diff --git a/ipc.scm b/ipc.scm
index 0b138ef..aabc24b 100644
--- a/ipc.scm
+++ b/ipc.scm
@@ -1,47 +1,49 @@
 (load "utils.scm")
 
 ;since it will be the wm talking to us, invalid inputs won't happen
-(define listen (lambda (handle-message draw title resizable subtype ideal-dimensions)
-  (display (let* (
-    [_input (get-line (current-input-port))]
-    [parts (split-string _input #\space 2)]
-    [command (car parts)]
-    [rest (if (= (length parts) 2)
-      (car (cdr parts))
-      "" ;if this is the case `rest` won't be used
-    )]
-  ) (cond;
-    [
-      (string=? command "handle_message")
-      (symbol->string (car (handle-message ""))) ;doesn't handle clipboard copy request yet... or parse the message, for that matter
-    ]
-    ;draw
-    [
-      (string=? command "draw")
-      (draw "") ;placeholder, doesn't parse theme info or serialise
-    ]
-    [
-      (string=? command "title")
-      (title)
-    ]
-    [
-      (string=? command "resizable")
-      (s-bool->string (resizable))
-    ]
-    [
-      (string=? command "subtype")
-      subtype
-    ]
-    [
-      (string=? command "ideal_dimensions")
-      ;placeholder
-      (s-list->string (ideal-dimensions (s-string->list rest)))
-    ]
-    [
-      else
-      "invalid"
-    ]
-  )))
-  (newline)
-  (listen handle-message draw title resizable subtype ideal-dimensions)
+(define listen (lambda (window handle-message draw title resizable subtype ideal-dimensions)
+  (let (
+    [pair (let* (
+      [_input (get-line (current-input-port))]
+      [parts (split-string _input #\space 2)]
+      [command (car parts)]
+      [rest (if (= (length parts) 2)
+        (car (cdr parts))
+        "" ;if this is the case `rest` won't be used
+      )]
+    ) (cond
+      [
+        (string=? command "handle_message")
+        (let ([resp (handle-message window (split-string rest #\/ -1))])
+          (cons (car resp) (join-string (cdr resp) "/"))
+        )
+      ]
+      ;draw
+      [
+        (string=? command "draw")
+        (cons window (join-string (draw window (s-string->theme-info rest)) "\x1D;"))
+      ]
+      [
+        (string=? command "title")
+        (cons window (title))
+      ]
+      [
+        (string=? command "resizable")
+        (cons window (s-bool->string (resizable)))
+      ]
+      [
+        (string=? command "subtype")
+        (cons window subtype)
+      ]
+      [
+        (string=? command "ideal_dimensions")
+        (cons window (s-list->string (ideal-dimensions (s-string->list rest))))
+      ]
+      [
+        else
+        (cons window "invalid")
+      ]
+    ))]
+  ) (display (cdr pair)) (newline) (listen (car pair) handle-message draw title resizable subtype ideal-dimensions)
+  )
 ))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.scm b/main.scm
index cd97a3b..bfd5f80 100644
--- a/main.scm
+++ b/main.scm
@@ -2,15 +2,114 @@
 
 (load "ipc.scm")
 
-(define handle-message (lambda (message)
-  ;placeholder
-  ;return either ('DoNothing) ('JustRedraw) or ('Request "string") clipboard copy request
-  (cons (string->symbol "JustRedraw") '())
+(define-record-type flashcards (fields
+  (mutable dimensions)
+  (mutable input)
+  ;questions to ask, to be removed when correctly answered
+  (mutable questions)
+  ;current question
+  (mutable current)
+  ;correct answer(s)
+  (mutable answers)
+  ;total questions correctly asked
+  (mutable correct)
+  ;total questions asked
+  (mutable total)
+  ;if false, command mode
+  (mutable answer-mode)
 ))
 
