diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3d007b6..351bcae 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ build:
 	cp -f autogenpb autogenpb.${BUILDTIME}
 
 bak:
-	mv -f autogenpb autogenpb.last
+	cp -f autogenpb autogenpb.last
 
 redo-protobuf:
 	rm -f *.pb.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ proto:
 
 # use the current autogenpb
 proto-local: bak clean
-	./autogenpb.last --proto file.proto --package main
+	./autogenpb.last --proto file.proto --package main --no-format
 
 junk:
 	cd example; rm -f go.* *.pb.go
diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index b85be17..0f248cb 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ type args struct {
 	Regret    bool   `arg:"--regret"                   help:"ignore needed UUID. You will eventually regret this."`
 	Delete    bool   `arg:"--delete"                   help:"use delete with copy experiment"`
 	DryRun    bool   `arg:"--dry-run"                  help:"check the .proto syntax, but don't do anything"`
-	Format    bool   `arg:"--format"                   help:"only reformat the .proto file"`
+	Format    bool   `arg:"--format"                   help:"eformat the .proto file and exit"`
+	NoFormat  bool   `arg:"--no-format"                help:"do not auto-reformat the .proto file"`
 	GoSrc     string `arg:"--go-src"                   help:"default is ~/go/src. could be set to your go.work path"`
 	GoPath    string `arg:"--gopath"                   help:"the gopath of this repo"`
 	Identify  string `arg:"--identify"                 help:"identify file"`
diff --git a/file.proto b/file.proto
index 5b8aeff..461b69f 100644
--- a/file.proto
+++ b/file.proto
@@ -61,15 +61,21 @@ message Sort {
 
 // used to auto-format protobuf files
 message FormatMsg {
-        repeated string       lines             = 1;  // keys to sort on
+    enum Type {
+      MESSAGE          = 0;
+      ENUM             = 1;
+      ONEOF            = 2;
+    }
+
+        int64                 depth             = 1;  // used to indent output
         int64                 maxVarname        = 2;  // max string length of var names
         int64                 maxVartype        = 3;  // max string length of var types
-        repeated FormatMsg    inceptionMsgs     = 4;  // messages inside messages
-        repeated FormatMsg    enums             = 5;  // locally defined enums
-        repeated FormatMsg    oneofs            = 6;  // locally defined oneofs
-        string                header            = 7;  // the 'message {','enum {', etc line
+        string                header            = 4;  // the 'message {','enum {', etc line
+        repeated string       notes             = 5;  // unknown lines or comments
+        repeated FormatMsg    msgs              = 6;  // locally defined messages and enums
+        repeated string       lines             = 7;  // the variables
         string                footer            = 8;  // the '}' line
-        repeated string       notes             = 9;  // unknown lines or comments
+    Type type = 9;
 }
 
 message Find {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 004ce5a..e4c510f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ func main() {
 		log.Info("autogenpb parse error:", err)
 		badExit(err)
 	}
-	protoReformat(argv.Proto)
+	if !argv.NoFormat {
+		protoReformat(argv.Proto)
+	}
 
 	if pf.Bases == nil {
 		badExit(fmt.Errorf("Base was nil. 'message %s {` did not exist", pf.Filebase))
diff --git a/protoReformat.go b/protoReformat.go
index d54ece1..adb9764 100644
--- a/protoReformat.go
+++ b/protoReformat.go
@@ -49,17 +49,15 @@ func protoReformat(filename string) error {
 
 	var newfile string
 
-	/*
-		_, junk := filepath.Split(filename)
-		if junk != "SignalService.proto" {
-			var allLinesIter iter.Seq[string]
-			allLinesIter = makeLineIter(data)
-			// gets the max vartype and varname
-			for line := range allLinesIter {
-				newfile += fmt.Sprintln(commentPreprocessor(line))
-			}
-			return saveFile(filename, newfile)
-		}
+	/* check the comment preprocessor
+	log.Info("filename", filename)
+	alltest := makeLineIter(data)
+	// gets the max vartype and varname
+	for line := range alltest {
+		newfile += fmt.Sprintln(commentPreprocessor(line))
+	}
+	saveFile(filename, newfile)
+	os.Exit(-1)
 	*/
 
 	var fmtmsg *FormatMsg
@@ -374,23 +372,25 @@ func formatMessage(curmsg *FormatMsg) []string {
 		}
 	*/
 
-	for _, msg := range curmsg.Enums {
-		for _, newline := range formatEnum(msg) {
-			newmsg = append(newmsg, newline)
+	/*
+		for _, msg := range curmsg.Enums {
+			for _, newline := range formatEnum(msg) {
+				newmsg = append(newmsg, newline)
+			}
 		}
-	}
 
-	for _, msg := range curmsg.Oneofs {
-		for _, newline := range formatEnum(msg) {
-			newmsg = append(newmsg, newline)
+		for _, msg := range curmsg.Oneofs {
+			for _, newline := range formatEnum(msg) {
+				newmsg = append(newmsg, newline)
+			}
 		}
-	}
 
-	for _, msg := range curmsg.InceptionMsgs {
-		for _, newline := range formatMessage(msg) {
-			newmsg = append(newmsg, newline)
+		for _, msg := range curmsg.Msgs {
+			for _, newline := range msg.format() {
+				newmsg = append(newmsg, newline)
+			}
 		}
-	}
+	*/
 
 	for _, line := range curmsg.Lines {
 		line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
@@ -452,6 +452,7 @@ func (it *LinesScanner) Next() string {
 	}
 	// out := commentPreprocessor(it.things[it.index-1])
 	out := it.things[it.index-1]
+	out = commentPreprocessor(out)
 	// return strings.TrimSpace(out)
 	return out
 }