diff --git a/vim_research/test1.cpp b/vim_research/test1.cpp
index 4e494cc..ab296d0 100644
--- a/vim_research/test1.cpp
+++ b/vim_research/test1.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include <crdt/text_document.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 
 #include <memory>
+#include <string_view>
 #include <zed_net.h>
 
 #include <iostream>
@@ -11,6 +13,32 @@ using Agent = char;
 using DocType = GreenCRDT::TextDocument<Agent>;
 using ListType = DocType::ListType;
 
+static bool send_command(zed_net_socket_t* remote_socket, const std::string_view mode, const std::string_view command) {
+	auto j = nlohmann::json::array();
+
+	j.push_back(mode);
+	j.push_back(command);
+
+	std::string str = j.dump();
+	str += '\n';
+	auto ret = zed_net_tcp_socket_send(remote_socket, str.data(), str.size());
+
+	return ret == 0;
+}
+
+static bool send_setup(zed_net_socket_t* remote_socket) {
+	//send_command(remote_socket, "ex", "let b:green_crdt_timer_can_send = v:true");
+	//send_command(remote_socket, "ex", "");
+	send_command(remote_socket, "ex", "augroup green_crdt");
+	send_command(remote_socket, "ex", "au!"); // delete the group, prevent double trigger
+	send_command(remote_socket, "ex", "au TextChanged <buffer> call ch_sendexpr(channel, [{'cmd': 'full_buffer', 'lines': getbufline(bufnr(), 1, '$')}])");
+	send_command(remote_socket, "ex", "au TextChangedI <buffer> call ch_sendexpr(channel, [{'cmd': 'full_buffer', 'lines': getbufline(bufnr(), 1, '$')}])");
+	send_command(remote_socket, "ex", "augroup END");
+	send_command(remote_socket, "ex", "echo 'setup done'");
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 int main(void) {
 	std::cout << "starting vim ipc server\n";
 
@@ -36,6 +64,12 @@ int main(void) {
 
 	std::cout << "listening on " << port << "\n";
 
+	std::cout << "paste these commands into your vim for the current buffer:\n";
+	std::cout << "  :let channel = ch_open('localhost:" << port << "')\n";
+	//std::cout << "  :call ch_sendexpr(channel, [{'cmd': 'setup'}])\n";
+
+	std::cout << "paste this command to disconnect:\n  :call ch_close(channel)\n";
+
 	zed_net_socket_t remote_socket;
 	zed_net_address_t remote_address;
 	if (zed_net_tcp_accept(&listen_socket, &remote_socket, &remote_address) != 0) {
@@ -47,6 +81,10 @@ int main(void) {
 
 	std::cout << "got connection from " << zed_net_host_to_str(remote_address.host) << ":" << remote_address.port << "\n";
 
+	std::cout << "sending setup\n";
+	send_setup(&remote_socket);
+	// send doauto text changed for inital buffer
+
 	while (true) {
 		// 10MiB
 		auto buffer = std::make_unique<std::array<uint8_t, 1024*1024*10>>();
@@ -65,11 +103,87 @@ int main(void) {
 		}
 
 		std::cout << "got " << bytes_received << " bytes\n";
-		// do data decoding
+
+		// expect json array(s separated by newlines)
+		// TODO: new lines
+		auto view = std::string_view{reinterpret_cast<const char*>(buffer->data()), static_cast<size_t>(bytes_received)};
+		std::cout << "  raw: " << view;
+
+		auto j = nlohmann::json::parse(view, nullptr, false);
+		if (j.is_discarded()) {
+			std::cerr << "invalid json\n";
+			break;
+		}
+
+		//std::cout << "  j: " << j.dump() << "\n";
+
+		if (!j.is_array()) {
+			std::cerr << "json not array!\n";
+			break;
+		}
+
+		int64_t command_seq = j.at(0);
+		auto j_command_data = j.at(1);
+
+		if (!j_command_data.is_array()) {
+			std::cerr << "j_command_data not array!\n";
+			break;
+		}
+
+		for (const auto& j_command : j_command_data) {
+			if (!j_command.is_object()) {
+				std::cerr << "j_command not obj!\n";
+				break;
+			}
+
+			if (!j_command.count("cmd")) {
+				std::cerr << "j_command does not have a 'cmd' field!\n";
+				break;
+			}
+
+			if (!j_command.at("cmd").is_string()) {
+				std::cerr << "command not a string!\n";
+				break;
+			}
+
+			std::string command = j_command.at("cmd");
+
+			if (command.empty()) {
+				std::cerr << "command string empty!\n";
+				break;
+			} else if (command == "setup") { // setup callbacks etc, basically the plugin
+				std::cout << "sending setup\n";
+				send_setup(&remote_socket);
+			} else if (command == "full_buffer") { // vim is sending the full buffer
+				// array of lines
+
+				if (!j_command.count("lines")) {
+					std::cerr << "lines list empty!\n";
+					continue;
+				}
+
+				const auto& j_lines = j_command.at("lines");
+				if (!j_lines.is_array()) {
+					std::cerr << "lines list not an array!\n";
+					continue;
+				}
+
+				std::string new_text;
+				for (const auto& line : j_lines) {
+					new_text += line;
+					new_text += '\n';
+				}
+
+				//std::cout << "new_text: " << new_text << "\n";
+			} else {
+				std::cout << "unknown command '" << command << "'\n";
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	std::cout << "shutting down\n";
 
+	zed_net_socket_close(&remote_socket);
 	zed_net_socket_close(&listen_socket);
 	zed_net_shutdown();
 	return 0;