diff --git a/src/database.rs b/src/database.rs
index ab0843a..8412b67 100644
--- a/src/database.rs
+++ b/src/database.rs
@@ -9,11 +9,24 @@ use std::{
 	PathBuf,
 	Path,
     },
+    cmp::{
+	PartialOrd,
+	Ordering,
+    },
+    marker::{
+	Unpin,
+    },
 };
 use chrono::{
     DateTime,
     Utc,
 };
+use tokio::{
+    prelude::*,
+    io::{
+	AsyncRead,
+    },
+};
 
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct Database
@@ -22,6 +35,7 @@ pub struct Database
     database: HashMap<PathBuf,Entry>,
 }
 
+/// All versions of a single file
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct Entry
 {
@@ -29,6 +43,7 @@ pub struct Entry
     versions: HashSet<Version>,
 }
 
+/// A single version of a single file
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
 pub struct Version
 {
@@ -37,11 +52,62 @@ pub struct Version
     size: usize,
 }
 
+impl PartialOrd for Version
+{
+    #[inline] fn partial_cmp(&self, other: &Self) -> Option<Ordering>
+    {
+	self.date.partial_cmp(&other.date)
+    }
+}
+
 impl Version
 {
     /// Gets the lowermost name of the path for this specific version
-    pub fn get_pathname(&self) -> String
+    pub fn get_pathname_string(&self) -> String
     {
 	format!("{}", self.date.timestamp_nanos())
     }
+
+    /// Create a new `Version` from a stream source with a specific UTC timestamp.
+    pub async fn new_specific<R>(timestamp: DateTime<Utc>, from: &mut R) -> io::Result<Self>
+	where R: AsyncRead + Unpin
+    {
+	let (size, hash) = {
+	    let mut hash = hash::Sha256Sum::empty();
+	    (hash.compute_into(from).await?, hash)
+	};
+
+	Ok(Self {
+	    date: timestamp,
+	    hash,
+	    size,
+	})
+    }
+
+    /// Create a new `Version` from a stream sorce with the current UTC timestamp.
+    pub async fn new<R>(from: &mut R) -> io::Result<Self>
+	where R: AsyncRead + Unpin
+    {
+	Self::new_specific(Utc::now(), from).await
+    }
+
+    /// Length of this `Version`
+    #[inline] pub fn len(&self) -> usize
+    {
+	self.size
+    }
+
+    /// Timestamp of this `Version`
+    #[inline] pub fn timestamp(&self) -> &DateTime<Utc>
+    {
+	&self.date
+    }
+
+    /// Hash of this `Version`
+    #[inline] pub fn hash(&self) -> &hash::Sha256Sum
+    {
+	&self.hash
+    }
+
+    //TODO: How do we manage serialisation? Do we save all this metadata, or just recalculate it from the filename?
 }
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..979cddf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,260 @@
+//! Error handling stuffs
+use std::{
+    error,
+    fmt,
+};
+
+//TODO:
+// this was a complete failure, look at eyre instead or something
+
+/// Context for an error
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Ord, PartialOrd, Hash)]
+pub struct Context
+{
+    line: Option<u32>,
+    column: Option<u32>,
+    file: &'static str,
+}
+
+impl Context
+{
+    pub fn new(line: Option<u32>, column: Option<u32>, file: &'static str) -> Self
+    {
+	Self {
+	    line,column,file
+	}
+    }
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for Context
+{
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	write!(f, "{} ", self.file)?;
+	if let Some(line) = self.line {
+	    write!(f, "{}:", line)?;
+	} else {
+	    write!(f, "?:")?;
+	}
+	if let Some(column) = self.column {
+	    write!(f, "{}", column)?;
+	} else {
+	    write!(f, "?")?;
+	}
+	Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+/// A wrapper over an error with a nicer error message
+///
+/// Like doushio's `Muggle`.
+pub struct Wrap<E,D>(E, D);
+
+pub trait WrappedError
+{
+    fn long_msg(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result;
+    fn short_msg(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result;
+}
+
+impl<E,D> WrappedError for Wrap<E,D>
+where D: fmt::Display,
+      E: error::Error + 'static
+{
+    fn long_msg(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	write!(f, "{}", self.long_message())
+    }
+    fn short_msg(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	write!(f, "{}", self)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<E,D> Wrap<E,D>
+where D: fmt::Display,
+      E: error::Error + 'static
+{
+    /// Get all sources of the error
+    pub fn all_sources(&self) -> Vec<&(dyn error::Error + 'static)>
+    {
+	use std::error::Error;
+	std::iter::successors(self.source(), |x| x.source()).collect()
+    }
+
+    /// Into the inner error
+    pub fn into_inner(self) -> E
+    {
+	self.0
+    }
+
+    /// Get the full and long error message
+    pub fn long_message(&self) -> impl fmt::Display + '_
+    {
+	struct LongOutput<'a, E,D>(&'a Wrap<E,D>);
+	impl<'a, E,D> fmt::Display for LongOutput<'a, E,D>
