diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 7f6a543..0194570 100755
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import argparse
 import pickle;
 import sys;
 
+from colorsys import hsv_to_rgb;
+
 def parse_args(argv):
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog = '4-variable-simplifier');
 
@@ -24,24 +26,6 @@ def parse_args(argv):
         You can refer to them using their names or their symbols.
     ''')
 
-    parser.add_argument('-E', '--experimental-operators', action='store_true', \
-        help='''
-        For two boolean variables, there are four possible inputs into a
-        binary operator. For each of those four an operator could return true
-        or false. That would mean in theory there could exist up to 16
-        theoretical operators with different behaviours. Even with the
-        'extended operators' option, we're only introducing 9 possible
-        operators, that's less that 60% of the possibilities!
-        Some of these would of course be useless, like a binary operator that
-        always produces 'false' regardless of the input, for instance, but
-        other may be extremely useful for acting in place of much more complex
-        trees of operators. In theory, the simplifier would produce the
-        smallest most compact expression trees possible.
-
-        Of course, no one would implement something like this and dare
-        to anger the logic gods...
-    ''')
-
     parser.add_argument("-n", '--use-names', help='''
         Print the operator's names in the expression tree, rather than the
         symbols.
@@ -90,29 +74,6 @@ def determine_available_operators(args):
 
     extended = ("!|", "!&", "!=", "==", "|!", "&!");
 
-    experimental = (
-        "<00>",
-        "<01>",
-        "<10>",
-        "<11>",
-        
-        "<0000>",
-        "<0001>",
-        "<0010>",
-        "<0011>",
-        "<0100>",
-        "<0101>",
-        "<0110>",
-        "<0111>",
-        "<1000>",
-        "<1001>",
-        "<1010>",
-        "<1011>",
-        "<1100>",
-        "<1101>",
-        "<1110>",
-        "<1111>");
-
     if args.extended_operators:
         return set(standard + extended);
     elif args.custom_operators:
@@ -129,29 +90,72 @@ def determine_available_operators(args):
                 raise BaseException(f"not an operator: '{o}'");
 
         return available_operators;
-    elif args.experimental_operators:
-        return set(experimental);
     else:
         return set(standard);
 
-def pretty(exp):
+LITERAL_ESCAPE = "\033[38;2;200;200;100m";
+VARIABLE_ESCAPE = "\033[38;2;100;100;200m";
+
+operator_colors = [];
+
+for i in range(10):
+    r, g, b = hsv_to_rgb(i / 10, 1.0, 0.8);
+    r, g, b = [int(255 * x) for x in (r, g, b)];
+    operator_colors.append(f"\033[38;2;{r};{g};{b}m");
+
+RESET_ESCAPE = "\033[0m";
+
+def pretty(exp, in_color = False, depth = 0):
+
+    start_color, end_color = "", "";
+
+    if in_color:
+        start_color = operator_colors[depth % len(operator_colors)];
+
+        end_color = RESET_ESCAPE;
+
+    retval = "";
+
     match exp:
         case ("literal", x):
-            return str(x);
+            retval = str(x);
+
+            if in_color:
+                retval = LITERAL_ESCAPE + retval + RESET_ESCAPE;
 
         case ("variable", x):
-            return x
+            retval = x
+
+            if in_color:
+                retval = VARIABLE_ESCAPE + retval + RESET_ESCAPE;
 
         case (op, inner):
-            return f"({op}{pretty(inner)})"
+            retval += start_color + "(" + end_color;
+
+            retval += start_color + op + end_color;
+
+            retval += pretty(inner, in_color, depth + 1);
+
+            retval += start_color + ")" + end_color;
 
         case (op, left, right):
-            return f"({pretty(left)} {op} {pretty(right)})"
+            retval += start_color + "(" + end_color;
+
+            retval += pretty(left, in_color, depth + 1);
+
+            retval += " " + start_color + op + end_color + " ";
+
+            retval += pretty(right, in_color, depth + 1);
+
+            retval += start_color + ")" + end_color;
 
         case _:
             print(exp);
             assert(not "TODO");
 
+    return retval;
+
+
 W = 0b0101_0101_0101_0101
 X = 0b0011_0011_0011_0011
 Y = 0b0000_1111_0000_1111
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ def calculate_simplifications(args, available_operators):
         todo[cost].add(truthtable);
         todo_count[0] += 1;
 
-# literals:
+    # literals:
     prequeue(0b1111_1111_1111_1111, ("literal", 1), cost = 1);
     prequeue(0b0000_0000_0000_0000, ("literal", 0), cost = 1);
 
