diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 957bb57..aa48a52 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
           pname = "hyprman";
           version = "${self.shortRev or "dirty"}";
           src = cleanSource ./.;
-          nimbleDepsHash = "sha256-EQ3gdxIluE+e3Qzqk9v0Q3mBa6nOKR1C1EWyjwSmQSQ=";
+          nimbleDepsHash = "sha256-72FYXiYIgEDX2j/bBADGvwX6+kd+7py0RHTz2WeyXO8=";
         };
       });
       formatter = forAllSystems (pkgs: pkgs.nixfmt-rfc-style);
diff --git a/hyprman.nimble b/hyprman.nimble
index 4c8fe92..36cbcf9 100644
--- a/hyprman.nimble
+++ b/hyprman.nimble
@@ -13,4 +13,5 @@ bin           = @["hyprman"]
 requires "nim >= 2.0.8"
 requires "cligen"
 requires "yaml"
+requires "jsony"
 requires "https://github.com/daylinmorgan/hwylterm#HEAD"
diff --git a/nimble.lock b/nimble.lock
index 61f468a..5a893ac 100644
--- a/nimble.lock
+++ b/nimble.lock
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@
         "sha1": "30f8f61787c36b63d484f3d5e149995fad16c63c"
       }
     },
+    "jsony": {
+      "version": "1.1.5",
+      "vcsRevision": "ea811bec7fa50f5abd3088ba94cda74285e93f18",
+      "url": "https://github.com/treeform/jsony",
+      "downloadMethod": "git",
+      "dependencies": [],
+      "checksums": {
+        "sha1": "6aeb83e7481ca8686396a568096054bc668294df"
+      }
+    },
     "yaml": {
       "version": "2.1.1",
       "vcsRevision": "48a90e36e82bd97457dae87e86efe423dcd3bb40",
diff --git a/src/hyprland.nim b/src/hyprland.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed96501
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hyprland.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+import std/[os, strformat, strutils, streams, tables, net, sugar]
+import ./lib
+export tables
+import yaml, jsony
+
+type
+  # Remove effects?
+  HyprlandDefect* = Defect
+  Workspace = object
+    name*: string
+    id*: int
+  Client = object
+    class*: string
+    workspace*: Workspace
+  ActiveWorkspace = object
+    name*: string
+    id*: int
+  Monitor = object
+    activeWorkspace*: ActiveWorkspace
+    id*: int
+
+
+proc hyprSocketPath(): string =
+  let runtimeDir = getEnv("XDG_RUNTIME_DIR")
+  let instancSig = getEnv("HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE")
+  result = runtimeDir / "hypr" / instancSig
+
+let
+  hyprSocket = hyprSocketPath() / ".socket.sock"
+  hyprSocket2 = hyprSocketPath() / ".socket2.sock"
+
+# TODO: revamp?
+proc getData[T](msg: string, to: typedesc[T]): T =
+  let socket = newSocket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, IPPROTO_IP)
+  try:
+    socket.connectUnix(hyprSocket)
+  except OSError:
+    raise newException(
+      HyprlandDefect, "Could not connect to Hyprland IPC UNIX path; is Hyprland running?"
+    )
+
+  socket.send msg
+  var recvData: string
+  while true:
+    let response = socket.recv(4096)
+    if response == "": break
+    recvData.add response
+  socket.close() # is this necessary?
+  result = recvData.fromJson(T)
+
+
+proc getMonitors*(): seq[Monitor] =
+  result = getData("[-j]/monitors", seq[Monitor])
+
+proc getClients(): seq[Client] =
+  result = getData("[-j]/clients", seq[Client])
+
+type
+  EwwWorkspace = object
+    icon*, class*: string
+    id*: int
+
+proc add(ws: var EwwWorkspace, client: Client) =
+  let clientIcon = config.pickIcon(client.class)
+  if ws.icon == config.`no-client`:
+    ws.icon = clientIcon
+  else:
+    ws.icon.add clientIcon
+
+func openWorkspaces(monitors: seq[Monitor]): seq[int] =
+  for m in monitors:
+    result.add m.activeWorkspace.id
+
+func setActive(workspaces: seq[EwwWorkspace], m: Monitor): seq[EwwWorkspace] =
+  let id = m.activeWorkspace.id
+  result = workspaces
+  result[id - 1].class.add " ws-button-active-" & $(id)
+
+proc writeEwwClasses*() =
+  let
+    monitors = getMonitors()
+    clients = getClients()
+
+  var workspaces=
+    collect:
+      for i in 0..<9:
+        EwwWorkspace(
+          icon: config.`no-client`, class: fmt"ws-button-{i+1}", id: i+1
+        )
+
+  for client in clients:
+    let id = client.workspace.id - 1
+    workspaces[id].add client
+
+  for id in openWorkspaces(monitors):
+    workspaces[id - 1].class.add " ws-button-open"
+
+  var ewwClasses =
+    collect:
+      for m in monitors:
+        workspaces.setActive m
+
+  stdout.write (ewwClasses.toJson() & "\n")
+  flushFile stdout
+
+proc handleHyprEvent(event: string) =
+  let
+    s = event.split(">>", 1)
+    event = s[0]
+
+  # use enum?
+  case event:
+  of "monitoraddedv2":
+    # TODO: open as many bars as necessary depending on num monitors
+    # is it ok to just call open bar again?
+    notify("monitor added")
+  of "openwindow", "workspacev2":
+    writeEwwClasses()
+  else: discard
+
+
+proc watchHyprland*() =
+  let socket = newSocket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, IPPROTO_IP)
+  try:
+    socket.connectUnix(hyprSocket2)
+  except OSError:
+    raise newException(
+      HyprlandDefect, "Could not connect to Hyprland IPC UNIX path; is Hyprland running?"
+    )
+  writeEwwClasses()
+  while true:
+    var line: string
+    socket.readLine line
+    handleHyprEvent line
+
diff --git a/src/hyprman.nim b/src/hyprman.nim
index 85049db..333bfde 100644
--- a/src/hyprman.nim
+++ b/src/hyprman.nim
@@ -1,10 +1,24 @@
 ## hyprman, the hyprland companion
 
