diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/clang/Code.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/clang/Code.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a144d9d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/clang/Code.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+package org.bykn.bosatsu.codegen.clang
+
+import org.typelevel.paiges.Doc
+import cats.data.NonEmptyList
+
+sealed trait Code
+
+object Code {
+  sealed trait Attr
+  object Attr {
+    case object Static extends Attr
+
+    private val staticDoc = Doc.text("static")
+
+    def toDoc(a: Attr): Doc =
+      a match {
+        case Static => staticDoc
+      }
+  }
+
+  sealed trait TypeIdent {
+    def ptr: TypeIdent = TypeIdent.Ptr(this)
+
+    def typedefAs(n: Ident): Statement = Typedef(this, n)
+
+    def cast(expr: Expression): Expression = Cast(this, expr)
+  }
+  object TypeIdent {
+    sealed trait ComplexType extends TypeIdent
+    case class StructType(name: String) extends ComplexType
+    case class UnionType(name: String) extends ComplexType
+    case class Named(name: String) extends TypeIdent
+    case class Ptr(tpe: TypeIdent) extends TypeIdent
+
+    private val structDoc = Doc.text("struct ")
+    private val unionDoc = Doc.text("union ")
+    private val asterisk = Doc.char('*')
+
+    def toDoc(te: TypeIdent): Doc =
+      te match {
+        case StructType(n) => structDoc + Doc.text(n)
+        case UnionType(n) => unionDoc + Doc.text(n)
+        case Named(n) => Doc.text(n)
+        case Ptr(ptr) => toDoc(ptr) + asterisk
+      }
+  }
+
+  sealed trait Expression extends Code {
+    def :=(rhs: Expression): Statement =
+      Assignment(this, rhs)
+
+    def ret: Statement = Return(Some(this))
+
+    def apply(args: Expression*): Apply = Apply(this, args.toList)
+  }
+
+  case class Ident(name: String) extends Expression
+  case class Cast(tpe: TypeIdent, expr: Expression) extends Expression
+  case class Apply(fn: Expression, args: List[Expression]) extends Expression
+
+  sealed trait Statement extends Code
+
+  case class Assignment(target: Expression, value: Expression) extends Statement
+  case class DeclareVar(attrs: List[Attr], tpe: TypeIdent, ident: Ident, value: Option[Expression]) extends Statement
+  case class Typedef(tpe: TypeIdent, name: Ident) extends Statement
+  case class DefineComplex(tpe: TypeIdent.ComplexType, elements: List[(TypeIdent, Ident)]) extends Statement
+  case class Return(expr: Option[Expression]) extends Statement
+  case class Block(items: NonEmptyList[Statement]) extends Statement
+  case class IfElse(ifs: NonEmptyList[(Expression, Block)], elseCond: Option[Block]) extends Statement
+
+  val returnVoid: Statement = Return(None)
+
+  def block(item: Statement, rest: Statement*): Block =
+    Block(NonEmptyList(item, rest.toList))
+
+  private val equalsDoc = Doc.text(" = ")
+  private val semiDoc = Doc.char(';')
+  private val typeDefDoc = Doc.text("typedef ")
+  private val leftCurly = Doc.char('{')
+  private val rightCurly = Doc.char('}')
+  private val leftPar = Doc.char('(')
+  private val rightPar = Doc.char(')')
+  private val returnSemi = Doc.text("return;")
+  private val returnSpace = Doc.text("return ")
+  private val ifDoc = Doc.text("if ")
+  private val elseIfDoc = Doc.text("else if ")
+  private val elseDoc = Doc.text("else ")
+  private val commaLine = Doc.char(',') + Doc.line
+
+  private def par(d: Doc): Doc = leftPar + d + rightPar
+
+  private def curlyBlock[A](items: Iterable[A])(fn: A => Doc): Doc =
+    if (items.isEmpty) {
+      leftCurly + rightCurly
+    }
+    else {
+      val inner =
+        (Doc.line + Doc.intercalate(Doc.line, items.map(fn))).nested(4)
+
+      leftCurly + inner + Doc.line + rightCurly
+    }
+
+  def toDoc(c: Code): Doc = 
+    c match {
+      case Ident(n) => Doc.text(n)
+      case Cast(tpe, expr) =>
+        val edoc = expr match {
+          case Ident(n) => Doc.text(n)
+          case _ => par(toDoc(expr))
+        }
+        par(TypeIdent.toDoc(tpe)) + edoc
+      case Apply(fn, args) =>
+        val fnDoc = fn match {
+          case Ident(n) => Doc.text(n)
+          case notIdent => par(toDoc(notIdent))
+        }
+        fnDoc + par(Doc.intercalate(commaLine, args.map(expr => toDoc(expr))).grouped.nested(4))
+      case Assignment(t, v) => toDoc(t) + (equalsDoc + (toDoc(v) + semiDoc))
