diff --git a/scripts/client.py b/scripts/client.py
index 8905473..e4ac866 100644
--- a/scripts/client.py
+++ b/scripts/client.py
@@ -1,30 +1,98 @@
 # Make a request to the active storage server.
 
+# Example usage with minio and sum of uint32 sample data:
+#
+# python ./scripts/client.py \
+#   sum \
+#   --server http://localhost:8080 \
+#   --source http://localhost:9000 \
+#   --username minioadmin --password minioadmin \
+#   --bucket sample-data --object data-uint32.dat \
+#   --dtype uint32
+
+import argparse
+import http.client
 import json
 import requests
 import numpy as np
 import sys
 
-request_data = {
-  'source': 'http://localhost:9000',
-  'bucket': 'sample-data',
-  'object': 'data-uint32.dat',
-  'dtype': 'uint32',
-  # All other fields assume their default values
-}
-
-if len(sys.argv) > 1:
-    reducer = sys.argv[1]
-else:
-    reducer = 'min'
-
-response = requests.post(
-  f'http://localhost:8080/v1/{reducer}',
-  json=request_data,
-  auth=('minioadmin', 'minioadmin')
-)
-print(response.content)
-sum_result = np.frombuffer(response.content, dtype=response.headers['x-activestorage-dtype'])
-shape = json.loads(response.headers['x-activestorage-shape'])
-sum_result = sum_result.reshape(shape)
-print(sum_result)
+
+DTYPES = ["int32", "int64", "uint32", "uint64", "float32", "float64"]
+
+
+def get_args() -> argparse.Namespace:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("operation")
+    parser.add_argument("--server", required=True, type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--source", required=True, type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--username", required=True, type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--password", required=True, type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--bucket", required=True, type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--object", required=True, type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--dtype", required=True, type=str) #, choices=DTYPES) allow invalid
+    parser.add_argument("--offset", type=int)
+    parser.add_argument("--size", type=int)
+    parser.add_argument("--shape", type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--order", default="C") #, choices=["C", "F"]) allow invalid for testing
+    parser.add_argument("--selection", type=str)
+    return parser.parse_args()
+
+
+def build_request_data(args: argparse.Namespace) -> dict:
+    request_data = {
+        'source': args.source,
+        'bucket': args.bucket,
+        'object': args.object,
+        'dtype': args.dtype,
+        'offset': args.offset,
+        'size': args.size,
+        'order': args.order,
+    }
+    if args.shape:
+        request_data["shape"] = json.loads(args.shape)
+    if args.selection:
+        request_data["selection"] = json.loads(args.selection)
+    return {k: v for k, v in request_data.items() if v is not None}
+
+
+def request(url: str, username: str, password: str, request_data: dict):
+    response = requests.post(
+        url,
+        json=request_data,
+        auth=(username, password)
+    )
+    return response
+
+
+def display(response):
+    #print(response.content)
+    dtype = response.headers['x-activestorage-dtype']
+    shape = json.loads(response.headers['x-activestorage-shape'])
+    result = np.frombuffer(response.content, dtype=dtype)
+    result = result.reshape(shape)
+    print(result)
+
+
+def display_error(response):
+    print(response.status_code, http.client.responses[response.status_code])
+    try:
+        print(json.dumps(response.json()))
+    except requests.exceptions.JSONDecodeError:
+        print(response.content)
+
+
+def main():
+    args = get_args()
+    request_data = build_request_data(args)
+    url = f'{args.server}/v1/{args.operation}/'
+    response = request(url, args.username, args.password, request_data)
+    if response.ok:
+        display(response)
+    else:
+        display_error(response)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()