diff --git a/src/swydd/__init__.py b/src/swydd/__init__.py
index 622957d..5917a0e 100644
--- a/src/swydd/__init__.py
+++ b/src/swydd/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import argparse
 import inspect
+import os
 import shlex
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -9,36 +10,90 @@ from argparse import (
     RawDescriptionHelpFormatter,
     _SubParsersAction,
 )
+from functools import wraps
 from inspect import Parameter
 from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 
 __version__ = "0.1.0"
 
 
+class SubcommandHelpFormatter(RawDescriptionHelpFormatter):
+    """custom help formatter to remove bracketed list of subparsers"""
+
+    def _format_action(self, action: Action) -> str:
+        # TODO: actually modify the real "format_action for better control"
+        print(action)
+        parts = super(RawDescriptionHelpFormatter, self)._format_action(action)
+        if action.nargs == argparse.PARSER:
+            lines = parts.split("\n")[1:]
+            tasks, targets = [], []
+            for line in lines:
+                if len(line) > 0 and line.strip().split()[0] in ctx.targets:
+                    targets.append(line)
+                else:
+                    tasks.append(line)
+            parts = "\n".join(tasks)
+            if len(targets) > 0 and ctx.show_targets:
+                parts += "\n".join(("\ntargets:", *targets))
+
+        return parts
+
+
+def _id_from_func(f: Callable[..., Any]):
+    return str(id(wrapped) if (wrapped := getattr(f, "__wrapped__", None)) else id(f))
+
+
+class Task:
+    def __init__(self, func=Callable[..., Any]) -> None:
+        self.show = False
+        self.id = _id_from_func(func)
+        self.name = func.__name__
+        self.func = func
+        self.targets = []
+
+        self._process_signature()
+
+    def _process_signature(self) -> None:
+        self.signature = inspect.signature(self.func)
+        self.params = {}
+        for name, param in self.signature.parameters.items():
+            self.params[name] = {"Parameter": param}
+
+    def _update_option(self, name: str, help: str, **kwargs) -> None:
+        self.params[name] = {
+            **self.params.get(name, {}),
+            "help": help,
+            "kwargs": kwargs,
+        }
+
+    def _mark(self) -> None:
+        self.show = True
+
+
 class Context:
     def __init__(self) -> None:
-        self.show_targets = True
-        self.dag = False
-        self.dry = False
-        self.tasks: Dict[str, Any] = {}
+        self._tasks: Dict[str, Any] = {}
         self.targets: Dict[str, Any] = {}
         self.data: Any = None
         self.flags: Dict[str, Any] = {}
         self._flag_defs: List[Tuple[Tuple[str, ...], Any]] = []
+        self.show_targets = True
+
+        # global flags
+        self.dry = False
+        self.dag = False
         self.verbose = False
 
-    def add_task(
-        self, func: Callable[..., Any], help: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None
-    ) -> None:
-        name = func.__name__
-        if name == "inner":
-            return
-        if name in self.tasks:
-            raise ValueError(f"{name} task is repeated.")
-        else:
-            self.tasks[name] = dict(
-                func=func, signature=inspect.signature(func), help=help
-            )
+    def _add_task(self, func: Callable[..., Any], show: bool = False) -> None:
+        if (id_ := _id_from_func(func)) not in self._tasks:
+            self._tasks[id_] = Task(func)
+        if show:
+            self._tasks[id_]._mark()
+
+    def _update_option(self, func: Callable[..., Any], name: str, help: str, **kwargs):
+        if (id_ := _id_from_func(func)) not in self._tasks:
+            raise ValueError
+        self._tasks[id_]._update_option(name, help, **kwargs)
 
     def add_flag(self, *args: str, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
         name = max(args, key=len).split("-")[-1]
@@ -67,32 +122,11 @@ def sh(cmd: str, shell: bool = False) -> int:
     return Exec(cmd, shell=shell).execute()
 
 
-class SubcommandHelpFormatter(RawDescriptionHelpFormatter):
-    """custom help formatter to remove bracketed list of subparsers"""
-
-    def _format_action(self, action: Action) -> str:
-        # TODO: actually modify the real "format_action for better control"
-        parts = super(RawDescriptionHelpFormatter, self)._format_action(action)
-        if action.nargs == argparse.PARSER:
-            lines = parts.split("\n")[1:]
-            tasks, targets = [], []
-            for line in lines:
-                if len(line) > 0 and line.strip().split()[0] in ctx.targets:
-                    targets.append(line)
-                else:
-                    tasks.append(line)
-            parts = "\n".join(tasks)
-            if len(targets) > 0 and ctx.show_targets:
-                parts += "\n".join(("\ntargets:", *targets))
-
-        return parts
-
-
-ctx = Context()
+# decorators
 
 
 def task(func: Callable[..., Any]) -> Callable[..., None]:
-    ctx.add_task(func)
+    ctx._add_task(func, show=True)
 
     def wrap(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
         return func(*args, **kwargs)
@@ -100,13 +134,26 @@ def task(func: Callable[..., Any]) -> Callable[..., None]:
     return wrap
 
 
+# def inspect_wrapper(place, func):
+#     if wrapped := getattr(func, "__wrapped__", None):
+#         print(place, "wrapped->", id(wrapped))
+#
+#     print(
+#         place,
+#         id(func),
+#     )
+#
+
+
 def targets(
     *args: str,
 ) -> Callable[[Callable[..., Any]], Callable[..., Callable[..., None]]]:
     def wrapper(func: Callable[..., Any]) -> Callable[..., Callable[..., None]]:
+        ctx._add_task(func)
         for arg in args:
-            ctx.targets[arg] = func
+            ctx.targets[arg] = _id_from_func(func)
 
