diff --git a/converters/template.py b/converters/template.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..890c9c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/converters/template.py
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+"""Base classes for the notebook conversion pipeline.
+
+This module defines Converter, from which all objects designed to implement
+a conversion of IPython notebooks to some other format should inherit.
+"""
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Copyright (c) 2012, the IPython Development Team.
+#
+# Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
+#
+# The full license is in the file COPYING.txt, distributed with this software.
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Imports
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+from __future__ import print_function, absolute_import
+
+# Stdlib imports
+import jinja2
+import codecs
+import io
+import logging
+import os
+import pprint
+import re
+from types import FunctionType
+
+from jinja2 import Environment, PackageLoader, FileSystemLoader
+env = Environment(loader=FileSystemLoader('./templates/'))
+
+# IPython imports
+from IPython.nbformat import current as nbformat
+from IPython.config.configurable import Configurable, SingletonConfigurable
+from IPython.utils.traitlets import (List, Unicode, Type, Bool, Dict, CaselessStrEnum,
+                                    Any)
+
+# Our own imports
+from IPython.utils.text import indent
+from .utils import remove_ansi
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Class declarations
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def rm_fake(strng):
+    return strng.replace('/files/', '')
+
+class ConversionException(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+def python_comment(string):
+    return '# '+'\n# '.join(string.split('\n'))
+
+env.filters['pycomment'] = python_comment
+env.filters['indent'] = indent
+env.filters['rm_fake'] = rm_fake
+env.filters['rm_ansi'] = remove_ansi
+
+class ConverterTemplate(Configurable):
+
+    display_data_priority = ['pdf', 'svg', 'png', 'jpg', 'text']
+    #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Instance-level attributes that are set in the constructor for this
+    # class.
+    #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    infile = Any()
+
+   
+    infile_dir = Unicode()
+
+    def __init__(self, config=None, **kw):
+        self.template = env.get_template('python.tpl')
+        super(ConverterTemplate,self).__init__(config=config)
+
+    def _get_prompt_number(self, cell):
+        return cell.prompt_number if hasattr(cell, 'prompt_number') \
+            else self.blank_symbol
+
+
+    def process(self):
+        converted_cells = []
+        for worksheet in self.nb.worksheets:
+            for cell in worksheet.cells:
+                cell.type = cell.cell_type
+                converted_cells.append(cell)
+                continue
+                if cell.cell_type in ('code'):
+                    converted_cells.append({'type':'code','source':cell.input})
+                else :
+                    converted_cells.append({'type':cell.cell_type,'source': python_comment(cell.source)})
+
+        return converted_cells
+
+    def convert(self, cell_separator='\n'):
+        return self.template.render(cells=self.process()) 
+
+
+    def read(self, filename):
+        "read and parse notebook into NotebookNode called self.nb"
+        with open(filename) as f:
+            self.nb = nbformat.read(f, 'json')
+
diff --git a/runme.py b/runme.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec48df1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runme.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# coding: utf-8
+from converters.template import *
+C = ConverterTemplate()
+C.read('tests/ipynbref/IntroNumPy.orig.ipynb')
+S = C.convert()
+with open('temp.txt','w') as f:
+    f.write(S)
diff --git a/templates/basic.tpl b/templates/basic.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..294aed2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/basic.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+{%- block header -%}
+{%- endblock header -%}
+{%- block body -%}
+{%- for cell in cells -%}
+    {%- if cell.type in ['code'] -%}
+        {%- block codecell scoped-%}
+        {%- endblock codecell-%}
+    {%- elif cell.type in ['markdown'] -%}
+        {%- block markdowncell scoped-%}
+        {%- endblock markdowncell -%}
+    {%- elif cell.type in ['heading'] -%}
+        {%- block headingcell scoped-%}
+        {%- endblock headingcell -%}
+    {%- elif cell.type in ['raw'] -%}
+        {%- block rawcell scoped-%}
+        {%- endblock rawcell -%}
+    {%- else -%}
+        {%- block unknowncell scoped-%}
+        {%- endblock unknowncell -%}
+    {%- endif -%}
+{%- endfor -%}
+{%- endblock body -%}
+
+{%- block footer -%}
+{%- endblock footer -%}
diff --git a/templates/python.tpl b/templates/python.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d2f880
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/python.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+{%- extends 'basic.tpl' -%}
+
+{%  block codecell scoped  %}
+# In[{{cell.prompt_number if cell.prompt_number else ' '}}]:
+{{ cell.input }}
+{% if cell.outputs %}
+# Out[{{cell.prompt_number}}]:
+{%- for output in cell.outputs -%}
+    {% if output.output_type in ['pyout','stream']%}
+{{ output.text| indent | pycomment}}
+    {% elif output.output_type in ['display_data'] %}
+{{"# fucking display_data"}}
+    {% elif output.output_type in ['pyerr'] %}
+{% for line in output.traceback %}
+{{ line |indent| rm_ansi}}
+{%- endfor -%}
+    {%- endif -%}
+{%- endfor -%}
+{%endif%}
+
+{% endblock codecell %}
+
+{% block markdowncell scoped %}
+{{ cell.source | pycomment | rm_fake}}
+{% endblock markdowncell %}
+
+{% block headingcell scoped %}
+{{ '#' * cell.level }}{{ cell.source | pycomment}}
+{% endblock headingcell %}
+
+{% block rawcell scoped %}
+{{ cell.source | pycomment }}
+{% endblock rawcell %}
+
+{% block unknowncell scoped %}
+unknown type  {{cell.type}}
+{% endblock unknowncell %}