diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index d8ea145..3b119d7 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ libpt = { version = "0.3.11", features = ["log", "bintols"] }
 clap = { version = "4.4.4", features = ["derive", "help"] }
 clap-num = { version = "1.0.2" }
 clap-verbosity-flag = { version = "2.0.1" }
+anyhow = "1.0.79"
diff --git a/src/dumper.rs b/src/dumper.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbe48c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/dumper.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,240 @@
+//! # Dump data
+//!
+//! This crate is part of [`pt`](../libpt/index.html), but can also be used as a standalone
+//! module.
+//!
+//! Hedu is made for hexdumping data. `libpt` offers a cli application using this module.
+
+use std::io::{prelude::*, Read, SeekFrom};
+
+use anyhow::{bail, Result};
+use libpt::bintols::display::humanbytes;
+use libpt::log::{debug, error, trace, warn};
+
+pub const BYTES_PER_LINE: usize = 16;
+pub const LINE_SEP_HORIZ: char = '─';
+pub const LINE_SEP_VERT: char = '│';
+pub const CHAR_BORDER: &'static str = "|";
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Hedu {
+    pub chars: bool,
+    pub skip: usize,
+    pub show_identical: bool,
+    pub limit: usize,
+    stop: bool,
+    len: usize,
+    data_idx: usize,
+    rd_counter: usize,
+    buf: [[u8; BYTES_PER_LINE]; 2],
+    alt_buf: usize,
+    pub display_buf: String,
+    first_iter: bool,
+}
+
+impl Hedu {
+    pub fn new(chars: bool, skip: usize, show_identical: bool, limit: usize) -> Self {
+        Hedu {
+            chars,
+            skip,
+            show_identical,
+            limit,
+            stop: false,
+            len: 0,
+            data_idx: 0,
+            rd_counter: 0,
+            buf: [[0; BYTES_PER_LINE]; 2],
+            alt_buf: 0,
+            display_buf: String::new(),
+            first_iter: true,
+        }
+    }
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn display(&mut self) {
+        println!("{}", self.display_buf);
+        self.display_buf = String::new();
+    }
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn sep(&mut self) {
+        if self.chars {
+            self.display_buf += &format!("{LINE_SEP_HORIZ}").repeat(80);
+        } else {
+            self.display_buf += &format!("{LINE_SEP_HORIZ}").repeat(59);
+        }
+        self.display();
+    }
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn newline(&mut self) {
+        self.display_buf += "\n";
+        self.display();
+    }
+    fn dump_a_line(&mut self) {
+        self.display_buf += &format!("{:08X} {LINE_SEP_VERT} ", self.data_idx);
+        if self.len != 0 {
+            for i in 0..self.len {
+                if i as usize % BYTES_PER_LINE == BYTES_PER_LINE / 2 {
+                    self.display_buf += " ";
+                }
+                self.display_buf += &format!("{:02X} ", self.buf[self.alt_buf][i]);
+            }
+            if self.len == BYTES_PER_LINE / 2 {
+                self.display_buf += " "
+            }
+            for i in 0..(BYTES_PER_LINE - self.len) {
+                if i as usize % BYTES_PER_LINE == BYTES_PER_LINE / 2 {
+                    self.display_buf += " ";
+                }
+                self.display_buf += "   ";
+            }
+        } else {
+            self.display_buf += &format!("{:49}", "");
+        }
+        if self.chars {
+            self.display_buf += &format!("{LINE_SEP_VERT} ");
+            if self.len != 0 {
+                self.display_buf += CHAR_BORDER;
+                for i in 0..self.len {
+                    self.display_buf +=
+                        &format!("{}", mask_chars(self.buf[self.alt_buf][i] as char));
+                }
+                self.display_buf += CHAR_BORDER;
+            } else {
+                self.display_buf += &format!("{:^8}", "");
+            }
+        }
+        self.display();
+    }
+
+    fn skip_lines(&mut self, data: &mut dyn DataSource) -> Result<()> {
+        trace!(buf = format!("{:?}", self.buf), "found a duplicating line");
+        let start_line = self.data_idx;
+        while self.buf[0] == self.buf[1] && self.len == BYTES_PER_LINE {
+            self.rd_data(data)?;
+        }
+        self.display_buf += &format!(
+            "******** {LINE_SEP_VERT} {:<49}",
+            format!(
+                "(repeats {} lines)",
+                self.data_idx - start_line / (BYTES_PER_LINE) + 1
+            )
+        );
+        if self.chars {
+            self.display_buf += &format!("{LINE_SEP_VERT}");
+        }
+        trace!(
+            buf = format!("{:X?}", self.buf),
+            "dumping buf after line skip"
+        );
+        self.alt_buf ^= 1; // read into the other buf, so we can check for sameness
+        self.display();
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    pub fn dump(&mut self, data: &mut dyn DataSource) -> Result<()> {
+        // skip a given number of bytes
+        if self.skip > 0 {
+            data.skip(self.skip)?;
+            self.rd_counter += self.skip;
+            debug!(
+                data_idx = self.data_idx,
+                "Skipped {}",
+                humanbytes(self.skip)
+            );
+        }
+
+        // print the head
+        self.display_buf += &format!("DATA IDX {LINE_SEP_VERT} DATA AS HEX");
+        if self.chars {
+            self.display_buf += &format!("{:width$} {LINE_SEP_VERT} DATA AS CHAR", "", width = 37);
+        }
+        self.display();
+        self.sep();
+
+        // data dump loop
+        self.rd_data(data)?;
+        self.data_idx = 0;
+        while self.len > 0 || self.first_iter {
+            self.first_iter = false;
+
+            self.dump_a_line();
+
+            // loop breaker logic
+            if self.stop || self.len < BYTES_PER_LINE {
+                break;
+            }
+            self.rd_data(data)?;
+
+            // after line logic
+            if self.buf[0] == self.buf[1] && self.len == BYTES_PER_LINE && !self.show_identical {
+                self.skip_lines(data)?;
+            }
+        }
+        self.data_idx += BYTES_PER_LINE;
+
+        self.sep();
+        self.display_buf += &format!(
+            "{:08X} {LINE_SEP_VERT} read total:\t\t    {:<8} {:<15}",
+            self.rd_counter,
+            humanbytes(self.rd_counter),
+            format!("({} B)", self.rd_counter)
+        );
+        if self.chars {
+            self.display_buf += &format!("{LINE_SEP_VERT}");
+        }
+        self.display();
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    #[inline]
+    fn adjust_counters(&mut self) {
+        self.rd_counter += self.len;
+        self.data_idx += self.len;
+    }
+
+    fn rd_data(&mut self, data: &mut dyn DataSource) -> Result<()> {
+        match data.read(&mut self.buf[self.alt_buf]) {
+            Ok(mut len) => {
+                if self.limit != 0 && self.rd_counter + (BYTES_PER_LINE - 1) >= self.limit {
+                    len = self.limit % BYTES_PER_LINE;
+                    self.stop = true;
+                }
+                self.len = len;
+                self.adjust_counters();
+                return Ok(());
+            }
+            Err(err) => {
+                error!("error while reading data: {err}");
+                bail!(err)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+pub trait DataSource: Read {
+    fn skip(&mut self, length: usize) -> std::io::Result<()>;
+}
+impl DataSource for std::io::Stdin {
+    fn skip(&mut self, _length: usize) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        warn!("can't skip bytes for the stdin!");
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+impl DataSource for std::fs::File {
+    fn skip(&mut self, length: usize) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        self.seek(SeekFrom::Current(length as i64))?;
+        // returns the new position from the start, we don't need it here.
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+fn mask_chars(c: char) -> char {
+    if c.is_ascii_graphic() {
+        return c;
+    } else if c == '\n' {
+        return '↩';
+    } else if c == ' ' {
+        return '␣';
+    } else if c == '\t' {
+        return '⭾';
+    } else {
+        return '�';
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index b7a7c90..d8377df 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,62 +1,33 @@
 //! # Executable for the hedu submodule
 //!
 //! Dump data to a fancy format.
-
-//// ATTRIBUTES ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-// we want docs
-#![warn(missing_docs)]
-#![warn(rustdoc::missing_crate_level_docs)]
-// we want Debug everywhere.
-#![warn(missing_debug_implementations)]
-// enable clippy's extra lints, the pedantic version
 #![warn(clippy::pedantic)]
 
