_path };
+
+    if (!file)
+      {
+        m_logger.log<module_error>(LOG_ERROR,
+                                   Loc {file_path},
+                                   "cannot load module '"
+                                   + file_path.string() + "'");
+      }
+
+    m_source = "";
+
+    while (std::getline(file, line))
+      {
+        m_source += line + (file.eof() ? "":"\n");
+      }
+
+    Lexer lexer { m_logger, Loc {file_path} };
+    lexer.scan(m_source);
+
+    Parser parser { m_logger };
+
+    auto ast = parser.parse(lexer.all());
+    std::cout << ast->string() << std::endl;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/Module.hpp b/src/Module.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbc356a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Module.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#ifndef zn_MODULE_HPP
+#define zn_MODULE_HPP
+
+#include "common.hpp"
+#include "Logger.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  ZN_ERROR(module_error);
+
+  class Module
+  {
+  public:
+    explicit Module(Logger& logger);
+    virtual ~Module();
+
+    void load_from_file(std::filesystem::path file_path);
+
+  private:
+    Logger& m_logger;
+    std::string m_source;
+
+  };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/Node.cpp b/src/Node.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6059442
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Node.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#include "Node.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  /*explicit*/ Node::Node(NodeType type,
+                          std::string const& repr,
+                          Loc const& loc)
+    : m_type { type }
+    , m_repr { repr }
+    , m_loc { loc }
+  {
+  }
+
+  /*virtual*/ Node::~Node()
+  {
+  }
+
+  void Node::add_child(std::shared_ptr<Node> child)
+  {
+    assert(child);
+    m_children.push_back(child);
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node> Node::child_at(size_t index) const
+  {
+    assert(index < size());
+    return m_children.at(index);
+  }
+
+  std::string Node::string() const
+  {
+    std::stringstream ss;
+
+    ss << (NodeTypeStr[m_type] + strlen("NODE_"));
+
+    if (!m_repr.empty())
+      {
+        ss << "[" << m_repr << "]";
+      }
+
+    if (size() > 0)
+      {
+        ss << "(";
+        std::string sep;
+
+        for (auto const& child: m_children)
+          {
+            ss << sep << child->string();
+            sep = ",";
+          }
+        ss << ")";
+      }
+
+    return ss.str();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/Node.hpp b/src/Node.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f45838
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Node.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#ifndef zn_NODE_HPP
+#define zn_NODE_HPP
+
+#include "common.hpp"
+#include "Loc.hpp"
+
+#define NODE_TYPES(G) \
+  G(NODE_MODULE),     \
+    G(NODE_INT)
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  ZN_MK_ENUM(NodeType, NODE_TYPES);
+
+  class Node
+  {
+  public:
+    explicit Node(NodeType type,
+                  std::string const& repr,
+                  Loc const& loc);
+    virtual ~Node();
+
+    NodeType type() const { return m_type; }
+    std::string repr() const { return m_repr; }
+    Loc loc() const { return m_loc; }
+    size_t size() const { return m_children.size(); }
+
+    void add_child(std::shared_ptr<Node> child);
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> child_at(size_t index) const;
+
+    std::string string() const;
+
+  private:
+    NodeType m_type;
+    std::string m_repr;
+    Loc m_loc;
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Node>> m_children;
+  };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/Parser.cpp b/src/Parser.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4223373
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Parser.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#include "Parser.hpp"
+#include "src/Logger.hpp"
+#include "src/Node.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  /*explicit*/ Parser::Parser(Logger& logger)
+    : m_logger { logger }
+  {
+  }
+
+  /*virtual*/ Parser::~Parser()
+  {
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node>
+  Parser::parse(std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Node>> tokens)
+  {
+    m_tokens = tokens;
+    m_cursor = 0;
+
+    return parse_module();
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node> Parser::mk_node(NodeType type)
+  {
+    return std::make_shared<Node>(type, "", m_tokens[m_cursor]->loc());
+  }
+
+  bool Parser::type_is(std::vector<NodeType> types) const
+  {
+    if (types.size() + m_cursor > m_tokens.size())
+      {
+        return false;
+      }
+
+    for (size_t i=0; i<types.size(); i++)
+      {
+        if (types[i] != m_tokens[m_cursor + i]->type())
+          {
+            return false;
+          }
+      }
+
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  bool Parser::type_is(NodeType type) const
+  {
+    return type_is(std::vector<NodeType>{type});
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node> Parser::consume(NodeType type)
+  {
+    if (!type_is(type))
+      {
+        std::stringstream ss;
+        ss << "expected '"
+           << (NodeTypeStr[type] + strlen("NODE_"))
+           << "', got '"
+           << (NodeTypeStr[m_tokens[m_cursor]->type()] + strlen("NODE_"))
+           << "'";
+
+        m_logger.log<syntax_error>(LOG_ERROR,
+                                   m_tokens[m_cursor]->loc(),
+                                   ss.str());
+      }
+