-import ./mako
+import std/[osproc, strformat]
+import hwylterm/cligen, cligen
+import ./[mako,hyprland, lib]# state]
+
+hwylCli(clCfg)
+
+proc start() =
+  ## launch eww
+  notify("starting eww")
+  for i in 0..<getMonitors().len:
+    let code = execCmd fmt"eww open bar{i}"
+    if code != 0:
+      notify(fmt"failed to open eww bar{i}")
+ 
+proc watch() =
+  ## watch hyprland events for eww class changes
+  watchHyprland()
 
 when isMainModule:
-  import hwylterm/cligen, cligen
-  hwylCli(clCfg)
   const
     config   = //{"config": "path/to/config"}
     makoHelp = config // {
@@ -13,5 +27,7 @@ when isMainModule:
       "reverse": "swap notification order"
     }
   dispatchMulti(
-    [makoCmd, cmdName = "mako", usage = clCfg.use, help = makoHelp]
+    [makoCmd, cmdName = "mako", usage = clCfg.use, help = makoHelp],
+    [start, usage = clCfg.use],
+    [watch, usage = clCfg.use]
   )
diff --git a/src/lib.nim b/src/lib.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d9b7d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import std/[
+  os, osproc, streams, strformat, strutils, tables
+]
+export tables
+import yaml
+
+proc notify*(message: string) =
+  discard execCmd fmt"notify-send --app-name=hyprman --transient '{message}'"
+
+type
+  Icons = Table[string, string]
+  Config = object # config vs icons?
+    classes*: Icons
+    `no-client`*: string
+    `default-icon`*: string
+
+proc loadConfig*(): Config =
+  let configPath = getConfigDir() / "hyprman" / "config.yml"
+  if fileExists(configPath):
+    var s = newFileStream(configPath)
+    load(s, result)
+
+func pickIcon*(
+  c: Config,
+  class: string
+): string =
+  for k, v in c.classes:
+    if class in k:
+      result = v
+
+let config* = loadConfig()
diff --git a/src/mako.nim b/src/mako.nim
index 8bfa545..dae33ea 100644
--- a/src/mako.nim
+++ b/src/mako.nim
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import std/[algorithm, strutils, json, osproc, wordwrap, terminal]
 import hwylterm
+
 type
   MakoNotificationData = object
     `type`, data: string
@@ -16,13 +17,12 @@ type
 func toNotification(mn: MakoNotification): Notification =
   result.appName = mn.`app-name`.data
   result.summary = mn.summary.data
-  result.body = mn.body.data
+  result.body    = mn.body.data
 
 func toHistory(mh: MakoHistory): History =
   for mn in mh.data[0]:
     result.notifications.add mn.toNotification()
 
-
 func filter(h: History, reverse: bool, count: int): History =
   result.notifications = h.notifications
   if reverse:
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ proc getMakoHistory(): MakoHistory =
   if errCode != 0: quit output, errCode
   result = parseJson(output).to(MakoHistory)
 
-
 proc bb(n: Notification): BbString =
   template border(style: string): untyped = "[" & style & "]" & "┃ [/]"
   var raw: string
diff --git a/todo.md b/todo.md
index a5c100b..6468123 100644
--- a/todo.md
+++ b/todo.md
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # hyprman todo's
 
 - [ ] include in class the 'other' active monitor?
+- [ ] switch to usu once parser is stable again
+- [ ] make swww powered wallpaper cycler
 
 <!-- generated with <3 by daylinmorgan/todo -->