diff --git a/tldp/config.py b/tldp/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..50b35a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tldp/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#! /usr/bin/python
+# -*- coding: utf8 -*-
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
+
+import os
+import sys
+import inspect
+
+from .utils import logger
+from .cascadingconfig import CascadingConfig, DefaultFreeArgumentParser
+
+import tldp.doctypes
+
+
+def isdirectory(d):
+    if os.path.exists(d):
+        return d
+    return None
+
+
+def collectconfiguration(argv):
+    tag = 'ldptool'
+    argparser = DefaultFreeArgumentParser()
+    argparser.add_argument('--sourcedir', '--source-dir', '--source-directory', 
+                           '-s',
+                           action='append', default=None, type=isdirectory,
+                           help='a directory containing LDP source documents')
+    argparser.add_argument('--pubdir', '--publication-dir', '--output',
+                           '--outputdir', '--output-directory',
+                           '-o',
+                           default=None, type=isdirectory,
+                           help='a directory containing LDP output documents')
+    argparser.add_argument('--configfile', '--config-file', '--cfg',
+                           '-c',
+                           default=None, type=isdirectory,
+                           help='a configuration file')
+
+    # -- collect up the fragments of CLI; automate detection?
+    #
+    tldp.doctypes.linuxdoc.config_fragment(argparser)
+    tldp.doctypes.docbooksgml.config_fragment(argparser)
+    tldp.doctypes.docbook4xml.config_fragment(argparser)
+    tldp.doctypes.docbook5xml.config_fragment(argparser)
+
+    cc = CascadingConfig(tag, argparser, argv)
+    return cc.config
+
+def main(argv):
+    config = collectconfiguration(argv)
+    import pprint
+    pprint.pprint(vars(config))
+    return 0
+
+#
+# -- end of file