diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 6dc59e2..bf2b93b 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ collider = executable('collider', [
   dependencies: dependencies)
 
 testragel = executable('testragel', [
+  'dbc.cpp',
   './scratchpad/testragel.cpp'
   ],
   dependencies: dependencies)
diff --git a/scratchpad/testragel.cpp b/scratchpad/testragel.cpp
index 4bab31b..7369e77 100644
--- a/scratchpad/testragel.cpp
+++ b/scratchpad/testragel.cpp
@@ -1,88 +1,117 @@
 
 #line 1 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
 #include <fmt/core.h>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <charconv>
+#include "dbc.hpp"
 
 using namespace fmt;
 
 
-#line 11 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+#line 40 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
 
 
 
-#line 8 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
+#line 13 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
 static const char _foo_actions[] = {
 	0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 
-	3, 1, 4, 1, 5
+	3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 1, 6, 1, 
+	9, 1, 10, 1, 11, 2, 1, 7, 
+	2, 1, 8, 2, 1, 9, 2, 1, 
+	10, 2, 4, 0
 };
 
 static const char _foo_key_offsets[] = {
-	0, 0, 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 
-	14, 16, 19, 21, 24, 25
+	0, 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 
+	15, 17, 19, 22, 24
 };
 
 static const char _foo_trans_keys[] = {
-	27, 65, 91, 48, 57, 59, 48, 57, 
-	48, 57, 109, 48, 57, 0, 48, 57, 
-	59, 48, 57, 48, 57, 109, 48, 57, 
-	0, 0
+	91, 48, 57, 50, 53, 59, 59, 27, 
+	59, 109, 48, 57, 59, 48, 57, 48, 
+	57, 48, 57, 59, 48, 57, 48, 57, 
+	59, 48, 57, 0
 };
 
 static const char _foo_single_lengths[] = {
-	0, 1, 2, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 
-	0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0
+	0, 1, 0, 2, 1, 1, 3, 1, 
+	0, 0, 1, 0, 1
 };
 
 static const char _foo_range_lengths[] = {
-	0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 
-	1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0
+	0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 
+	1, 1, 1, 1, 1
 };
 
 static const char _foo_index_offsets[] = {
-	0, 0, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 
-	17, 19, 22, 24, 27, 29
-};
-
-static const char _foo_indicies[] = {
-	0, 1, 2, 3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 
-	4, 1, 6, 1, 7, 6, 1, 8, 
-	1, 9, 1, 10, 9, 1, 11, 1, 
-	12, 11, 1, 13, 1, 1, 0
+	0, 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 16, 
+	19, 21, 23, 26, 28
 };
 
 static const char _foo_trans_targs[] = {
-	2, 0, 3, 8, 4, 5, 6, 7, 
-	13, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
+	6, 0, 8, 6, 4, 5, 0, 9, 
+	0, 11, 0, 1, 3, 6, 7, 0, 
+	2, 7, 6, 8, 6, 10, 6, 9, 
+	10, 6, 12, 6, 11, 12, 6, 6, 
+	6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 0
 };
 
 static const char _foo_trans_actions[] = {
-	0, 0, 0, 0, 7, 0, 9, 0, 
-	11, 1, 0, 3, 0, 5
+	11, 0, 1, 19, 0, 0, 0, 0, 
+	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 13, 33, 0, 
+	3, 9, 21, 0, 24, 1, 17, 3, 
+	0, 30, 1, 15, 3, 0, 27, 19, 
+	21, 24, 17, 30, 15, 27, 0
+};
+
+static const char _foo_to_state_actions[] = {
+	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 5, 0, 
+	0, 0, 0, 0, 0
+};
+
+static const char _foo_from_state_actions[] = {
+	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 7, 0, 
+	0, 0, 0, 0, 0
 };
 
-static const int foo_start = 1;
-static const int foo_first_final = 13;
+static const char _foo_eof_trans[] = {
+	0, 0, 32, 0, 0, 0, 0, 33, 
+	34, 35, 36, 37, 38
+};
+
+static const int foo_start = 6;
+static const int foo_first_final = 6;
 static const int foo_error = 0;
 
-static const int foo_en_main = 1;
+static const int foo_en_main = 6;
 
 
-#line 14 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+#line 43 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
 
-int main() {
-  int cs, res = 0;
-  char *test = "\x1B[36;46m";
+void parse_ansi(std::string_view &codes) {
+  const char *start = NULL;
+  int cs = 0;
+  size_t act = 0;
+  const char *p = codes.data();
+  const char *pe = p + codes.size();
+  const char *ts = p;
+  const char *te = pe;
+  const char *eof = pe;
 
-  char *p = test;
-  char *pe = p + strlen(p) + 1;
   
-#line 70 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
+#line 96 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
 	{
 	cs = foo_start;
+	ts = 0;
+	te = 0;
+	act = 0;
 	}
 
-#line 22 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+#line 55 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
   
-#line 73 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
+#line 102 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
 	{
 	int _klen;
 	unsigned int _trans;
@@ -95,6 +124,18 @@ int main() {
 	if ( cs == 0 )
 		goto _out;
 _resume:
+	_acts = _foo_actions + _foo_from_state_actions[cs];
+	_nacts = (unsigned int) *_acts++;
+	while ( _nacts-- > 0 ) {
+		switch ( *_acts++ ) {
+	case 3:
+#line 1 "NONE"
+	{ts = p;}
+	break;
+#line 121 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
+		}
+	}
+
 	_keys = _foo_trans_keys + _foo_key_offsets[cs];
 	_trans = _foo_index_offsets[cs];
 
