diff --git a/farse/cmd/farse-test/main.go b/farse/cmd/farse-test/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..687d9fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/farse/cmd/farse-test/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+
+	farse "../.."
+)
+
+func main() {
+	fl := farse.New()
+	err := fl.AddKnown(
+		"-a", "-n", "-q", "-m",
+		"--azimuth", "--noodle", "--quince",
+		"whoop", "fizzle", "flim",
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	fmt.Println("known:")
+	for key, tokType := range fl.Known() {
+		fmt.Printf("  %v: %s\n", key, tokType)
+	}
+
+	fmt.Println("scanned:")
+	for _, tok := range fl.Scan(os.Args) {
+		fmt.Printf("  %v: %s\n", tok.Value, tok.Type)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/farse/farse.go b/farse/farse.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ac46b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/farse/farse.go
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+package farse
+
+import "fmt"
+
+type TokenType int
+
+const (
+	TokenLongFlag TokenType = iota
+	TokenShortFlag
+	TokenShortCompoundFlag
+	TokenIdentifier
+	TokenArgument
+	TokenInvalid
+	TokenSentinel
+)
+
+func (t TokenType) String() string {
+	switch t {
+	case TokenLongFlag:
+		return "long flag"
+	case TokenShortFlag:
+		return "short flag"
+	case TokenShortCompoundFlag:
+		return "short compound"
+	case TokenIdentifier:
+		return "identifier"
+	case TokenArgument:
+		return "argument"
+	case TokenInvalid:
+		return "invalid"
+	case TokenSentinel:
+		return "sentinel"
+	}
+	return "(x___x)"
+}
+
+type Token struct {
+	Value string
+	Type  TokenType
+}
+
+type Farse struct {
+	known map[string]TokenType
+}
+
+func New() *Farse {
+	return &Farse{
+		known: map[string]TokenType{},
+	}
+}
+
+func (fl *Farse) Known() map[string]TokenType {
+	return fl.known
+}
+
+func (fl *Farse) AddKnown(knownStrings ...string) error {
+	for i, tok := range scan(knownStrings) {
+		if tok.Type == TokenShortCompoundFlag {
+			return fmt.Errorf("argument %d %q is invalid value for known identifier", i, tok.Value)
+		}
+
+		if len(tok.Value) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("argument %d is empty", i)
+		}
+
+		if len(tok.Value) == 1 && tok.Value == "-" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("argument %d %q is invalid value for known identifier", i, tok.Value)
+		}
+
+		if _, exists := fl.known[tok.Value]; exists {
+			return fmt.Errorf("argument %d %s conflicts with known", i, tok.Value)
+		}
+
+		fl.known[tok.Value] = tok.Type
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (fl *Farse) Scan(args []string) []*Token {
+	ret := []*Token{}
+	passedSentinel := false
+
+	for _, tok := range scan(args) {
+		if tok.Type == TokenSentinel {
+			ret = append(ret, tok)
+			passedSentinel = true
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if passedSentinel {
+			tok.Type = TokenArgument
+			ret = append(ret, tok)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if tok.Type == TokenShortCompoundFlag {
+			ret = append(ret, fl.extractCompoundTokens(tok.Value)...)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if tok.Type == TokenIdentifier {
+			if _, known := fl.known[tok.Value]; !known {
+				tok.Type = TokenArgument
+			}
+			ret = append(ret, tok)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ret
+}
+
+func (fl *Farse) extractCompoundTokens(s string) []*Token {
+	ret := []*Token{}
+
+	for j, ch := range s {
+		last := j == (len(s) - 1)
+
+		if j == 0 && ch == '-' {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		sf := string(append([]rune("-"), ch))
+
+		if _, known := fl.known[sf]; known {
+			ret = append(ret, &Token{Value: sf, Type: TokenShortFlag})
+
+			if last {
+				return ret
+			}
+
+			if _, nextKnown := fl.known[string(append([]rune("-"), rune(s[j+1])))]; !nextKnown {
+				ret = append(ret, &Token{Value: s[j+1:], Type: TokenArgument})
+				return ret
+			}
+
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ret
+}
+
+func scan(sl []string) []*Token {
+	ret := []*Token{}
+
+	for _, s := range sl {
+		tok := scanToken(s)
+		if tok != nil {
+			ret = append(ret, tok)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ret
+}
+
+func scanToken(s string) *Token {
+	switch len(s) {
+	case 0, 1:
+		return &Token{Value: s, Type: TokenIdentifier}
+	case 2:
+		if s == "--" {
+			return &Token{Value: s, Type: TokenSentinel}
+		}
+
+		if s[0] == '-' {
+			return &Token{Value: s, Type: TokenShortFlag}
+		}
+	default:
+		if s[0] == '-' {
+			if s[1] != '-' {
+				return &Token{Value: s, Type: TokenShortCompoundFlag}
+			}
+
+			return &Token{Value: s, Type: TokenLongFlag}
+		}
+
+		return &Token{Value: s, Type: TokenIdentifier}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}