diff --git a/pttodoer/src/main.rs b/pttodoer/src/main.rs
index 7b63e9d..d00235d 100644
--- a/pttodoer/src/main.rs
+++ b/pttodoer/src/main.rs
@@ -40,6 +40,86 @@ impl Flags {
    }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct DB(Vec<TasksAndMetadata>);
+
+impl DB {
+   pub fn new(path: String) -> Result<DB, String> {
+      let metadata = match std::fs::metadata(path.clone()) {
+         Ok(v) => Ok(v),
+         Err(msg) => Err(format!("failed to load {}: {}", path, msg)),
+      }?;
+      let mut files = vec![];
+      if metadata.is_file() {
+         files.push(path.clone());
+      } else if metadata.is_dir() {
+         match std::fs::read_dir(path.clone()) {
+            Ok(paths) => {
+               files.extend(paths
+                  .filter(|x| x.is_ok())
+                  .map(|x| x.unwrap())
+                  .filter(|x| x.metadata().unwrap().is_file())
+                  .map(|x| x.path().display().to_string())
+               );
+               Ok(())
+            },
+            Err(msg) => Err(format!("failed to read {}: {}", path.clone(), msg)),
+         }?;
+      }
+
+      let mut result = vec![];
+      for file in files {
+         let item = TasksAndMetadata::new(file)?;
+         result.push(item);
+      }
+      Ok(DB(result))
+   }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test_taskss {
+   use super::*;
+
+   #[test]
+   fn read_dir_files() {
+      _ = DB::new("./src/testdata/taskss.d/files.d".to_string()).expect("failed to construct from dir of files");
+   }
+
+   #[test]
+   fn read_dir_file() {
+      _ = DB::new("./src/testdata/taskss.d/file.d".to_string()).expect("failed to construct from dir of a single file");
+   }
+
+   #[test]
+   fn read_single_file() {
+      _ = DB::new("./src/testdata/taskss.d/single_file.yaml".to_string()).expect("failed to construct from single file");
+   }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct TasksAndMetadata {
+   tasks: Tasks,
+   file: String,
+   version: TS,
+}
+
+impl TasksAndMetadata {
+   pub fn new(file: String) -> Result<TasksAndMetadata, String> {
+      let version = match std::fs::metadata(file.clone()) {
+         Ok(m) => Ok(TS::from_system_time(m.modified().unwrap())),
+         Err(msg) => Err(format!("couldnt get version from {}: {}", file, msg)),
+      }?;
+      match Tasks::from_file(file.clone()) {
+         Ok(tasks) => Ok(TasksAndMetadata{
+            tasks: tasks,
+            file: file,
+            version: version,
+         }),
+         Err(msg) => Err(msg),
+      }
+   }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
 pub struct Tasks(Vec<Task>);
 
@@ -48,6 +128,14 @@ impl Tasks {
       Tasks(vec![])
    }
 
+   pub fn from_file(path: String) -> Result<Tasks, String> {
+      let r = match std::fs::File::open(path.clone()) {
+         Ok(f) => Ok(f),
+         Err(msg) => Err(format!("could not open {}: {}", path, msg)),
+      }?;
+      Tasks::from_reader(r)
+   }
+
    pub fn from_reader(r: impl std::io::Read) -> Result<Tasks, String> {
       let result = Tasks::_from_reader(r)?;
       if !result.is_legacy() {
@@ -135,9 +223,7 @@ mod test_tasks {
 
    #[test]
    fn due() {
-      let tasks = Tasks::from_reader(
-         std::fs::File::open("./src/testdata/tasks_due_scheduled_done.yaml").expect("failed to open file")
-      ).expect("failed to read file");
+      let tasks = Tasks::from_file("./src/testdata/tasks_due_scheduled_done.yaml".to_string()).expect("failed to open file");
       eprintln!("{:?}", tasks);
       assert_eq!(2, tasks.due().len());
    }
@@ -600,6 +686,10 @@ impl TS {
       Self::from_unix(Local::now().timestamp() as u64)
    }
 
+   fn from_system_time(st: std::time::SystemTime) -> TS {
+      TS::from_unix(st.duration_since(std::time::SystemTime::UNIX_EPOCH).unwrap().as_secs())
+   }
+
    fn from_unix(src: u64) -> TS {
       TS{0: src}
    }
diff --git a/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/file.d/file.yaml b/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/file.d/file.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4c7c05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/file.d/file.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- file
diff --git a/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/files.d/a.yaml b/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/files.d/a.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46ae6f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/files.d/a.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- a
diff --git a/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/files.d/b.yaml b/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/files.d/b.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7880ae6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/files.d/b.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- b
diff --git a/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/single_file.yaml b/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/single_file.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47b487a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pttodoer/src/testdata/taskss.d/single_file.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+- todo
+- do: scheduled
+  schedule: 2099-01-01
+- _done: any