diff --git a/IPython/config/loader.py b/IPython/config/loader.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a143b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/IPython/config/loader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# encoding: utf-8
+"""A factory for creating configuration objects.
+"""
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#  Copyright (C) 2008-2009  The IPython Development Team
+#
+#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Imports
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+import os
+
+from IPython.utils.ipstruct import Struct
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Code
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class ConfigLoaderError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class ConfigLoader(object):
+    """A object for loading configurations from just about anywhere.
+    
+    The resulting configuration is packaged as a :class:`Struct`.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        """A base class for config loaders.
+        
+        Examples
+        --------
+        
+        >>> cl = ConfigLoader()
+        >>> config = cl.load_config()
+        >>> config
+        {}
+        """
+        self.clear()
+
+    def clear(self):
+        self.config = Struct()
+
+    def load_config(self):
+        """Load a config from somewhere, return a Struct.
+        
+        Usually, this will cause self.config to be set and then returned.
+        """
+        return self.config
+
+
+class FileConfigLoader(ConfigLoader):
+    """A config loader for pure python files.
+    
+    This calls execfile on a plain python file and looks for attributes
+    that are all caps.  These attribute are added to the config Struct.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, filename, path='.'):
+        """Build a config loader for a filename and path.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        filename : str
+            The file name of the config file.
+        path : str, list, tuple
+            The path to search for the config file on, or a sequence of
+            paths to try in order
+
+        Examples
+        --------
+        
+        
+        """
+        self.filename = filename
+        self.path = path
+        self.full_filename = ''
+        self.data = None
+        ConfigLoader.__init__(self)
+
+    def find_file(self):
+        """Implement file finding logic here."""
+        self.full_filename = self.filename
+
+    def read_file_as_dict(self):
+        if not os.path.isfile(self.full_filename):
+            raise IOError("config file does not exist: %r" % self.fullfilename)
+        self.data = {}
+        execfile(self.full_filename, self.data)
+
+    def convert_to_struct(self):
+        if self.data is None:
+            ConfigLoaderError('self.data does not exist')
+        for k, v in self.data.iteritems():
+            if k == k.upper():
+                self.config[k] = v
+
+    def load_config(self):
+        self.find_file()
+        self.read_file_as_dict()
+        self.convert_to_struct()
+        return self.config
+
+class PyConfigLoader(object):
+    pass
+
+
+class DefaultFileConfigLoader(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, filename, install_location):
+        pass
+
+    def load_config(self):
+        pass
+
+    def install(self, force=False):
+        pass
+
+
+class CommandLineConfigLoader(ConfigLoader):
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.parser = None
+        self.parsed_data = None
+        self.clear()
+        
+
+    def clear(self):
+        self.config = Struct()
+
+    def load_config(self, args=None):
+        self.create_parser()
+        self.parse_args(args)
+        self.convert_to_struct()
+        return self.config
+
+    def create_parser(self):
+        """Create self.parser"""
+
+    def parse_args(self, args=None):
+        """self.parser->self.parsed_data"""
+        if self.parser is None:
+            raise ConfigLoaderError('self.parser does not exist')
+        if args is None:
+            self.parsed_data = parser.parse_args()
+        else:
+            self.parse_data = parser.parse_args(args)
+
+    def convert_to_struct(self):
+        """self.parsed_data->self.config"""
+        if self.parsed_data is None:
+            raise ConfigLoaderError('self.parsed_data does not exist')
+        self.config = Struct(vars(self.parsed_data))
+
+
+class ArgParseConfigLoader(CommandLineConfigLoader):
+
+    # arguments = [(('-f','--file'),dict(type=str,dest='file'))]
+    arguments = []
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
+        """Create a config loader for use with argparse.
+        
+        The args and kwargs arguments here are passed onto the constructor
+        of :class:`argparse.ArgumentParser`.
+        """
+        self.args = args
+        self.kw = kw
+        CommandLineConfigLoader.__init__(self)
+
+    def create_parser(self):
+        self.parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(*self.args, **self.kw)
+        self.add_arguments()
+
+    def add_arguments(self):
+        for argument in self.arguments:
+            self.parser.add_argument(*argument[0],**argument[1])
+
diff --git a/IPython/core/component.py b/IPython/core/component.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2be6db6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/IPython/core/component.py
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# encoding: utf-8
+"""
+A lightweight component system for IPython.