-(define draw (lambda (theme-info)
+(define handle-message (lambda (self whole-message)
   ;placeholder
-  ""
+  (let* (
+    [message (car whole-message)]
+    [args (if (= (length whole-message) 1)
+      '("")
+      (cdr whole-message)
+    )]
+    [arg (join-string args "/")]
+  ) (cond
+    [
+      (or (string=? message "Init") (string=? message "ChangeDimensions"))
+      (begin
+        (flashcards-dimensions-set! self (map string->number (s-string->list (car args))))
+        (list self "JustRedraw")
+      )
+    ]
+    [
+      (string=? message "KeyPress")
+      ;arg is the char
+      (cond
+        [
+          (is-escape arg)
+          (let* (
+            [answer-mode (flashcards-answer-mode self)]
+            [change (if answer-mode
+              #t
+              (= (length questions) 0) ;if no questions, can't switch to answer mode
+            )]
+          ) (if change
+            (begin
+              (flashcards-answer-mode-set! self (not answer-mode))
+              (cons self '("JustRedraw"))
+            )
+            (list self "DoNothing")
+          ))
+        ]
+        [
+          (is-enter arg)
+          ;process flashcards.input
+          (if (flashcards-answer-mode self)
+            ;check to see if answer is correct
+            (display "placeholder")
+            ;
+            ;process command
+            (display "placeholder")
+            ;
+          )
+        ]
+        [
+          (is-backspace arg)
+          (if (= (length (flashcards-input self)) 0)
+            '(self '("DoNothing"))
+            (let ([input (flashcards-input self)])
+              (flashcards-input-set! self (substring input 0 (- (length input) 1)))
+              (list self "JustRedraw")
+            )
+          )
+        ]
+        [
+          else
+          (begin
+            ;add char to input
+            (flashcards-input-set! self (string-append (flashcards-input self) arg))
+            (list self "JustRedraw")
+          )
+        ]
+      )
+    ]
+    ;
+    [
+      else
+      (list self "DoNothing")
+    ]
+  ))
+))
+
+(define draw (lambda (self ti)
+  ;placeholder
+  (let* (
+    [coords (flashcards-dimensions self)]
+    [width (car coords)]
+    [height (car (cdr coords))]
+  ) (list
+      (draw-instructions-text (list 5 (- height 15)) '("nimbus-roman") (string-append (if (flashcards-answer-mode self)
+        "ANS: "
+        "CMD: "
+      ) (flashcards-input self)) (theme-info-text ti) (theme-info-background ti) #f #f)
+      "b"
+    )
+  )
 ))
 
 (define title (lambda ()
@@ -22,7 +121,7 @@
 ))
 
 (define ideal-dimensions (lambda (_)
-  '(300 300)
+  '(420 300)
 ))
 
-(listen handle-message draw title resizable "Window" ideal-dimensions)
\ No newline at end of file
+(listen (make-flashcards '(0 0) "" '() "" '() 0 0 #f) handle-message draw title resizable "Window" ideal-dimensions)
diff --git a/utils.scm b/utils.scm
index 3beb05a..9f829f0 100644
--- a/utils.scm
+++ b/utils.scm
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@
 
 ;s-string->theme-info
 (define s-string->theme-info (lambda (str)
-  ;split by : and then \x1F
-  (display "placeholder")
+  ;split by : then \x1F
+  (apply make-theme-info (map (lambda (s)
+      (map string->number (split-string s #\x1F -1))
+    )
+    (split-string str #\: -1)
+  ))
 ))
 
 (define s-bool->string (lambda (b)
@@ -21,14 +25,20 @@
   )
 ))
 
+;todo: generalise to more types
 (define s-list->string (lambda (li)
-  (join-string (map number->string li) "\x1F;")
+  (join-string (map (lambda (t)
+    (if (string? t)
+      t
+      (number->string t)
+    )
+  ) li) "\x1F;")
 ))
 
-;max should be 0 if no max is desired
+;max should be -1 if no max is desired
 (define split-string (lambda (str split-char max)
   (define split-string-tail (lambda (chars current splitted)
-    (if (or (= (length chars) 0) (= (+ (length splitted) 1) max))
+    (if (or (= (length chars) 0) (= (length splitted) max))
       (reverse (cons current splitted))
       (let (
         [c (car chars)]
@@ -42,5 +52,31 @@
 ))
 
 (define s-string->list (lambda (str)
-  (split-string str #\x1F 0)
-))
\ No newline at end of file
+  (split-string str #\x1F -1)
+))
+
+(define s-option->string (lambda (opt)
+  (if (not opt)
+    ;None
+    "N"
+    ;Some
+    (string-append "S" (number->string opt))
+  )
+))
+
+(define draw-instructions-text (lambda (point fonts text colour bg-colour option-horiz-spacing option-mono-width)
+  ;Text(Point, Vec<String>, String, RGBColor, RGBColor, Option<usize>, Option<u8>), //font and text
+  (string-append "Text/\x1E;" (s-list->string point) (s-list->string fonts) text (s-list->string colour) (s-list->string bg-colour) (s-option->string option-horiz-spacing) (s-option->string option-mono-width))
+))
+
+(define is-escape (lambda (c)
+  (string=? c "𐘃")
+))
+
+(define is-enter (lambda (c)
+  (string=? c "𐘂")
+))
+
+(define is-backspace (lambda (c)
+  (string=? c "𐘁")
+))