diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9868bd21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+/target
+*.swp
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..30f2733cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[root]
+name = "dora"
+version = "0.0.1"
+
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e1c16b18c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[package]
+
+name = "dora"
+version = "0.0.1"
+authors = ["Dominik Inführ <dominik.infuehr@gmail.com>"]
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e60e12869
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+use lexer::position::Position;
+
+pub struct ParseError {
+    pub filename: String,
+    pub position: Position,
+    pub message: String
+}
+
+impl ParseError {
+    fn print(&self) {
+        println!("{} at {}: {}", self.filename, self.position, self.message);
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/lexer/char.rs b/src/lexer/char.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bccc6e601
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lexer/char.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+use std::fmt::{Formatter,Show,Error};
+use std::result::Result;
+
+use lexer::position::Position;
+
+pub struct Character {
+    value : Option<char>,
+    position : Position
+}
+
+impl Character {
+    pub fn is_eof(&self) -> bool {
+        self.value.is_none()
+    }
+}
+
+impl Show for Character {
+    fn fmt(&self, f : &mut Formatter) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        write!(f, "{} at {}", self.value, self.position)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lexer/main.rs b/src/lexer/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e55bbcc37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lexer/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,183 @@
+
+    pub fn next_token(&mut self) -> Result<Token,ParseError> {
+        loop {
+            self.skip_white();
+
+            if self.is_eof() {
+                return self.eof()
+
+            } else if self.is_comment_start() {
+                self.skip_comment()
+
+            } else if self.is_multiline_comment_start() {
+                self.skip_multiline_comment()
+
+            } else if self.is_identifier_start() {
+                return self.read_identifier()
+
+            } else if self.is_digit() {
+                return self.read_number()
+
+            } else {
+                let ch = self.looks[ 0 ];
+                return self.build_error(format!("unknown character {}",ch.value), ch.position)
+            }
+
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn eof() -> Result<Token,ParseError> {
+
+    }
+
+    fn skip_white(&mut self) -> Result<Token,ParseError> {
+        while self.is_whitespace() {
+            self.read_char();
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn skip_comment(&mut self) -> Result<Token,ParseError> {
+        self.read_char();
+        self.read_char();
+
+        while !self.is_comment_end() {
+            self.read_char();
+        }
+
+        self.read_char();
+    }
+
+    fn skip_multiline_comment(&mut self) -> Result<Token,ParseError> {
+        self.read_char();
+        self.read_char();
+
+        while !self.is_multiline_comment_end() {
+            self.read_char();
+        }
+
+        self.read_char();
+        self.read_char();
+    }
+
+    fn read_number(&mut self) -> Result<Token,ParseError> {
+        let mut token = self.build_token();
+
+        while self.is_digit() {
+            let val = self.read_char().unwrap().value;
+            token.value.push(val);
+        }
+
+        Ok(token)
+    }
+
+    fn read_identifier(&mut self) -> Result<Token,ParseError> {
+        let mut token = self.build_token();
+
+        while self.is_identifier_char() {
+            let val = self.read_char().unwrap().value;
+            token.value.push(val);
+        }
+
+        Ok(token)
+    }
+
+    fn read_char(&mut self) -> Result<Character,ParseError> {
+        self.read_char_into_buffer();
+        self.looks.remove(0)
+    }
+
+    fn read_char_into_buffer(&mut self) -> Option<ParseError> {
+        match self.file.read_char() {
+            Ok(val) => {
+                let ch = self.build_char(val);
+                self.looks.push(ch)
+            },
+            _ => {}
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn build_token(&self) -> Token {
+        let pos = self.looks[0].position;
+
+        Token { value: "".to_string(), position: pos }
+    }
+
+    fn build_error( &self, msg : String, pos : Position ) -> ParseError {
+        ParseError { filename: self.filename, message: msg, position: pos }
+    }
+
+    fn build_char(&mut self, value: char) -> Character {
+        let mut pos;
+
+        if self.looks.is_empty() {
+            pos = Position { line: 1, column: 1 };
+        } else {
+            let last = &self.looks[self.looks.len()-1];
+            pos = last.position;
+
