diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index bac819a..7b2cd97 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # Changelog
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
+## [Unreleased]
+### Added
+- add formatting and validation to the docker-langserver binary ([#79](https://github.com/rcjsuen/dockerfile-language-server-nodejs/issues/79))
+
 ## [0.0.10] - 2017-10-23
 ### Added
 - textDocument/codeAction
diff --git a/FORMATTER.md b/FORMATTER.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..284eddb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/FORMATTER.md
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# Formatting Dockerfiles
+
+The formatter included will perform the following operations on a Dockerfile:
+
+- remove leading whitespace if it begins with an instruction
+- remove trailing whitespace if and only if the line only contains whitespace characters
+- take escaped newlines into account and indent Dockerfile instructions that span multiple lines
+
+## Command Line Interface
+
+The formatter used by the language server can be run standalone from the CLI.
+If no file is specified, the CLI will attempt to format the contents of a file named `Dockerfile` in the current working directory if it exists.
+
+### Help
+```
+> docker-langserver format --help
+Usage: docker-langserver format [options] [file]
+
+Options:
+
+  -h, --help                Output usage information
+  -s, --spaces <number>     Format with the <number> of spaces
+  -t, --tabs                Format with tabs
+```
+
+### Example
+```Dockerfile
+      FROM node
+HEALTHCHECK --interva=30s CMD ls
+  RUN "echo" ls \
+  
+  "echoS"sdfdf \
+  asdfasdf
+  copy . .
+ADD app.zip
+CMD ls
+```
+#### Formatting with Tabs
+```
+> docker-langserver format -t
+FROM node
+HEALTHCHECK --interva=30s CMD ls
+RUN "echo" ls \
+
+	"echoS"sdfdf \
+	asdfasdf
+copy . .
+ADD app.zip
+CMD ls
+```
+#### Formatting with Spaces
+```
+> docker-langserver format -s 5
+FROM node
+HEALTHCHECK --interva=30s CMD ls
+RUN "echo" ls \
+
+     "echoS"sdfdf \
+     asdfasdf
+copy . .
+ADD app.zip
+CMD ls
+```
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d428035..a6a1b18 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ Supported features:
 - code actions
 - code completion
 - definition
-- diagnostics
+- [diagnostics](https://github.com/rcjsuen/dockerfile-language-server-nodejs/blob/master/VALIDATOR.md)
+(can be used from the command line)
 - document highlight
 - document symbols
-- formatting
+- [formatting](https://github.com/rcjsuen/dockerfile-language-server-nodejs/blob/master/FORMATTER.md)
+(can be used from the command line)
 - hovers
 - rename
 - signature help
@@ -55,9 +57,29 @@ the desired method of communciating with the language server via one
 of the three arguments shown below.
 
 ```
-docker-langserver --node-ipc
-docker-langserver --stdio
-docker-langserver --socket=<port>
+docker-langserver listen --node-ipc
+docker-langserver listen --stdio
+docker-langserver listen --socket=<port>
+```
+
+The installed binary is not only used for launching the language server. It can
+also be used to [format](https://github.com/rcjsuen/dockerfile-language-server-nodejs/blob/master/FORMATTER.md)
+and [validate](https://github.com/rcjsuen/dockerfile-language-server-nodejs/blob/master/VALIDATOR.md)
+Dockerfiles as a standalone command line application.
+```
+> docker-langserver --help
+Usage: docker-langserver <command> [<args>]
+
+Options:
+
+  -h, --help                Output usage information
+  -v, --version             Output version information
+
+Commands:
+
+  listen                    Start the language server
+  format                    Format a Dockerfile
+  lint                      Validate a Dockerfile
 ```
 
 ### Settings
diff --git a/VALIDATOR.md b/VALIDATOR.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4553fbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VALIDATOR.md
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+# Dockerfile Validation
+
+The validator provided by the langauge server is intended to perform the same kinds of validation that the Docker builder performs when building an image.