@@ -144,7 +185,7 @@ _resume:
 	}
 
 _match:
-	_trans = _foo_indicies[_trans];
+_eof_trans:
 	cs = _foo_trans_targs[_trans];
 
 	if ( _foo_trans_actions[_trans] == 0 )
@@ -157,44 +198,102 @@ _match:
 		switch ( *_acts++ )
 		{
 	case 0:
-#line 7 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
-	{ println("NUM1"); }
+#line 13 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+	{
+    start = p;
+  }
 	break;
 	case 1:
-#line 7 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
-	{ println("NUM2"); }
-	break;
-	case 2:
-#line 7 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
-	{ res = 1; }
-	break;
-	case 3:
-#line 8 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
-	{ println("NUM1"); }
+#line 17 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+	{
+    size_t value = 0;
+    auto [ptr, ec] = std::from_chars(start, p, value);
+    dbc::check(ec == std::errc(), "error in number parsing");
+    println("NUMBER {}", value);
+  }
 	break;
 	case 4:
-#line 8 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
-	{ println("NUM2"); }
+#line 1 "NONE"
+	{te = p+1;}
 	break;
 	case 5:
-#line 8 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
-	{ res = 2; }
+#line 33 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+	{te = p+1;{ println("START"); }}
 	break;
-#line 164 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
+	case 6:
+#line 38 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+	{te = p+1;{ println("END"); }}
+	break;
+	case 7:
+#line 34 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+	{te = p;p--;{ println("single"); }}
+	break;
+	case 8:
+#line 35 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+	{te = p;p--;{ println("basic"); }}
+	break;
+	case 9:
+#line 36 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+	{te = p;p--;{ println("256 color"); }}
+	break;
+	case 10:
+#line 37 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+	{te = p;p--;{ println("true color"); }}
+	break;
+	case 11:
+#line 34 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+	{{p = ((te))-1;}{ println("single"); }}
+	break;
+#line 222 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
 		}
 	}
 
 _again:
+	_acts = _foo_actions + _foo_to_state_actions[cs];
+	_nacts = (unsigned int) *_acts++;
+	while ( _nacts-- > 0 ) {
+		switch ( *_acts++ ) {
+	case 2:
+#line 1 "NONE"
+	{ts = 0;}
+	break;
+#line 233 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.cpp"
+		}
+	}
+
 	if ( cs == 0 )
 		goto _out;
 	if ( ++p != pe )
 		goto _resume;
 	_test_eof: {}
+	if ( p == eof )
+	{
+	if ( _foo_eof_trans[cs] > 0 ) {
+		_trans = _foo_eof_trans[cs] - 1;
+		goto _eof_trans;
+	}
+	}
+
 	_out: {}
 	}
 
-#line 23 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+#line 56 ".\\scratchpad\\testragel.rl"
+}
+
+int main() {
+  // possibly put alphtype unsigned int?
+  std::vector<std::string_view> tests = {
+    "\x1B[;5;78;98m",
+    "\x1B[;2;36;46;23m",
+    "\x1B[36;46m",
+    "\x1B[36m",
+  };
+
+
+  for(auto test : tests) {
+    println("--- PARSING");
+    parse_ansi(test);
+  }
 
-  fmt::println("result = {}", res);
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/scratchpad/testragel.rl b/scratchpad/testragel.rl
index 6eafa6a..09570bf 100644
--- a/scratchpad/testragel.rl
+++ b/scratchpad/testragel.rl
@@ -1,26 +1,74 @@
 #include <fmt/core.h>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <charconv>
+#include "dbc.hpp"
 
 using namespace fmt;
 
 %%{
   machine foo;
-  test1 = 0x1B . "[" . [0-9]+ @{ println("NUM1"); } . ";" . [0-9]+ @{ println("NUM2"); } . "m" 0 @{ res = 1; };
-  test2 = 0x1B "A" [0-9]+ @{ println("NUM1"); } ";" [0-9]+ @{ println("NUM2"); } "m" 0 @{ res = 2; };
 
-  main := (test1 | test2);
+  action tstart {
+    start = fpc;
+  }
+
+  action number {
+    size_t value = 0;
+    auto [ptr, ec] = std::from_chars(start, fpc, value);
+    dbc::check(ec == std::errc(), "error in number parsing");
+    println("NUMBER {}", value);
+  }
+
+  start = 0x1B "[";
+  num = digit+ >tstart %number;
+
+  color256 = ";5;" (num ";"?)**;
+  color24b = ";2;" (num ";"?)**;
+  basic = num ";" num;
+  single = num;
+
+  main := |*
+      start => { println("START"); };
+      single => { println("single"); };
+      basic => { println("basic"); };
+      color256 => { println("256 color"); };
+      color24b => { println("true color"); };
+      "m" => { println("END"); };
+    *|;
 }%%
 
 %% write data;
 
-int main() {
-  int cs, res = 0;
-  char *test = "\x1B[36;46m";
+void parse_ansi(std::string_view &codes) {
+  const char *start = NULL;
+  int cs = 0;
+  size_t act = 0;
+  const char *p = codes.data();
+  const char *pe = p + codes.size();
+  const char *ts = p;
+  const char *te = pe;
+  const char *eof = pe;
 
-  char *p = test;
-  char *pe = p + strlen(p) + 1;
   %% write init;
   %% write exec;
+}
+
+int main() {
+  // possibly put alphtype unsigned int?
+  std::vector<std::string_view> tests = {
+    "\x1B[;5;78;98m",
+    "\x1B[;2;36;46;23m",
+    "\x1B[36;46m",
+    "\x1B[36m",
+  };
+
+
+  for(auto test : tests) {
+    println("--- PARSING");
+    parse_ansi(test);
+  }
 
-  fmt::println("result = {}", res);
   return 0;
 }