+      case DeclareVar(attrs, tpe, ident, v) =>
+        val attrDoc =
+          if (attrs.isEmpty) Doc.empty
+          else {
+            Doc.intercalate(Doc.space, attrs.map(a => Attr.toDoc(a))) + Doc.space
+          }
+
+        val prefix = Doc.intercalate(Doc.space,
+          (attrDoc + TypeIdent.toDoc(tpe)) ::
+          toDoc(ident) ::
+          Nil)
+
+        v match {
+          case Some(rhs) => prefix + equalsDoc + toDoc(rhs) + semiDoc
+          case None => prefix + semiDoc
+        }
+      case Typedef(td, n) =>
+        typeDefDoc + TypeIdent.toDoc(td) + Doc.space + toDoc(n) + semiDoc
+      case DefineComplex(tpe, els) =>
+        val pre = TypeIdent.toDoc(tpe) + Doc.space
+        val code = pre + curlyBlock(els) { case (t, n) =>
+          TypeIdent.toDoc(t) + Doc.space + toDoc(n) + semiDoc 
+        }
+
+        code + semiDoc
+      case Return(opt) =>
+        opt match {
+          case None => returnSemi
+          case Some(expr) => returnSpace + toDoc(expr) + semiDoc
+        }
+      case Block(items) => curlyBlock(items.toList) { s => toDoc(s) }
+      case IfElse(ifs, els) =>
+        //"if (ex) {} else if"
+        val (fcond, fblock) = ifs.head
+        val first = ifDoc + par(toDoc(fcond)) + Doc.space + toDoc(fblock)
+        val middle = ifs.tail match {
+          case Nil => Doc.empty
+          case nonEmpty =>
+            Doc.line + Doc.intercalate(Doc.line, nonEmpty.map { case (c, b) =>
+              elseIfDoc + par(toDoc(c)) + Doc.space + toDoc(b)
+            })
+        }
+        val end = els match {
+          case None => Doc.empty
+          case Some(e) => Doc.line + elseDoc + toDoc(e)
+        }
+
+        first + middle + end
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/test/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/clang/CodeTest.scala b/core/src/test/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/clang/CodeTest.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b8aa7ef2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/clang/CodeTest.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package org.bykn.bosatsu.codegen.clang
+
+import cats.data.NonEmptyList
+import Code._
+
+class CodeTest extends munit.FunSuite {
+
+  def checkCode(c: Code, str: String)(implicit loc: munit.Location) = {
+    assertEquals(toDoc(c).renderTrim(80), str)
+  }
+
+  test("basic renders") {
+    checkCode(Ident("foo"), "foo")
+    checkCode(Ident("foo") := Ident("bar"), "foo = bar;")
+    checkCode(DeclareVar(Nil, TypeIdent.Named("Foo"), Ident("bar"), None), "Foo bar;")
+    checkCode(DeclareVar(Nil, TypeIdent.Named("Foo"), Ident("bar"), Some(Ident("baz"))),
+      "Foo bar = baz;")
+    checkCode(DeclareVar(Nil, TypeIdent.Named("Foo").ptr, Ident("bar"), None), "Foo* bar;")
+    checkCode(DeclareVar(Attr.Static :: Nil, TypeIdent.Named("Foo").ptr, Ident("bar"), None), "static Foo* bar;")
+
+    checkCode(TypeIdent.Named("Foo").typedefAs(Ident("Baz")), "typedef Foo Baz;")
+    checkCode(TypeIdent.Named("Foo").cast(Ident("Baz")), "(Foo)Baz")
+
+    checkCode(DefineComplex(TypeIdent.StructType("Foo"),
+      (TypeIdent.Named("int"), Ident("bar")) ::
+      (TypeIdent.Named("float"), Ident("baz")) ::
+      Nil
+    ), "struct Foo {\n" +
+      "    int bar;\n" +
+      "    float baz;\n" +
+      "};")
+
+    checkCode(returnVoid, "return;")
+    checkCode(Ident("bar").ret, "return bar;")
+    checkCode(block(Ident("bar").ret, Ident("baz").ret), "{\n" +
+      "    return bar;\n" +
+      "    return baz;\n" +
+      "}")
+
+    checkCode(IfElse(NonEmptyList.of(
+      Ident("foo") -> block(Ident("baz").ret),
+      Ident("bar") -> block(Ident("quux").ret),
+    ), None), "if (foo) {\n" +
+      "    return baz;\n" +
+      "}\n" +
+      "else if (bar) {\n" +
+      "    return quux;\n" +
+      "}")
+
+    checkCode(IfElse(NonEmptyList.of(
+      Ident("bar") -> block(Ident("quux").ret),
+    ), Some(block(returnVoid))), "if (bar) {\n" +
+      "    return quux;\n" +
+      "}\n" +
+      "else {\n" +
+      "    return;\n" +
+      "}")
+
+    checkCode(Ident("foo")(Ident("bar")), "foo(bar)")
+    checkCode(Ident("foo")(Ident("bar"), Ident("baz")), "foo(bar, baz)")
+    checkCode(Ident("foo")(), "foo()")
+    checkCode(TypeIdent.Named("Foo").cast(Ident("foo"))(), "((Foo)foo)()")
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file