+	where Wrap<E,D>: error::Error
+	{
+	    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+	    {
+		writeln!(f, "{}", self.0)?;
+		use std::error::Error;
+		for (i, spec) in (1..).zip(std::iter::successors(self.0.source(), |x| x.source()))
+		{
+		    writeln!(f, " [{}] -> {}", i, spec)?;
+		}
+
+		Ok(())
+	    }
+	}
+
+	LongOutput(&self)
+    }
+}
+
+pub trait WrapExt: Sized
+{
+    /// Wrap this error in another
+    fn wrap<T>(self, msg: T) -> Wrap<Self, T>
+    where T: fmt::Display;
+}
+
+impl<E> WrapExt for E where E: error::Error
+{
+    fn wrap<T>(self, msg: T) -> Wrap<Self, T>
+    where T: fmt::Display
+    {
+	Wrap(self, msg)
+    }
+}
+
+pub trait WrapErrExt<T,E>: Sized
+{
+    /// Wrap the error from this result with a nicer error message
+    fn wrap_err<U>(self, msg: U) -> Result<T,Wrap<E, U>>
+    where U: fmt::Display;
+}
+
+impl<T,E> WrapErrExt<T,E> for Result<T,E>
+{
+    fn wrap_err<U>(self, msg: U) -> Result<T,Wrap<E, U>>
+    where U: fmt::Display
+    {
+	self.map_err(|e| Wrap(e, msg))
+    }
+}
+
+
+impl<E,D> fmt::Debug for Wrap<E,D>
+{
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	write!(f, "{}", std::any::type_name::<Self>())
+    }
+}
+
+impl<E,D> fmt::Display for Wrap<E,D>
+where D: fmt::Display
+{
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	write!(f, "{}", self.1)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<E,D> error::Error for Wrap<E,D>
+where E: error::Error + 'static,
+      D: fmt::Display
+{
+    fn source(&self) -> Option<&(dyn error::Error + 'static)>
+    {
+	Some(&self.0)
+    }
+}
+
+/// An error with a context
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct ContextError<E>(pub E, pub Context)
+where E: fmt::Debug;
+
+impl<E> WrappedError for ContextError<E>
+where E: fmt::Debug + fmt::Display
+{
+    fn long_msg(&self,f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	write!(f, "{}", self)
+    }
+    fn short_msg(&self,f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	write!(f, "{}", self.0)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<E> fmt::Display for ContextError<E>
+where E: fmt::Display + fmt::Debug
+{
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	write!(f, "{}: {}", self.1, self.0)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<E> error::Error for ContextError<E>
+where E: fmt::Display + fmt::Debug{}
+
+#[macro_export]
+    macro_rules! context {
+    () => ($crate::error::Context::new(Some(line!()), Some(column!()), file!()));
+}
+
+/// Construct a new error with context
+#[macro_export] macro_rules! error {
+    ($err:expr) => ($crate::error::ContextError($err, $crate::context!()));
+    ($fmt:literal $($tt:tt)*) => ($crate::error!(format!($fmt $($tt)*)));
+}
+
+pub struct ErrorStack(Box<dyn WrappedError>);
+
+impl<T: WrappedError + 'static> From<T> for ErrorStack
+{
+    fn from(from: T) -> Self
+    {
+	Self(Box::new(from))
+    }
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for ErrorStack
+{
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	self.0.long_msg(f)
+    }
+}
+
+impl fmt::Debug for ErrorStack
+{
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+    {
+	write!(f,"<opaque stack>")
+    }
+}
+
+impl error::Error for ErrorStack{}
+
+impl ErrorStack
+{
+    /// Get the short message from this stack
+    pub fn short_message(&self) -> impl fmt::Display + '_
+    {
+	pub struct ShortMessage<'a>(&'a ErrorStack);
+
+	impl<'a> fmt::Display for ShortMessage<'a>
+	{
+	    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result
+	    {
+		self.0.0.short_msg(f)
+	    }
+	}
+
+	ShortMessage(self)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index daf5366..64def7b 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ use cfg_if::cfg_if;
 mod ext;
 use ext::*;
 
+mod error;
+use error::{
+    WrapErrExt as _,
+    WrapExt as _,
+};
 mod consts;
 mod util;
 mod hash;
@@ -13,9 +18,21 @@ mod metadata;
 mod resolve;
 mod database;
 
-async fn begin() -> Result<i32, Box<dyn std::error::Error>>
+fn inner() -> Result<(), error::ErrorStack>
 {
+    Err(error!("constructing an error"))?;
+    Ok(())
+}
 
+fn outer() -> Result<(), error::ErrorStack>
+{
+    inner().wrap_err("propagating an error")?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+async fn begin() -> Result<i32, error::ErrorStack>
+{
+    outer().wrap_err("outer failed").wrap_err("outer failed twice!")?;
     Ok(0)
 }
 
@@ -24,7 +41,8 @@ async fn main() {
     std::process::exit(match begin().await {
 	Ok(0) => return,
 	Err(err) => {
-	    eprintln!("\nexited with error: {}", err);
+	    eprintln!("\nexited with error: {}", err.short_message());
+	    println!("\n{}", err);
 	    1
 	},
 	Ok(v) => v