diff --git a/src/datatree.rs b/src/datatree.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4186293
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/datatree.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,292 @@
+pub enum Node {
+    Internal {
+        type_name: String,
+        ident: Option<String>,
+        children: Vec<Node>,
+    },
+
+    Leaf {
+        type_name: String,
+        contents: String,
+    },
+}
+
+impl Node {
+    fn from_string(text: &str) -> Node {
+        let mut nodes = Vec::new();
+
+        let mut ti = token_iter(text);
+        while let Some(node) = parse_node(&mut ti) {
+            nodes.push(node);
+        }
+
+        Node::Internal {
+            type_name: "ROOT".to_string(),
+            ident: None,
+            children: nodes,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+
+fn parse_node(ti: &mut TokenIter) -> Option<Node> {
+    let type_name = if let Some(Token::TypeName(token)) = ti.next() {
+        token
+    } else {
+        panic!("Parse error")
+    };
+
+    let ident = match ti.next() {
+        Some(Token::Ident(token)) => Some(token),
+
+        _ => None,
+    };
+
+    // TODO
+
+    unimplemented!()
+}
+
+
+fn token_iter<'a>(text: &'a str) -> TokenIter<'a> {
+    TokenIter {
+        text: text,
+        after_open_leaf: false,
+    }
+}
+
+
+/// /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+enum Token<'a> {
+    TypeName(&'a str),
+    Ident(&'a str),
+    OpenInner,
+    CloseInner,
+    OpenLeaf,
+    CloseLeaf,
+    LeafContents(&'a str),
+    Unknown,
+}
+
+struct TokenIter<'a> {
+    text: &'a str,
+    after_open_leaf: bool,
+}
+
+impl<'a> Iterator for TokenIter<'a> {
+    type Item = Token<'a>;
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Token<'a>> {
+        let mut token = None;
+        let mut iter = self.text.char_indices().peekable();
+
+        if !self.after_open_leaf {
+            // Skip newlines, whitespace, and comments
+            loop {
+                let mut skipped = false;
+
+                while let Some(&(_, c)) = iter.peek() {
+                    if is_ws_char(c) || is_nl_char(c) {
+                        iter.next();
+                        skipped = true;
+                    } else {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if let Some(&(_, c)) = iter.peek() {
+                    if is_comment_char(c) {
+                        iter.next();
+                        skipped = true;
+                        while let Some(&(_, c)) = iter.peek() {
+                            if !is_nl_char(c) {
+                                iter.next();
+                            } else {
+                                break;
+                            }
+                        }
+                        iter.next();
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if !skipped {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Parse the meat of the token
+            if let Some(&(i, c)) = iter.peek() {
+                // TypeName
+                if is_ident_char(c) {
+                    iter.next();
+                    let i1 = i;
+                    let i2 = {
+                        let mut i2 = 0;
+                        while let Some(&(i, c)) = iter.peek() {
+                            if is_ident_char(c) {
+                                iter.next();
+                            } else {
+                                i2 = i;
+                                break;
+                            }
+                        }
+                        i2
+                    };
+                    token = Some(Token::TypeName(&self.text[i1..i2]));
+                }
+                // Ident
+                // TODO: handle escaping
+                else if c == '$' {
+                    iter.next();
+                    let i1 = i;
+                    let i2 = {
+                        let mut i2 = 0;
+                        while let Some(&(i, c)) = iter.peek() {
+                            if is_ident_char(c) {
+                                iter.next();
+                            } else {
+                                i2 = i;
+                                break;
+                            }
+                        }
+                        i2
+                    };
+                    token = Some(Token::Ident(&self.text[i1..i2]));
+                }
+                // Structural characters
+                else if is_reserved_char(c) {
+                    iter.next();
+                    match c {
+                        '{' => {
+                            token = Some(Token::OpenInner);
+                        }
+
+                        '}' => {
+                            token = Some(Token::CloseInner);
+                        }
+
+                        '[' => {
+                            self.after_open_leaf = true;
+                            token = Some(Token::OpenLeaf);
+                        }
+
+                        ']' => {
+                            token = Some(Token::CloseLeaf);
+                        }
+
+                        _ => {
+                            token = Some(Token::Unknown);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        // Leaf contents
+        // TODO: handle escaping
+        else if let Some(&(i, _)) = iter.peek() {
+            self.after_open_leaf = false;
+            let i1 = i;
+            let i2 = {
+                let mut i2 = 0;
+                while let Some(&(i, c)) = iter.peek() {
+                    if c != ']' {
+                        iter.next();
+                    } else {
+                        i2 = i;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+                i2
+            };
+            token = Some(Token::LeafContents(&self.text[i1..i2]));
+        }
+
+        // Finish up
+        match iter.peek() {
+            Some(&(i, _)) => {
+                self.text = &self.text[i..];
+            }
+
+            None => {
+                self.text = "";
+            }
+        }
+        return token;
+    }
+}
+
+
+
+/// /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+/// Returns whether the given unicode character is whitespace or not.
+fn is_ws_char(c: char) -> bool {
+    match c {
+        ' ' | '\t' => true,
+        _ => false,
+    }
+}
+
+
+/// Returns whether the given utf character is a newline or not.
+fn is_nl_char(c: char) -> bool {
+    match c {
+        '\n' | '\r' => true,
+        _ => false,
+    }
+}
+
+
+/// Returns whether the given utf character is a comment starter or not.
+fn is_comment_char(c: char) -> bool {
+    c == '#'
+}
+
+
+/// Returns whether the given utf character is a reserved character or not.
+fn is_reserved_char(c: char) -> bool {
+    match c {
+        '{' | '}' | '[' | ']' | '\\' | '$' => true,
+        _ => false,
+    }
+}
+
+
+/// Returns whether the given utf character is a legal identifier character or not.
+fn is_ident_char(c: char) -> bool {
+    // Anything that isn't whitespace, reserved, or an operator character
+    if !is_ws_char(c) && !is_nl_char(c) && !is_reserved_char(c) && !is_comment_char(c) {
+        true
+    } else {
+        false
+    }
+}
+
+
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::{token_iter, Token};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn token_iter_1() {
+        let s = r#"
+# This is a comment and should be skipped
+MyThing $ident { # This is another comment
+    MyProp [Some content]
+}
+        "#;
+
+        let mut ti = token_iter(s);
+        assert_eq!(ti.next(), Some(Token::TypeName("MyThing")));
+        assert_eq!(ti.next(), Some(Token::Ident("$ident")));
+        assert_eq!(ti.next(), Some(Token::OpenInner));
+        assert_eq!(ti.next(), Some(Token::TypeName("MyProp")));
+        assert_eq!(ti.next(), Some(Token::OpenLeaf));
+        assert_eq!(ti.next(), Some(Token::LeafContents("Some content")));
+        assert_eq!(ti.next(), Some(Token::CloseLeaf));
+        assert_eq!(ti.next(), Some(Token::CloseInner));
+        assert_eq!(ti.next(), None);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 4ba409c..5178466 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ mod ray;
 mod bbox;
 mod camera;
 mod parse;
+mod datatree;
 mod renderer;
 mod image;
 mod triangle;