+
+Authors:
+
+* Brian Granger
+* Fernando Perez
+"""
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#  Copyright (C) 2008-2009  The IPython Development Team
+#
+#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Imports
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+from weakref import WeakValueDictionary
+
+from IPython.utils.traitlets import (
+    HasTraitlets, TraitletError, MetaHasTraitlets,
+    Int, Float, Str, Bool, Unicode
+)
+
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Helper classes for Components
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class Config(object):
+    pass
+
+
+class MetaComponentTracker(type):
+    """A metaclass that tracks instances of Components and its subclasses."""
+
+    def __init__(cls, name, bases, d):
+        super(MetaComponentTracker, cls).__init__(name, bases, d)
+        cls.__instance_refs = WeakValueDictionary()
+        cls.__numcreated = 0
+
+    def __call__(cls, *args, **kw):
+        """Called when class is called (instantiated)!!!
+        
+        Then a Component or subclass is instantiated, this is called and
+        the instance is saved in a WeakValueDictionary for tracking.
+        """
+
+        instance = super(MetaComponentTracker, cls).__call__(*args, **kw)
+        for c in cls.__mro__:
+            if issubclass(cls, c) and issubclass(c, Component):
+                c.__numcreated += 1
+                c.__instance_refs[c.__numcreated] = instance
+        return instance
+
+    def get_instances(cls):
+        """Get all instances of cls and its subclasses."""
+        return cls.__instance_refs.values()
+
+    def get_instances_by_name(cls, name):
+        """Get all instances of cls and its subclasses by name."""
+        return [i for i in cls.get_instances() if i.name == name]
+
+    def get_instances_by_subclass(cls, thisclass):
+        """Get all instances of cls that are instances of thisclass.
+        
+        This includes all instances of subclasses of thisclass.
+        """
+        return [i for i in cls.get_instances() if isinstance(i, thisclass)]
+
+    def get_instances_by_class(cls, thisclass):
+        """Get all instances of cls that are instances of thisclass.
+        
+        This exclused instances of thisclass subclasses.
+        """
+
+        return [i for i in cls.get_instances() if type(i) is thisclass]
+
+    def get_instances_by_condition(cls, call):
+        """Get all instances of cls, i such that call(i)==True."""
+        return [i for i in cls.get_instances() if call(i)]
+
+
+class ComponentNameGenerator(object):
+    """A Singleton to generate unique component names."""
+
+    def __init__(self, prefix):
+        self.prefix = prefix
+        self.i = 0
+
+    def __call__(self):
+        count = self.i
+        self.i += 1
+        return "%s%s" % (self.prefix, count)
+
+
+ComponentNameGenerator = ComponentNameGenerator('ipython.component')
+
+
+class MetaComponent(MetaHasTraitlets, MetaComponentTracker):
+    pass
+
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Component implementation
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class Component(HasTraitlets):
+
+    __metaclass__ = MetaComponent
+
+    config = Config()
+
+    def __init__(self, parent, name=None, config=None):
+        """Create a component given a parent.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        parent : Component subclass
+            The parent in the component graph.  The parent is used
+            to get the root of the component graph.
+        name : str
+            The unique name of the component.  If empty, then a unique
+            one will be autogenerated.
+        config : Config
+            If this is empty, self.config = root.config, otherwise
+            self.config = config and root.config is ignored.  This argument 
+            should be used to pass the config to the root.  Otherwise, it
+            can be used to *override* the inheritance of root.config.  If a 
+            caller wants to modify root.config (not override), the caller
+            should make a copy and change attributes and then pass the copy
+            to this argument.  We might think about changing this behavior.
+        """
+        super(Component, self).__init__()
+        if name is None:
+            self._name = ComponentNameGenerator()
+        else:
+            self._name = name
+        self.parent = parent # this uses the property and handles None
+        if config is not None:
+            self.config = config
+        else:
+            if self.parent is not None:
+                self.config = self.parent.config
+
+    #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Properties
+    #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def _set_name(self, name):
+        # This should use the ComponentNameGenerator to test for uniqueness
+        self._name = name
+
+    def _get_name(self):
+        return self._name
+
+    name = property(_get_name, _set_name)
+
+    def _set_parent(self, parent):
+        if parent is None:
+            self._parent = None
+            self._root = self
+        else:
+            assert isinstance(parent, Component), 'parent must be a component'
+            self._parent = parent
+            self._root = parent.root
+
+    def _get_parent(self):
+        return self._parent
+
+    parent = property(_get_parent, _set_parent)
+
+    @property
+    def root(self):
+        return self._root
+
diff --git a/IPython/core/shell.py b/IPython/core/shell.py
index 12d83cf..f2b2602 100644
--- a/IPython/core/shell.py
+++ b/IPython/core/shell.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# encoding: utf-8
 """IPython Shell classes.