+    return consume();
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node> Parser::consume()
+  {
+    m_cursor++;
+    return m_tokens[m_cursor - 1];
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node> Parser::parse_module()
+  {
+    auto node = mk_node(NODE_MODULE);
+
+    while (m_cursor < m_tokens.size())
+      {
+        node->add_child(parse_expr());
+      }
+
+    return node;
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<Node> Parser::parse_expr()
+  {
+    if (type_is(NODE_INT))
+      {
+        return consume();
+      }
+
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << "unknown expression '"
+       << m_tokens[m_cursor]->string()
+       << "'";
+
+    m_logger.log<syntax_error>(LOG_ERROR,
+                               m_tokens[m_cursor]->loc(),
+                               ss.str());
+    abort();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/Parser.hpp b/src/Parser.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bce17ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Parser.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#ifndef zn_PARSER_HPP
+#define zn_PARSER_HPP
+
+#include "common.hpp"
+#include "Logger.hpp"
+#include "Node.hpp"
+
+namespace zn
+{
+  ZN_ERROR(syntax_error);
+
+  class Parser
+  {
+  public:
+    explicit Parser(Logger& logger);
+    virtual ~Parser();
+
+    std::shared_ptr<Node>
+    parse(std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Node>> tokens);
+
+  private:
+    Logger& m_logger;
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Node>> m_tokens;
+    size_t m_cursor;
+
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> mk_node(NodeType type);
+    bool type_is(std::vector<NodeType> types) const;
+    bool type_is(NodeType type) const;
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> consume(NodeType type);
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> consume();
+
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> parse_module();
+    std::shared_ptr<Node> parse_expr();
+
+  };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/common.hpp b/src/common.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..664a6cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#ifndef zn_COMMON_HPP
+#define zn_COMMON_HPP
+
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+#define ZN_GEN_ENUM(X) X
+#define ZN_GEN_STRING(X) #X
+
+#define ZN_MK_ENUM(PREFIX, ENUM)                \
+  enum PREFIX { ENUM(ZN_GEN_ENUM) };            \
+  constexpr char const* PREFIX ## Str [] = { ENUM(ZN_GEN_STRING) }
+
+#define ZN_ERROR(NAME)                                                  \
+  struct NAME : public std::runtime_error {                             \
+    NAME (std::string const& what) : std::runtime_error(what) {}        \
+  }
+
+#include <cassert>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <functional>
+#include <unordered_map>
+#include <optional>
+#include <vector>
+#include <memory>
+#include <string>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <filesystem>
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5e70df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include "Module.hpp"
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+
+  if (argc > 1)
+    {
+      zn::Logger logger;
+      zn::Module mod { logger };
+
+      mod.load_from_file(argv[1]);
+    }
+
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tests/Lexer.cpp b/tests/Lexer.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0219f8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Lexer.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include <catch2/catch.hpp>
+#include "../src/Lexer.hpp"
+
+class LexerTest
+{
+public:
+  explicit LexerTest() {}
+  virtual ~LexerTest() {}
+
+  void test_next(zn::Lexer& lexer, std::string const& oracle)
+  {
+    auto node = lexer.try_next();
+    INFO("expected " << oracle << " got nullptr");
+    REQUIRE(nullptr != node);
+    REQUIRE(oracle == node->string());
+  }
+
+protected:
+  zn::Logger m_logger;
+  zn::Loc m_loc {"tests/lexer"};
+  zn::Lexer m_lexer { m_logger, m_loc };
+};
+
+TEST_CASE_METHOD(LexerTest, "Lexer_unknown_text")
+{
+  m_lexer.scan(" §§§ ");
+  REQUIRE_THROWS_AS(m_lexer.try_next(), zn::lex_error);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE_METHOD(LexerTest, "Lexer_int")
+{
+  m_lexer.scan(" 3 -2 167 ");
+
+  test_next(m_lexer, "INT[3]");
+  test_next(m_lexer, "INT[-2]");
+  test_next(m_lexer, "INT[167]");
+  REQUIRE(nullptr == m_lexer.try_next());
+}
diff --git a/tests/Parser.cpp b/tests/Parser.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6024cff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Parser.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#include <catch2/catch.hpp>
+#include "../src/Parser.hpp"
+#include "../src/Lexer.hpp"
+
+class ParserTest
+{
+public:
+  explicit ParserTest() {}
+  virtual ~ParserTest() {}
+
+  void test_parse(std::string const& oracle,
+                  std::string const& source)
+  {
+    zn::Logger logger;
+    zn::Loc loc {"tests/parser"};
+    zn::Lexer lexer { logger, loc };
+    lexer.scan(source);
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<zn::Node>> tokens = lexer.all();
+
+    zn::Parser parser {logger};
+    auto node = parser.parse(tokens);
+
+    REQUIRE(oracle == node->string());
+  }
+protected:
+};
+
+TEST_CASE_METHOD(ParserTest, "Parser_int")
+{
+  test_parse("MODULE(INT[37])", " 37");
+}
diff --git a/tests/main.cpp b/tests/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ed06df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#define CATCH_CONFIG_MAIN
+#include <catch2/catch.hpp>