@@ -205,13 +209,6 @@ def calculate_simplifications(args, available_operators):
 
     unary_operators = {
         '!': lambda x: ~x,
-        
-        # these were found by running the simplifier with -o xor,and,or,not
-        # 10 - x
-        "<00>": lambda x: 0,
-        "<01>": lambda x: ~x,
-        "<10>": lambda x: x,
-        "<11>": lambda x: M,
     }
 
     binary_operators = {
@@ -226,26 +223,6 @@ def calculate_simplifications(args, available_operators):
 
         '!=': lambda x, y: x ^ y, # xor
         '==': lambda x, y: ~(x ^ y), # nxor
-
-        # these were found by running the simplifier with -o xor,and,or,not
-        # 0011 - x
-        # 0101 - y
-        "<0000>": lambda x, y: 0,
-        "<1000>": lambda x, y: ~(x | y),
-        "<0100>": lambda x, y: x ^ (x | y),
-        "<1100>": lambda x, y: ~x,
-        "<0010>": lambda x, y: x ^ (x & y),
-        "<1010>": lambda x, y: ~y,
-        "<0110>": lambda x, y: x ^ y,
-        "<1110>": lambda x, y: ~(x & y),
-        "<0001>": lambda x, y: x & y,
-        "<1001>": lambda x, y: x ^ ~y,
-        "<0101>": lambda x, y: y,
-        "<1101>": lambda x, y: ~x | y,
-        "<0011>": lambda x, y: x,
-        "<1011>": lambda x, y: x | ~y,
-        "<0111>": lambda x, y: x | y,
-        "<1111>": lambda x, y: M,
     }
 
     def print_status():
@@ -374,109 +351,288 @@ def get_simplifications(args, available_operators):
 
     return cache[available_operators];
 
-def create_parser():
-    from pyparsing import infix_notation, opAssoc, Word, oneOf
+# def create_parser():
+#     from pyparsing import infixNotation, opAssoc, Word, oneOf
+# 
+#     # this can't handle parenthesis very well...
+#     # do I really have to write my own parser?
+#     root = infixNotation(Word("01wxyz"), [
+#         ('!', 1, opAssoc.RIGHT),
+#         (oneOf('< <= > >='), 2, opAssoc.LEFT),
+#         (oneOf('== !='), 2, opAssoc.LEFT),
+#         (oneOf('&& !& &!'), 2, opAssoc.LEFT),
+#         (oneOf('|| !| |!'), 2, opAssoc.LEFT)]);
+# 
+#     return root;
 