 
 Originally, this module was horribly complicated because of the need to
diff --git a/IPython/utils/traitlets.py b/IPython/utils/traitlets.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad2f343
--- /dev/null
+++ b/IPython/utils/traitlets.py
@@ -0,0 +1,324 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# encoding: utf-8
+"""
+A lightweight Traits like module.
+
+Authors:
+
+* Brian Granger
+* Enthought, Inc.  Some of the code in this file comes from enthought.traits
+  and is licensed under the BSD license.  Also, many of the ideas also come
+  from enthought.traits even though our implementation is very different.
+"""
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#  Copyright (C) 2008-2009  The IPython Development Team
+#
+#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Imports
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+import inspect
+import types
+from types import InstanceType
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Basic classes
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class NoDefaultSpecified ( object ): pass
+NoDefaultSpecified = NoDefaultSpecified()
+
+
+class Undefined ( object ): pass
+Undefined = Undefined()
+
+
+class TraitletError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Utilities
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def class_of ( object ):
+    """ Returns a string containing the class name of an object with the
+    correct indefinite article ('a' or 'an') preceding it (e.g., 'an Image',
+    'a PlotValue').
+    """
+    if isinstance( object, basestring ):
+        return add_article( object )
+
+    return add_article( object.__class__.__name__ )
+
+
+def add_article ( name ):
+    """ Returns a string containing the correct indefinite article ('a' or 'an')
+    prefixed to the specified string.
+    """
+    if name[:1].lower() in 'aeiou':
+       return 'an ' + name
+
+    return 'a ' + name
+
+
+def repr_type(obj):
+    """ Return a string representation of a value and its type for readable
+    error messages.
+    """
+    the_type = type(obj)
+    if the_type is InstanceType:
+        # Old-style class.
+        the_type = obj.__class__
+    msg = '%r %r' % (obj, the_type)
+    return msg
+
+
+def parse_notifier_name(name):
+    if isinstance(name, str):
+        return [name]
+    elif name is None:
+        return ['anytraitlet']
+    elif isinstance(name, (list, tuple)):
+        for n in name:
+            assert isinstance(n, str), "names must be strings"
+        return name
+
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Base TraitletType for all traitlets
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TraitletType(object):
+
+    metadata = {}
+    default_value = None
+    info_text = 'any value'
+
+    # def __init__(self, name, default_value=NoDefaultSpecified, **metadata):
+    #     self.name = name
+    def __init__(self, default_value=NoDefaultSpecified, **metadata):
+        if default_value is not NoDefaultSpecified:
+            self.default_value = default_value
+        self.metadata.update(metadata)
+
+    def __get__(self, inst, cls=None):
+        if inst is None:
+            return self
+        else:
+            return inst._traitlet_values.get(self.name, self.default_value)
+
+    def __set__(self, inst, value):
+        new_value = self._validate(inst, value)
+        old_value = self.__get__(inst)
+        if old_value != new_value:
+            inst._traitlet_values[self.name] = new_value
+            inst._notify(self.name, old_value, value)
+
+    def _validate(self, inst, value):
+        if hasattr(self, 'validate'):
+            return self.validate(inst, value)
+        elif hasattr(self, 'is_valid_for'):
+            valid = self.is_valid_for(value)
+            if valid:
+                return value
+            else:
+                raise TraitletError('invalid value for type: %r' % value)
+        elif hasattr(self, 'value_for'):
+            return self.value_for(value)
+        else:
+            return value
+
+    def info(self):
+        return self.info_text
+
+    def error(self, obj, value):
+        if obj is not None:
+            e = "The '%s' traitlet of %s instance must be %s, but a value of %s was specified." \
+                % (self.name, class_of(obj),
+                   self.info(), repr_type(value))
+        else:
+            e = "The '%s' traitlet must be %s, but a value of %r was specified." \
+                % (self.name, self.info(), repr_type(value))            
+        raise TraitletError(e)
+
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# The HasTraitlets implementation
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class MetaHasTraitlets(type):
+    """A metaclass for HasTraitlets.