+Any errors that are generated by the validator should also be generated by the Docker builder (albeit the message strings itself may differ).
+If the validator generates an error for a Dockerfile that the Docker builder is able to build, that is considered to be a bug.
+
+However, errors that the Docker builder generates may not necessarily be replicated by the validator due to difficulties in verifying the validity of a given Dockerfile instruction's arguments given the build context and other factors.
+
+The currently supported version of the Docker builder is  **Docker CE 17.09 [2017-09-26]**
+
+## Command Line Interface
+
+The validator used by the language server can be run standalone from the CLI.
+If no file is specified, the CLI will attempt to validate the contents of a file named `Dockerfile` in the current working directory if it exists.
+
+### Help
+```
+> docker-langserver lint --help
+Usage: docker-langserver lint [options] [file]
+
+Options:
+
+  -h, --help                Output usage information
+  -j, --json                Output in JSON format
+```
+
+### Example
+```Dockerfile
+      FROM node
+HEALTHCHECK --interva=30s CMD ls
+  RUN "echo" ls \
+  
+  "echoS"sdfdf \
+  asdfasdf
+  copy . .
+ADD app.zip
+CMD ls
+```
+#### CLI Output
+```
+> docker-langserver lint
+Line: 2
+HEALTHCHECK --interva=30s CMD ls
+            ^^^^^^^^^
+Error: Unknown flag: interva
+
+Line: 4
+Warning: Empty continuation line
+
+Line: 7
+  copy . .
+  ^^^^
+Warning: Instructions should be written in uppercase letters
+
+Line: 8
+ADD app.zip
+    ^^^^^^^
+Error: ADD requires at least two arguments
+```
+#### JSON Output
+```
+> docker-langserver lint -j
+[{"range":{"start":{"line":1,"character":12},"end":{"line":1,"character":21}},"message":"Unknown flag: interva","severity":"error"},{"range":{"start":{"line":3,"character":0},"end":{"line":4,"character":0}},"message":"Empty continuation line","severity":"warning"},{"range":{"start":{"line":6,"character":2},"end":{"line":6,"character":6}},"message":"Instructions should be written in uppercase letters","severity":"warning"},{"range":{"start":{"line":7,"character":4},"end":{"line":7,"character":11}},"message":"ADD requires at least two arguments","severity":"error"}]
+```
+
+## Supported Validation Checks
+
+### General
+#### Instructions
+- instructions should be written in uppercase
+- instruction has no arguments
+- instruction has an insufficient number of arguments
+- unknown instruction detected
+- duplicate instruction flags detected
+- unknown instruction flag detected
+- instruction flag has no value defined
+#### Directives
+- invalid value specified for `escape` parser directive
+- directives should be written in lowercase.
+#### Others
+- empty continuation lines
+
+### CMD
+- multiple `CMD` instructions detected
+
+### ENTRYPOINT
+- multiple `ENTRYPOINT` instructions detected
+
+### ENV
+- syntax missing equals sign '`=`'
+- syntax missing single quote '`'`'
+- syntax missing double quotes '`"`'
+- property has no name
+
+### EXPOSE
+- invalid container port specified
+- invalid protocol specified
+
+### FROM
+- `FROM` instruction not found at the beginning of the Dockerfile
+- invalid build stage name specified
+- duplicate build stage name detected
+- second argument detected but not an `AS`
+
+### HEALTHCHECK
+- `CMD` form has no arguments
+- `NONE` form has arguments defined
+- type that is not `CMD` or `NONE` detected
+- `--retries` flag has invalid syntax
+- `--retries` value is not at least one
+- duration of `--interval`, `--start-period`, or `--timeout` is invalid
+- duration of `--interval`, `--start-period`, or `--timeout` is less than one millisecond
+- duration of `--interval`, `--start-period`, or `--timeout` has an unknown unit of time specified
+- multiple `HEALTHCHECK` instructions detected
+
+### LABEL
+- syntax missing equals sign '`=`'
+- syntax missing single quote '`'`'
+- syntax missing double quotes '`"`'
+- property has no name
+
+### MAINTAINER
+- use of deprecated instruction detected
+
+### ONBUILD
+- can't chain `ONBUILD` instruction with `ONBUILD ONBUILD`
+- invalid `ONBUILD` trigger instruction
+
+### SHELL
+- `SHELL` not written in JSON form
+
+### STOPSIGNAL
+- invalid stop signal
diff --git a/bin/docker-langserver b/bin/docker-langserver
index f881b79..b50b34b 100644
--- a/bin/docker-langserver
+++ b/bin/docker-langserver
@@ -3,4 +3,256 @@
  * Copyright (c) Remy Suen. All rights reserved.