+            if last.value == '\n' {
+                pos.line += 1;
+                pos.column = 1;
+            } else {
+                pos.column += 1;
+            }
+        };
+
+        Character { value: value, position: pos }
+    }
+
+    fn is_comment_start(&self) -> bool {
+        self.nth(0).map_or(false, |c| c == '/') && self.nth(1).map_or(false, |c| c == '/')
+    }
+
+    fn is_comment_end(&self) -> bool {
+        self.nth(0).map_or(false, |c| c == '\n')
+    }
+
+    fn is_multiline_comment_start(&self) -> bool {
+        self.nth(0).map_or(false, |c| c == '/') && self.nth(1).map_or(false, |c| c == '*')
+    }
+
+    fn is_multiline_comment_end(&self) -> bool {
+        self.nth(0).map_or(false, |c| c == '*') && self.nth(1).map_or(false, |c| c == '/')
+    }
+
+    fn is_digit(&self) -> bool {
+        self.look().map_or(false, |ch| ch >= '0' && ch <= '9')
+    }
+
+    fn is_identifier_start(&self) -> bool {
+        self.look().map_or(false, |ch| {
+            ( ch >= 'a' && ch <= 'z' ) ||
+            ( ch >= 'A' && ch <= 'Z' ) || ch == '_'
+        } )
+    }
+
+    fn is_identifier_char(&self) -> bool {
+        self.look().map_or(false, |ch| {
+            ( ch >= 'a' && ch <= 'z' ) ||
+            ( ch >= 'A' && ch <= 'Z' ) || ch == '_' ||
+            ( ch >= '0' && ch <= '9' )
+        } )
+    }
+
+    fn is_whitespace(&self) -> bool {
+        self.nth(0).map_or(false, |c| c.is_whitespace())
+    }
+
+    fn is_eof(&self) -> bool {
+        self.look().is_none()
+    }
+
+    fn look(&self) -> Option<char> {
+        self.nth(0)
+    }
+
+    fn nth(&self, ind : uint ) -> Option<char> {
+        if ind < self.looks.len() {
+            Some(self.looks[ind].value)
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lexer/mod.rs b/src/lexer/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd82d0f6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lexer/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+use std::io::fs::File;
+use std::io::{BufferedReader,IoError};
+use std::result::Result;
+use std::fmt::{Formatter,Show,Error};
+
+use lexer::position::Position;
+use lexer::token::{Token,TokenType};
+use lexer::char::Character;
+use error::ParseError;
+
+pub mod token;
+pub mod position;
+pub mod char;
+
+trait FileReader {
+    fn read_char(&mut self);
+}
+
+pub struct Lexer {
+    filename: String,
+    file: BufferedReader<Result<File,IoError>>,
+    looks: Vec<Character>
+}
+
+impl Lexer {
+    pub fn new( filename : &str ) -> Lexer {
+        let file = File::open(&Path::new(filename));
+        let mut lex = Lexer {
+            filename: filename.to_string(),
+            file: BufferedReader::new(file),
+            looks: vec![]
+        };
+
+        lex
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lexer/position.rs b/src/lexer/position.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a795b243
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lexer/position.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+use std::fmt::{Formatter,Show,Error};
+use std::result::Result;
+
+pub struct Position {
+    pub line : int,
+    pub column : int
+}
+
+impl Position {
+    pub fn new( l : int, c : int ) -> Position {
+        assert!( l >= 1 );
+        assert!( c >= 1 );
+
+        Position { line: l, column: c }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Copy for Position { }
+
+impl Show for Position {
+    fn fmt(&self, f : &mut Formatter) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        write!(f, "{}:{}", self.line, self.column)
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_new() {
+    let pos = Position::new(3, 1);
+
+    assert_eq!(pos.line, 3);
+    assert_eq!(pos.column, 1);
+
+    assert_eq!(format!("{}",pos).as_slice(), "3:1");
+}
diff --git a/src/lexer/token.rs b/src/lexer/token.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25a4a00b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lexer/token.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+use std::fmt::{Formatter,Show,Error};
+use std::result::Result;
+
+use lexer::position::Position;
+
+#[deriving(Show)]
+pub enum TokenType {
+    End
+}
+
+pub struct Token {
+    ttype: TokenType,
+    value: String,
+    position: Position
+}
+
+impl Token {
+    fn new( tok: TokenType, line: int, col: int ) -> Token {
+        Token { ttype: tok, value: "".to_string(), position: Position::new(line, col) }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Show for Token {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        write!(f, "{} at {}", self.ttype, self.position)
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_new() {
+    let tok = Token::new(TokenType::End, 1, 1);
+    assert_eq!(format!("{}", tok).as_slice(), "End at 1:1");
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5864de557
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+use lexer::Lexer;
+
+mod error;
+mod lexer;
+
+fn main() {
+    let lex = Lexer::new("test/hello.dora");
+    println!("hello");
+}