+    
+    This metaclass makes sure that any TraitletType class attributes are
+    instantiated and sets their name attribute.
+    """
+    
+    def __new__(mcls, name, bases, classdict):
+        for k,v in classdict.iteritems():
+            if isinstance(v, TraitletType):
+                v.name = k
+            elif inspect.isclass(v):
+                if issubclass(v, TraitletType):
+                    vinst = v()
+                    vinst.name = k
+                    classdict[k] = vinst
+        return super(MetaHasTraitlets, mcls).__new__(mcls, name, bases, classdict)
+
+
+class HasTraitlets(object):
+
+    __metaclass__ = MetaHasTraitlets
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._traitlet_values = {}
+        self._notifiers = {}
+
+    def _notify(self, name, old_value, new_value):
+        callables = self._notifiers.get(name,[])
+        more_callables = self._notifiers.get('anytraitlet',[])
+        callables.extend(more_callables)
+        for c in callables:
+            # Traits catches and logs errors here.  I allow them to raise
+            c(name, old_value, new_value)
+
+    def _add_notifiers(self, handler, name):
+        if not self._notifiers.has_key(name):
+            nlist = []
+            self._notifiers[name] = nlist
+        else:
+            nlist = self._notifiers[name]
+        if handler not in nlist:
+            nlist.append(handler)
+
+    def _remove_notifiers(self, handler, name):
+        if self._notifiers.has_key(name):
+            nlist = self._notifiers[name]
+            try:
+                index = nlist.index(handler)
+            except ValueError:
+                pass
+            else:
+                del nlist[index]
+
+    def on_traitlet_change(self, handler, name=None, remove=False):
+        if remove:
+            names = parse_notifier_name(name)
+            for n in names:
+                self._remove_notifiers(handler, n)
+        else:
+            names = parse_notifier_name(name)
+            for n in names:
+                self._add_notifiers(handler, n)
+
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Actual TraitletTypes implementations/subclasses
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class Any(TraitletType):
+    default_value = None
+    info_text = 'any value'
+
+
+class Int(TraitletType):
+
+    evaluate = int
+    default_value = 0
+    info_text = 'an integer'
+
+    def validate(self, obj, value):
+        if isinstance(value, int):
+            return value
+        self.error(obj, value)
+
+
+class Long(TraitletType):
+
+    evaluate = long
+    default_value = 0L
+    info_text = 'a long'
+
+    def validate(self, obj, value):
+        if isinstance(value, long):
+            return value
+        if isinstance(value, int):
+            return long(value)
+        self.error(obj, value)
+
+
+class Float(TraitletType):
+
+    evaluate = float
+    default_value = 0.0
+    info_text = 'a float'
+
+    def validate(self, obj, value):
+        if isinstance(value, float):
+            return value
+        if isinstance(value, int):
+            return float(value)
+        self.error(obj, value)
+
+
+class Complex(TraitletType):
+
+    evaluate = complex
+    default_value = 0.0 + 0.0j
+    info_text = 'a complex number'
+
+    def validate(self, obj, value):
+        if isinstance(value, complex):
+            return value
+        if isinstance(value, (float, int)):
+            return complex(value)
+        self.error(obj, value)
+
+
+class Str(TraitletType):
+
+    evaluate = lambda x: x
+    default_value = ''
+    info_text = 'a string'
+
+    def validate(self, obj, value):
+        if isinstance(value, str):
+            return value
+        self.error(obj, value)
+
+
+class Unicode(TraitletType):
+
+    evaluate = unicode
+    default_value = u''
+    info_text = 'a unicode string'
+
+    def validate(self, obj, value):
+        if isinstance(value, unicode):
+            return value
+        if isinstance(value, str):
+            return unicode(value)
+        self.error(obj, value)
+
+
+class Bool(TraitletType):
+
+    evaluate = bool
+    default_value = False
+    info_text = 'a boolean'
+
+    def validate(self, obj, value):
+        if isinstance(value, bool):
+            return value
+        self.error(obj, value)
+