diff --git a/ui/cli.py b/ui/cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e1c50d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+import hashlib
+import pasn1
+import os.path
+import shutil
+import string
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+import uuid
+
+_validhashes = set([ 'sha256', 'sha512' ])
+_hashlengths = { len(getattr(hashlib, x)().hexdigest()): x for x in _validhashes }
+
+# XXX - add validation
+class ObjWrap(object):
+	'''This is a simple wrapper that turns a JSON object into a pythonesc
+	object where attribute accesses work.'''
+
+	def __init__(self, obj):
+		self._obj = obj
+
+	def __getattr__(self, k):
+		return self._obj[k]
+
+	def __getitem__(self, k):
+		return self._obj[k]
+
+	def __to_dict__(self):
+		return self._obj
+
+	def __eq__(self, o):
+		return cmp(self._obj, o) == 0
+
+def _trytodict(o):
+	try:
+		return 'dict', o.__to_dict__()
+	except Exception:
+		raise TypeError('unable to find __to_dict__ on %s' % type(o))
+
+_asn1coder = pasn1.ASN1DictCoder(coerce=_trytodict)
+
+class ObjectStore(object):
+	'''A container to store for the various Metadata objects.'''
+
+	def __init__(self):
+		self._uuids = {}
+		self._hashes = {}
+
+	@staticmethod
+	def makehash(hashstr, strict=True):
+		'''Take a hash string, and return a valid hash string from it.
+
+		This makes sure that it is of the correct type and length.
+
+		If strict is False, the function will detect the length and
+		return a valid hash if one can be found.'''
+
+		try:
+			hash, value = hashstr.split(':')
+		except ValueError:
+			if strict:
+				raise
+
+			hash = _hashlengths[len(hashstr)]
+			value = hashstr
+
+		if strict and len(str(value).translate(None, string.hexdigits.lower())) != 0:
+			raise ValueError('value has invalid hex digits (must be lower case)', value)
+
+		if hash in _validhashes:
+			return ':'.join((hash, value))
+
+		raise ValueError
+
+	def __len__(self):
+		return len(self._uuids)
+
+	def store(self, fname):
+		'''Write out the objects in the store to the file named
+		fname.'''
+
+		with open(fname, 'w') as fp:
+			fp.write(_asn1coder.dumps(self._uuids.values()))
+
+	def loadobj(self, obj):
+		'''Load obj into the data store.'''
+
+		if not isinstance(obj, ObjWrap):
+			obj = ObjWrap(obj)
+
+		id = uuid.UUID(obj.uuid)
+		self._uuids[id] = obj
+		for j in obj.hashes:
+			h = self.makehash(j)
+			self._hashes.setdefault(h, []).append(obj)
+
+	def load(self, fname):
+		'''Load objects from the provided file name.
+
+		Basic validation will be done on the objects in the file.
+
+		The objects will be accessible via other methods.'''
+
+		with open(fname) as fp:
+			objs = _asn1coder.loads(fp.read())
+
+		for i in objs:
+			self.loadobj(i)
+
+	def by_id(self, id):
+		'''Look up an object by it's UUID.'''
+
+		uid = uuid.UUID(id)
+		return self._uuids[uid]
+
+	def by_hash(self, hash):
+		'''Look up an object by it's hash value.'''
+
+		h = self.makehash(hash, strict=False)
+		return self._hashes[h]
+
+class FileObject(object):
+	def __init__(self, _dir, filename):
+		self._dir = _dir
+		self._fname = filename
+
+	@property
+	def filename(self):
+		'''The name of the file.'''
+
+		return self._fname
+
+	@property
+	def dir(self):
+		'''The directory of the file.'''
+
+		return self._dir
+
+	@property
+	def id(self):
+		'''The UUID of the path to this file.'''
+
+		# XXX make sure this is correct
+		return uuid.uuid5(uuid.NAMESPACE_URL, 'someurl' + '/'.join(os.path.split(self._dir) + ( self._fname, )))
+
+def enumeratedir(_dir):
+	'''Enumerate all the files and directories (not recursive) in _dir.
+
+	Returned is a list of FileObjects.'''
+
+	return map(lambda x: FileObject(_dir, x), os.listdir(_dir))
+
+class _TestCases(unittest.TestCase):
+	def setUp(self):
+		d = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+		self.basetempdir = d
+		self.tempdir = os.path.join(d, 'subdir')
+
+		shutil.copytree(os.path.join('fixtures', 'testfiles'),
+		   self.tempdir)
+
+	def tearDown(self):
+		shutil.rmtree(self.basetempdir)
+		self.tempdir = None
+
+	def test_makehash(self):
+		self.assertRaises(ValueError, ObjectStore.makehash, 'slkj')
+		self.assertRaises(ValueError, ObjectStore.makehash, 'sha256:91751cee0a1ab8414400238a761411daa29643ab4b8243e9a91649e25be53ADA')
+
+		self.assertEqual(ObjectStore.makehash('cf83e1357eefb8bdf1542850d66d8007d620e4050b5715dc83f4a921d36ce9ce47d0d13c5d85f2b0ff8318d2877eec2f63b931bd47417a81a538327af927da3e', strict=False), 'sha512:cf83e1357eefb8bdf1542850d66d8007d620e4050b5715dc83f4a921d36ce9ce47d0d13c5d85f2b0ff8318d2877eec2f63b931bd47417a81a538327af927da3e')
+		self.assertEqual(ObjectStore.makehash('e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855', strict=False), 'sha256:e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855')
+
+	def test_enumeratedir(self):
+		files = enumeratedir(self.tempdir)
+		ftest = files[0]
+		fname = 'test.txt'
+
+		self.assertEqual(ftest.filename, fname)
+		self.assertEqual(ftest.dir, self.tempdir)
+		self.assertEqual(ftest.id, uuid.uuid5(uuid.NAMESPACE_URL,
+		    'someurl' + '/'.join(os.path.split(self.tempdir) +
+		    ( fname, ))))
+
+	def test_objectstore(self):
+		objst = ObjectStore()
+
+		objst.load(os.path.join('fixtures', 'sample.data.pasn1'))
+
+		objst.loadobj({
+			'type': 'metadata',
+			'uuid': 'c9a1d1e2-3109-4efd-8948-577dc15e44e7',
+			'hashes': [ 'sha256:91751cee0a1ab8414400238a761411daa29643ab4b8243e9a91649e25be53ada' ],
+			'lang': 'en',
+		})
+
+		lst = objst.by_hash('91751cee0a1ab8414400238a761411daa29643ab4b8243e9a91649e25be53ada')
+		self.assertEqual(len(lst), 2)
+
+		byid = objst.by_id('3e466e06-45de-4ecc-84ba-2d2a3d970e96')
+
+		self.assertIn(byid, lst)
+
+		r = byid
+
+		self.assertEqual(r.uuid, '3e466e06-45de-4ecc-84ba-2d2a3d970e96')
+		self.assertEqual(r['dc:author'], 'John-Mark Gurney')
+
+		objst.store('testfile.pasn1')
+
+		with open('testfile.pasn1') as fp:
+			objs = _asn1coder.loads(fp.read())
+
+		self.assertEqual(len(objs), len(objst))
+
+		for i in objs:
+			self.assertEqual(objst.by_id(i['uuid']), i)