  * Licensed under the MIT License. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
  * ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
-require("../lib/server");
+const fs = require("fs");
+
+let args = process.argv.slice(2);
+if (args.length === 0 || args[0] === "-h" || args[0] === "--help") {
+	printHelp();
+} else if (args[0] === "-v" || args[0] === "--version") {
+	printVersion();
+} else if (args[0] === "format") {
+	let options = parseFormattingOptions(process.argv.slice(3));
+	let formatter = require("../lib/dockerFormatter");
+	let dockerFormatter = new formatter.DockerFormatter();
+	let formatted = dockerFormatter.formatFile(options.path, options);
+	console.log(formatted);
+} else if (args[0] === "lint") {
+	let json = false;
+	let path = "Dockerfile";
+	if (args.length > 1) {
+		if (args[1] === "-h" || args[1] === "--help") {
+			printLintHelp();
+			process.exit(0);
+		} else if (args[1] === "-j" || args[1] === "--json") {
+			json = true;
+			if (args.length > 2) {
+				path = args[2];
+			}
+		} else {
+			path = args[1];
+		}
+	}
+	checkPath(path);
+	let validator = require("../lib/dockerValidator");
+	let vscodeLangserver = require("vscode-languageserver-types");
+	let content = fs.readFileSync(path).toString();
+	let document = vscodeLangserver.TextDocument.create("", "", 0, content);
+	let dockerValidator = new validator.Validator();
+	let diagnostics = dockerValidator.validate(document);
+	
+	let exitCode = 0;
+	for (let i = 0; i < diagnostics.length; i++) {
+		if (diagnostics[i].severity === vscodeLangserver.DiagnosticSeverity.Error) {
+			exitCode = 1;
+		}
+	}
+	if (json) {
+		for (let i = 0; i < diagnostics.length; i++) {
+			delete diagnostics[i].code;
+			delete diagnostics[i].source;
+			if (diagnostics[i].severity === vscodeLangserver.DiagnosticSeverity.Warning) {
+				diagnostics[i].severity = "warning";
+			} else if (diagnostics[i].severity === vscodeLangserver.DiagnosticSeverity.Error) {
+				diagnostics[i].severity = "error";
+			}
+		}
+		console.log(JSON.stringify(diagnostics));
+		process.exit(exitCode);
+	}
+	for (let i = 0; i < diagnostics.length; i++) {
+		let message = "Warning: ";
+		if (diagnostics[i].severity === vscodeLangserver.DiagnosticSeverity.Error) {
+			message = "Error: ";
+		}
+		message = message + diagnostics[i].message;
+		if (diagnostics[i].code === validator.ValidationCode.EMPTY_CONTINUATION_LINE) {
+			// empty continuation lines encountered, just print out the line
+			// numbers and ignore the content (if any)
+			for (let j = diagnostics[i].range.start.line + 1; j < diagnostics[i].range.end.line + 1; j++) {
+				console.log("Line: " + j);
+				console.log(message);
+				console.log();
+			}
+		} else if (diagnostics[i].range.start.line === diagnostics[i].range.end.line) {
+			let rangeOffsetStart = document.offsetAt(diagnostics[i].range.start);
+			let rangeOffsetEnd = document.offsetAt(diagnostics[i].range.end);
+			let x = document.offsetAt({ line: diagnostics[i].range.start.line, character: 0 });
+			let y = document.offsetAt({ line: diagnostics[i].range.end.line + 1, character: 0 }) - 1;
+			let highlight = "";
+			let spacing = rangeOffsetStart - x;
+			for (let j = 0; j < spacing; j++) {
+				highlight += " ";
+			}
+			spacing = rangeOffsetEnd - rangeOffsetStart;
+			for (let j = 0; j < spacing; j++) {
+				highlight += "^";
+			}
+			console.log("Line: " + (diagnostics[i].range.start.line + 1));
+			console.log(content.substring(x, y));
+			console.log(highlight);
+			console.log(message);
+			console.log();
+		} else {
+			// the diagnostic spans multiple lines
+			let rangeOffsetStart = document.offsetAt(diagnostics[i].range.start);