+        @wraps(func)
         def inner(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Callable[..., None]:
             return func(*args, **kwargs)
 
@@ -115,12 +162,16 @@ def targets(
     return wrapper
 
 
-def help(
+def option(
+    name: str,
+    help: str,
     **help_kwargs: str,
 ) -> Callable[[Callable[..., Any]], Callable[..., Callable[..., None]]]:
     def wrapper(func: Callable[..., Any]) -> Callable[..., Callable[..., None]]:
-        ctx.add_task(func, help=help_kwargs)
+        ctx._add_task(func)
+        ctx._update_option(func, name, help, **help_kwargs)
 
+        @wraps(func)
         def inner(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Callable[..., None]:
             return func(*args, **kwargs)
 
@@ -131,11 +182,52 @@ def help(
 
 def manage(version: bool = False) -> None:
     """manage self"""
-    print("self management ey")
+    print("self management stuff")
     if version:
         print("current version", __version__)
 
 
+def generate_task_subparser(
+    shared: ArgumentParser,
+    subparsers: _SubParsersAction,
+    task: Task,
+    target: Optional[str] = None,
+) -> Optional[ArgumentParser]:
+    if not task.show and not target:
+        return
+
+    prog = os.path.basename(sys.argv[0])
+    name = task.name if not target else target
+    doc = task.func.__doc__.splitlines()[0] if task.func.__doc__ else ""
+    subparser = subparsers.add_parser(
+        name,
+        help=doc,
+        description=task.func.__doc__,
+        parents=[shared],
+        usage=f"%(prog)s {name} [opts]",
+        prog=prog,
+    )
+    for name, info in task.params.items():
+        param = info.get("Parameter")  # must check signature for args?
+        args = (f"--{name}",)
+        kwargs = {"help": info.get("help", "")}
+
+        if param.annotation == bool:
+            kwargs.update({"default": False, "action": "store_true"})
+        elif param.annotation != Parameter.empty:
+            kwargs.update({"type": param.annotation})
+        kwargs.update(
+            {"required": True}
+            if param.default == Parameter.empty
+            else {"default": param.default}
+        )
+
+        kwargs.update(info.get("kwargs", {}))
+        subparser.add_argument(*args, **kwargs)
+    subparser.set_defaults(func=task.func)
+    return subparser
+
+
 def generate_subparser(
     shared: ArgumentParser,
     subparsers: _SubParsersAction,
@@ -169,20 +261,18 @@ def generate_subparser(
 
 
 def add_targets(
-    parent: ArgumentParser, subparsers: _SubParsersAction, ctx: Context
+    shared: ArgumentParser, subparsers: _SubParsersAction, ctx: Context
 ) -> None:
-    for target, target_func in ctx.targets.items():
-        subp = generate_subparser(
-            parent,
-            subparsers,
-            target,
-            dict(func=target_func, signature=inspect.signature(target_func)),
-        )
-        subp.add_argument("--dag", help="show target dag", action="store_true")
+    for target, id_ in ctx.targets.items():
+        subp = generate_task_subparser(shared, subparsers, ctx._tasks[id_], str(target))
+        if subp:
+            subp.add_argument("--dag", help="show target dag", action="store_true")
 
 
 def cli() -> None:
-    parser = ArgumentParser(formatter_class=SubcommandHelpFormatter)
+    parser = ArgumentParser(
+        formatter_class=SubcommandHelpFormatter, usage="%(prog)s <task/target> [opts]"
+    )
     shared = ArgumentParser(add_help=False)
 
     for flag_args, flag_kwargs in ctx._flag_defs:
@@ -210,8 +300,8 @@ def cli() -> None:
 
     add_targets(shared, subparsers, ctx)
 
-    for name, info in ctx.tasks.items():
-        generate_subparser(shared, subparsers, name, info)
+    for _, task in ctx._tasks.items():
+        generate_task_subparser(shared, subparsers, task)
 
     args = vars(parser.parse_args())
     ctx.verbose = args.pop("verbose", False)
@@ -222,18 +312,22 @@ def cli() -> None:
 
     if f := args.pop("func", None):
         if ctx.dry:
-            print("dry run >>>")
-            print("  args:", args)
-            print(
-                "\n".join(
-                    f"  {line}"
-                    for line in inspect.getsource(f).splitlines()
-                    if not line.startswith("@")
+            sys.stderr.write("dry run >>>\n" f"  args: {args}\n")
+            sys.stderr.write(
+                (
+                    "\n".join(
+                        f"  {line}"
+                        for line in inspect.getsource(f).splitlines()
+                        if not line.startswith("@")
+                    )
+                    + "\n"
                 )
             )
         elif ctx.dag:
-            print("currently --dag is a noop")
-            print("future versions will generate a dag for specified target")
+            sys.stderr.write(
+                "currently --dag is a noop\n"
+                "future versions will generate a dag for specified target\n"
+            )
         else:
             f(**args)
 
diff --git a/tasks.py b/tasks.py
index 2b256d6..e3f1806 100755
--- a/tasks.py
+++ b/tasks.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import swydd as s
 
 
 @s.task
-@s.help(types="also run mypy")
+@s.option("types", "also run mypy")
 def check(types: bool = False):
     """run pre-commit (and mypy)"""
     s.sh("pre-commit run --all")