-//// IMPORTS ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+use std::{fs::File, io::IsTerminal, path::PathBuf};
 
-use libpt::{bintols::hedu::*, log::*};
+use libpt::log::*;
 
 use clap::Parser;
 use clap_verbosity_flag::{InfoLevel, Verbosity};
 
-use std::{fs::File, io::IsTerminal, path::PathBuf};
+mod dumper;
+use dumper::*;
 
-//// TYPES /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-//// CONSTANTS /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-/// short about section displayed in help
-const ABOUT_ROOT: &'static str = r##"
-Dumps data in fancy formats.
-"##;
-/// longer about section displayed in help, is combined with [the short help](ABOUT_ROOT)
-static LONG_ABOUT_ROOT: &'static str = r##"
-
-    libpt is a personal general purpose library, offering this executable, a python module and a
-    dynamic library.
-"##;
-
-//// STATICS ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-//// MACROS ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-//// ENUMS /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-//// STRUCTS ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-/// defines CLI interface
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Parser)]
 #[command(
     author,
     version,
-    about = ABOUT_ROOT,
-    long_about = format!("{}{}", ABOUT_ROOT ,LONG_ABOUT_ROOT),
-    help_template =
-r#"{about-section}
+    about,
+    long_about,
+    help_template = r#"{about-section}
 {usage-heading} {usage}
 {all-args}{tab}
 
-libpt: {version}
+autocrate: {version}
 Author: {author-with-newline}
 "#
-    )]
+)]
+/// Hexdumper written in Rust
 pub struct Cli {
     // clap_verbosity_flag seems to make this a global option implicitly
     /// set a verbosity, multiple allowed (f.e. -vvv)
@@ -89,11 +60,6 @@ pub struct Cli {
     pub data_source: Vec<String>,
 }
 
-//// IMPLEMENTATION ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-//// PUBLIC FUNCTIONS //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-//// PRIVATE FUNCTIONS /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 fn main() {
     let mut cli = cli_parse();
     let mut sources: Vec<Box<dyn DataSource>> = Vec::new();
@@ -150,7 +116,7 @@ fn main() {
         }
     }
 }
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 fn cli_parse() -> Cli {
     let cli = Cli::parse();
     let ll: Level = match cli.verbose.log_level().unwrap().as_str() {