+			let rangeOffsetEnd = document.offsetAt(diagnostics[i].range.end);
+			console.log("Line: " + (diagnostics[i].range.start.line + 1) + "-" + (diagnostics[i].range.end.line + 1));
+			for (let j = diagnostics[i].range.start.line; j < diagnostics[i].range.end.line + 1; j++) {
+				let x = document.offsetAt({ line: j, character: 0 });
+				let y = document.offsetAt({ line: j + 1, character: 0 }) - 1;
+				if (content.charAt(y - 1) === '\r') {
+					y--;
+				}
+				let highlight = "";
+				if (x <= rangeOffsetStart && y <= rangeOffsetEnd) {
+					let spacing = rangeOffsetStart - x;
+					for (let j = 0; j < spacing; j++) {
+						highlight += " ";
+					}
+					spacing = y - rangeOffsetStart;
+					for (let j = 0; j < spacing; j++) {
+						highlight += "^";
+					}
+				} else if (rangeOffsetStart <= x && y <= rangeOffsetEnd) {
+					let spacing = y - x;
+					for (let j = 0; j < spacing; j++) {
+						highlight += "^";
+					}
+				} else {
+					let spacing = rangeOffsetEnd - x;
+					for (let j = 0; j < spacing; j++) {
+						highlight += "^";
+					}
+				}
+				console.log(content.substring(x, y));
+				console.log(highlight);
+			}
+
+			console.log(message);
+			console.log();
+		}
+	}
+	process.exit(exitCode);
+} else if (args[0] === "listen") {
+	if (args[1] === "-h" || args[1] === "--help" || args.length === 1) {
+		printListenHelp();
+		process.exit(0);
+	} else {
+		require("../lib/server");
+	}
+} else {
+	require("../lib/server");
+}
+
+function printVersion() {
+	console.log("docker-langserver version 0.0.11 (supports Docker CE 17.09)");
+}
+
+function printHelp() {
+	console.log("Usage: docker-langserver <command> [<args>]");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("Options:");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("  -h, --help                Output usage information");
+	console.log("  -v, --version             Output version information");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("Commands:");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("  listen                    Start the language server");
+	console.log("  format                    Format a Dockerfile");
+	console.log("  lint                      Validate a Dockerfile");
+	console.log();
+}
+
+function printFormatHelp() {
+	console.log("Usage: docker-langserver format [options] [file]");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("Options:");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("  -h, --help                Output usage information");
+	console.log("  -s, --spaces <number>     Format with the <number> of spaces");
+	console.log("  -t, --tabs                Format with tabs");
+	console.log();
+}
+
+function printLintHelp() {
+	console.log("Usage: docker-langserver lint [options] [file]");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("Options:");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("  -h, --help                Output usage information");
+	console.log("  -j, --json                Output in JSON format");
+	console.log();
+}
+
+function printListenHelp() {
+	console.log("Usage: docker-langserver listen <arg>");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("Options:");
+	console.log();
+	console.log("  -h, --help                Output usage information");
+	console.log("  --node-ipc                Listen for messages using Node IPC");
+	console.log("  --socket=<port>           Connect the language server to the specified port");
+	console.log("  --stdio                   Read and write messages to and from stdio");
+	console.log();
+}
+
+function parseFormattingOptions(args) {
+	const options = {
+		tabSize: 4,
+		insertSpaces: false
+	}