-    # this can't handle parenthesis very well...
-    # do I really have to write my own parser?
-    root = infix_notation(Word("01wxyz"), [
-        ('!', 1, opAssoc.RIGHT),
-        (oneOf('< <= > >='), 2, opAssoc.LEFT),
-        (oneOf('== !='), 2, opAssoc.LEFT),
-        (oneOf('&& !& &!'), 2, opAssoc.LEFT),
-        (oneOf('|| !| |!'), 2, opAssoc.LEFT)]);
+def parse(text):
+    class Tokenizer:
+        def __init__(self, text):
+            self.position = 0;
+            self.text = text;
+            self.tokenkind = None;
+            self.tokendata = None;
+
+        def next(self):
+            # skip whitespace:
+            while self.position < len(self.text) and self.text[self.position].isspace():
+                self.position += 1;
+
+            if self.position == len(self.text):
+                self.tokenkind = "EOF";
+                return;
+
+            match self.text[self.position]:
+                case "0" | "1":
+                    self.tokenkind = "literal";
+                    self.tokendata = self.text[self.position];
+                    self.position += 1;
+
+                case "w" | "x" | "y" | "z":
+                    self.tokenkind = "variable";
+                    self.tokendata = self.text[self.position];
+                    self.position += 1;
+
+                case "(" | ")":
+                    self.tokenkind = self.text[self.position];
+                    self.position += 1;
+
+                case ">":
+                    # could be ">" or ">=":
+                    self.position += 1;
+
+                    match self.text[self.position]:
+                        case "=":
+                            self.tokenkind = ">=";
+                            self.position += 1;
+                        case _:
+                            self.tokenkind = ">"
+
+                case "<":
+                    # could be "<" or "<=":
+                    self.position += 1;
+
+                    match self.text[self.position]:
+                        case "=":
+                            self.tokenkind = "<=";
+                            self.position += 1;
+                        case _:
+                            self.tokenkind = "<"
+
+                case "=":
+                    # could only be "=="
+                    self.position += 1;
+
+                    match self.text[self.position]:
+                        case "=":
+                            self.tokenkind = "==";
+                            self.position += 1;
+
+                        case _:
+                            raise BaseException("expecting '=' after '='");
+
+                case "!":
+                    # could be "!" or "!|" or "&!" or "!="
+                    self.position += 1;
+
+                    match self.text[self.position]:
+                        case "&":
+                            self.tokenkind = "!&";
+                            self.position += 1;
+                        case "|":
+                            self.tokenkind = "!|";
+                            self.position += 1;
+                        case "=":
+                            self.tokenkind = "!=";
+                            self.position += 1;
+                        case _:
+                            self.tokenkind = "!"
+
+                case "&":
+                    # could be "&&" or "&!"
+                    self.position += 1;
+
+                    match self.text[self.position]:
+                        case "&":
+                            self.tokenkind = "&&";
+                            self.position += 1;
+                        case "!":
+                            self.tokenkind = "&!";
+                            self.position += 1;
+                        case _:
+                            raise BaseException("expecting '&' or '!' after '&'");
+
+                case "|":
+                    # could be "||" or "|!"
+                    self.position += 1;
+
+                    match self.text[self.position]:
+                        case "|":
+                            self.tokenkind = "||";
+                            self.position += 1;
+                        case "!":
+                            self.tokenkind = "|!";
+                            self.position += 1;
+                        case _:
+                            raise BaseException("expecting '|' or '!' after '|'");
+
+                case x:
+                    raise BaseException(f'unknown token "{x}"!');
+
+    def parse_primary(tokenizer):
+        match tokenizer.tokenkind:
+            case "literal":
+                ast = ("literal", int(tokenizer.tokendata));
+                tokenizer.next();
+
+            case "variable":
+                ast = ("variable", tokenizer.tokendata);
+                tokenizer.next();
+
+            case "(":
+                tokenizer.next();
+
+                ast = parse_root(tokenizer);
+
+                if tokenizer.tokenkind != ")":
+                    raise BaseException(f'expected token ")", found: {tokenizer.tokenkind}');
+
+                tokenizer.next();
+
+            case x:
+                raise BaseException(f'unexpected token "{x}"!');
+
+        return ast;
+
+    def parse_prefix(tokenizer):
+        if tokenizer.tokenkind == "!":
+            tokenizer.next();
+            return ("!", parse_prefix(tokenizer));
+        else:
+            return parse_primary(tokenizer);
+
+    def parse_compares(tokenizer):
+        left = parse_prefix(tokenizer);
+
+        while tokenizer.tokenkind in ("<=", "<", ">", ">="):
+            op = tokenizer.tokenkind;
+            tokenizer.next();
+            left = (op, left, parse_prefix(tokenizer));
+
+        return left;
+
+    def parse_equals(tokenizer):
+        left = parse_compares(tokenizer);
+
+        while tokenizer.tokenkind in ("==", "!="):
+            op = tokenizer.tokenkind;
+            tokenizer.next();
+            left = (op, left, parse_compares(tokenizer));
+
+        return left;
+
+    def parse_ands(tokenizer):
+        left = parse_equals(tokenizer);
+
+        while tokenizer.tokenkind in ("&&", "&!", "!&"):
+            op = tokenizer.tokenkind;
+            tokenizer.next();
+            left = (op, left, parse_equals(tokenizer));
+
+        return left;
+
+    def parse_ors(tokenizer):
+        left = parse_ands(tokenizer);
+
+        while tokenizer.tokenkind in ("||", "|!", "!|"):
+            op = tokenizer.tokenkind;
+            tokenizer.next();
+            left = (op, left, parse_ands(tokenizer));
+
+        return left;
+
+    def parse_root(tokenizer):
+        return parse_ors(tokenizer);
+
+    tokenizer = Tokenizer(text);
+
+    tokenizer.next();
+
+    root = parse_root(tokenizer);
+
+    if tokenizer.tokenkind != "EOF":
+        raise BaseException(
+            f"reached end of expression. "
+            f"Expecting EOF. found: {tokenizer.tokenkind}!");
 
     return root;
 
