diff --git a/forge/forge.go b/forge/forge.go
index 06fd00f..5492d68 100644
--- a/forge/forge.go
+++ b/forge/forge.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type fitem interface{}
+type FItem = fitem
 
 type fptr = ptr.Ptr[fitem]
 type FPtr = fptr
diff --git a/forge/rep/rep.go b/forge/rep/rep.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4773ba5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/forge/rep/rep.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package rep
+
+import (
+	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/common/funky"
+	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/forge"
+)
+
+// maybe: code, defs, string, int, float
+type citem interface{}
+
+// code, represented by a slice
+
+type code []citem
+
+func Code(items ...citem) code {
+	return code(items)
+}
+
+func (ci code) Compile(f forge.FE) forge.FPtr {
+	c := f.Code()
+	for _, item := range ci {
+		switch i := item.(type) {
+		case int:
+			c.Append(i)
+		case string:
+			m := compStr(f, i)
+			if !m.IsNothing() {
+				c.Append(m.Value())
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return c.Reset()
+}
+
+func compStr(f forge.FE, s string) funky.Maybe[forge.FItem] {
+	mxt := f.Voc().Lookup(s)
+	if mxt.IsNothing() {
+		return funky.Nothing[forge.FItem]()
+	}
+	return funky.Just(forge.FItem(mxt.Value()))
+}
+
+// defs - definitions, represented by a map
+
+type defs map[string]citem
diff --git a/tests/forge_test.go b/tests/forge_test.go
index 5d5b008..50929cd 100644
--- a/tests/forge_test.go
+++ b/tests/forge_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/common/testing"
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/forge"
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/forge/builtins"
+	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/forge/rep"
 )
 
 var fe = forge.NewFE()
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ func TestForge(tb *tbase.T) {
 	t := testing.SetUp(tb)
 	t.Run("exec", ExecTest)
 	t.Run("core", CoreTest)
+	t.Run("rep", RepTest)
 }
 
 func ExecTest(t *testing.T) {
@@ -35,3 +37,10 @@ func CoreTest(t *testing.T) {
 	fe.Exec(9, b.Lit, seven, b.Body, b.Put)
 	t.AssertEqual(fe.Exec(seven).Pop(), 9)
 }
+
+func RepTest(t *testing.T) {
+	src := rep.Code(4, 2, "+")
+	c := src.Compile(fe)
+	fe.Call(c)
+	t.AssertEqual(fe.Pop(), 6)
+}