+
+	if (args[0] === "-h" || args[0] === "--help") {
+		printFormatHelp();
+		process.exit(0);
+	} else if (args[0] === "-s" || args[0] === "--spaces") {
+		if (args.length < 2) {
+			console.log("Tab size unspecified");
+			console.log();
+			printFormatHelp();
+			process.exit(1);
+		}
+		const tabSize = parseInt(args[1]);
+		if (isNaN(tabSize)) {
+			console.log("Invalid number specified: " + args[1]);
+			console.log();
+			printFormatHelp();
+			process.exit(1);
+		} else if (tabSize < 0) {
+			console.log("Negative number specified: " + args[1]);
+			console.log();
+			printFormatHelp();
+			process.exit(1);
+		}
+		options.tabSize = tabSize;
+		options.insertSpaces = true;
+
+		options.path = args[2];
+	} else if (args[0] === "-t" || args[0] === "--tabs") {
+		options.path = args[1];
+	} else {
+		options.path = args[0];
+	}
+
+	if (!options.path) {
+		// no path specified, set to "Dockerfile"
+		options.path = "Dockerfile";
+	}
+
+	checkPath(options.path);
+	return options;
+}
+
+function checkPath(path) {
+	if (!fs.existsSync(path)) {
+		// nothing found at the given path
+		console.log("File not found: " + path);
+		process.exit(1);
+	}
+	if (fs.statSync(path).isDirectory()) {
+		// specified path was a directory
+		console.log("Directory found: " + path);
+		process.exit(1);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/dockerFormatter.ts b/src/dockerFormatter.ts
index 9f2708e..b660bdc 100644
--- a/src/dockerFormatter.ts
+++ b/src/dockerFormatter.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 'use strict';
 
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 import {
 	TextDocument, TextEdit, Position, Range, FormattingOptions,
 } from 'vscode-languageserver';
@@ -11,6 +12,21 @@ import { DockerfileParser } from './parser/dockerfileParser';
 
 export class DockerFormatter {
 
+	public formatFile(path: string, formattingOptions: FormattingOptions): string {
+		let content = fs.readFileSync(path).toString();
+		const document = TextDocument.create(null, null, 0, content);
+		const edits = this.formatDocument(document, formattingOptions);
+		// the returned edits are ordered based on their positions in the document,
+		// by iterating and applying the edits to the content backwards through the
+		// array, the offsets will not become stale and no recalculations will be necessary
+		for (let i = edits.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+			const start = document.offsetAt(edits[i].range.start);
+			const end = document.offsetAt(edits[i].range.end);
+			content = content.substring(0, start) + edits[i].newText + content.substring(end);
+		}
+		return content;
+	}
+
 	private getIndentation(formattingOptions?: FormattingOptions): string {
 		let indentation = "\t";
 		if (formattingOptions && formattingOptions.insertSpaces) {
diff --git a/src/dockerValidator.ts b/src/dockerValidator.ts
index 6a5dff5..2c8058f 100644
--- a/src/dockerValidator.ts
+++ b/src/dockerValidator.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) Remy Suen. All rights reserved.
  * Licensed under the MIT License. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
  * ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 import {
 	TextDocument, Range, Position, Diagnostic, DiagnosticSeverity
 } from 'vscode-languageserver';
@@ -169,6 +170,12 @@ export class Validator {
 		}
 	}
 
+	public validateFile(path: string): Diagnostic[] {
+		let content = fs.readFileSync(path).toString();
+		const document = TextDocument.create(null, null, 0, content);
+		return this.validate(document);
+	}
+
 	validate(document: TextDocument): Diagnostic[] {
 		this.document = document;
 		let problems: Diagnostic[] = [];