-def parse(parser, text):
-    return parser.parseString(text, parseAll = True).asList()[0]
-
 def evaluate(expr):
     match expr:
-        case "0":
-            return 0;
-        case "1":
-            return M;
-        case "w":
-            return W;
-        case "x":
-            return X;
-        case "y":
-            return Y;
-        case "z":
-            return Z;
-        case ("!", subexp):
-            return ~evaluate(subexp) & M;
-        case (first, "||", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = result | evaluate(subexpr);
-            return result;
-        case (first, "!|", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = ~(result | evaluate(subexpr)) & M;
-            return result;
-        case (first, "|!", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = (~result | evaluate(subexpr)) & M;
-            return result;
-        case (first, "&&", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = result & evaluate(subexpr);
-            return result;
-        case (first, "!&", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = ~(result & evaluate(subexpr)) & M;
-            return result;
-        case (first, "&!", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = (~result & evaluate(subexpr)) & M;
-            return result;
-        case (first, "<", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = (~result & evaluate(subexpr)) & M;
-            return result;
-        case (first, "<=", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = (~result | evaluate(subexpr)) & M;
-            return result;
-        case (first, ">", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = (result & ~evaluate(subexpr)) & M;
-            return result;
-        case (first, ">=", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = (result | ~evaluate(subexpr)) & M;
-            return result;
-        case (first, "!=", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = (result ^ evaluate(subexpr)) & M
-            return result;
-        case (first, "==", *rest):
-            result = evaluate(first);
-            for subexpr in rest[::2]: result = ~(result ^ evaluate(subexpr)) & M
-            return result;
+        case ("literal", 0): return 0;
+        case ("literal", 1): return M;
+
+        case ("variable", "w"): return W;
+        case ("variable", "x"): return X;
+        case ("variable", "y"): return Y;
+        case ("variable", "z"): return Z;
+
+        case ("!", inner):
+            return ~evaluate(inner) & M;
+
+        case ("<", left, right):
+            return (~evaluate(left) &  evaluate(right)) & M;
+        case ("<=", left, right):
+            return (~evaluate(left) |  evaluate(right)) & M;
+        case (">=", left, right):
+            return ( evaluate(left) | ~evaluate(right)) & M;
+        case (">", left, right):
+            return ( evaluate(left) & ~evaluate(right)) & M;
+
+        case ("!=", left, right):
+            return (evaluate(left) ^ evaluate(right)) & M;
+        case ("==", left, right):
+            return ~(evaluate(left) ^ evaluate(right)) & M;
+
+        case ("||", left, right):
+            return evaluate(left) | evaluate(right);
+        case ("|!", left, right):
+            return (~evaluate(left) | evaluate(right)) & M;
+        case ("!|", left, right):
+            return ~(evaluate(left) | evaluate(right)) & M;
+
+        case ("&&", left, right):
+            return evaluate(left) & evaluate(right);
+        case ("&!", left, right):
+            return (~evaluate(left) & evaluate(right)) & M;
+        case ("!&", left, right):
+            return ~(evaluate(left) & evaluate(right)) & M;
+
         case _:
-            print(expr);
+            print(f'expr = {expr}');
             assert(not "TODO");
 
 def repl(args, cost, lookup):
     import readline;
     print("Give a boolean expression using the variables 'w', 'x', 'y' and 'z'.");
-    print("Operations: not ('!'), or ('||'), and ('&&').""");
+    print("Operators: not ('!'), or ('||'), and ('&&').");
+
+    print();
+
+    print("The py-parser struggles with deeply-nested parentheses.");
+    print("I may have to just write my recursive-descent parser.");
 
     print();
 
     if args.extended_operators:
-        print("Extended operations: nor ('!|'), orn ('|!'), nand ('!&'), ");
+        print("Extended operators: nor ('!|'), orn ('|!'), nand ('!&'), ");
         print("andn ('&!'), xor ('!='), and nxor ('==')");
 
         print();
 
-    print(f'I can do anything in {max(cost.values())} operations.')
+    print(f'I can simplify any tree down to {max(cost.values())} operators or less.')
     print();
 
-    parser = create_parser();
-
     while True:
         try:
             line = input(">>> ");
@@ -487,10 +643,24 @@ def repl(args, cost, lookup):
 
         if not line: continue;
 
-        truthtable = evaluate(parse(parser, line));
+        try:
+            parsed = parse(line);
+        except BaseException as e:
+            print(f"syntax error: {e}");
+            continue;
+
+        truthtable = evaluate(parsed);
 
         if truthtable in lookup:
-            print(f'{cost[truthtable]}: {pretty(lookup[truthtable])}')
+            text = "";
+
+            c = cost[truthtable];
+
+            LITERAL_ESCAPE = "\033[38;2;200;200;100m";
+
+            print(f'{cost[truthtable]}: {pretty(lookup[truthtable], args.color)}')
+
+            print(text);
         else:
             print('unreachable.')
 
@@ -506,12 +676,18 @@ def main(args):
 
     if args.printout:
         for truthtable, exp in sorted(lookup.items()):
-            print(f'{truthtable:016b}: {pretty(exp)}');
+            print(f'{truthtable:016b}: {pretty(exp, args.color)}');
     elif args.command:
-        truthtable = evaluate(parse(create_parser(), args.command));
+        try:
+            parsed = parse(args.command);
+        except BaseException as e:
+            print(f"syntax error: {e}");
+            return 1;
+
+        truthtable = evaluate(parsed);
 
         if truthtable in lookup:
-            print(pretty(lookup[truthtable]));
+            print(pretty(lookup[truthtable], args.color));
         else:
             print('unreachable.')
     else: