diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index fb1eedd..50ac4d9 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ package main
 var argv args
 
 type args struct {
-	LoBase string `arg:"--lobase"                   help:"lowercase basename"`
-	UpBase string `arg:"--upbase"                   help:"uppercase basename"`
-	Proto  string `arg:"--proto"                    help:"the .proto filename"`
+	LoBase string   `arg:"--lobase"                   help:"lowercase basename"`
+	UpBase string   `arg:"--upbase"                   help:"uppercase basename"`
+	Proto  string   `arg:"--proto"                    help:"the .proto filename"`
 	Sort   []string `arg:"--sort"                    help:"how and what to sort on"`
-	DryRun    bool   `arg:"--dry-run"                      help:"show what would be run"`
+	DryRun bool     `arg:"--dry-run"                      help:"show what would be run"`
 }
 
 func (a args) Description() string {
diff --git a/blah_marshal b/blah_marshal
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..738ae35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blah_marshal
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package gitpb
+
+// todo: autogen this
+// functions to import and export the protobuf
+
+import (
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/prototext"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
+)
+
+// human readable JSON
+func (r *Repo) FormatJSON() string {
+	return protojson.Format(r)
+}
+
+// apparently this isn't supposed to be used?
+// https://protobuf.dev/reference/go/faq/#unstable-text
+// this is a shame because this is much nicer output than JSON Format()
+func (r *Repo) FormatTEXT() string {
+	return prototext.Format(r)
+}
+
+// marshal json
+func (r *Repo) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	return protojson.Marshal(r)
+}
+
+// unmarshal
+func (r *Repo) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
+	return protojson.Unmarshal(data, r)
+}
+
+// marshal to wire
+func (r *Repo) Marshal() ([]byte, error) {
+	return proto.Marshal(r)
+}
+
+// unmarshal from wire
+func (r *Repo) Unmarshal(data []byte) error {
+	return proto.Unmarshal(data, r)
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 1f0f6b9..312843b 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	if !shell.Exists(argv.Proto) {
 		log.Info("protobuf", argv.Proto, "is missing")
-		if ! argv.DryRun {
+		if !argv.DryRun {
 			os.Exit(-1)
 		}
 	}
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	sortmap := make(map[string]string)
 	sortmap["package"] = packageName
+	sortmap["protobase"] = protobase
 	sortmap["base"] = argv.LoBase
 	sortmap["lock"] = sortmap["base"] + "slock"
 	sortmap["Base"] = argv.UpBase
@@ -79,13 +80,19 @@ func main() {
 	iterSort(f, sortmap)
 	iterAppend(f, sortmap)
 	iterEnd(f, sortmap)
+
+	// make the foo.marshal.pb.go file
+	marshal(sortmap)
 }
 
 func header(w io.Writer, names map[string]string) {
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "package "+names["package"])
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// this is becoming a standard format")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// todo: autogenerate this from the .proto file?")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// this file was autogenerated with autogenpb")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "//")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// you might be able to use it on simple, strictly defined protobuf files")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "//")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// go install go.wit.com/apps/autogenpb@latest")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "import (")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	\"fmt\"")
diff --git a/marshal.go b/marshal.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..462468c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/marshal.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+func marshal(names map[string]string) {
+
+	if argv.DryRun {
+		for k, v := range names {
+			log.Info(k, "=", v)
+		}
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}
+
+	w, _ := os.OpenFile(names["protobase"]+".marshal.pb.go", os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "package "+names["package"])
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// todo: autogen this")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// functions to import and export the protobuf")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "import (")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	\"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson\"")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	\"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/prototext\"")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	\"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto\"")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, ")")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+
+	marshalThing(w, names["Base"])
+	marshalThing(w, names["Bases"])
+}
+
+func marshalThing(w io.Writer, thing string) {
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// human readable JSON")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (r *"+thing+") FormatJSON() string {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return protojson.Format(r)")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// apparently this isn't supposed to be used?")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// https://protobuf.dev/reference/go/faq/#unstable-text")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// this is a shame because this is much nicer output than JSON Format()")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (r *"+thing+") FormatTEXT() string {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return prototext.Format(r)")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// marshal json")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (r *"+thing+") MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return protojson.Marshal(r)")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// unmarshal")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (r *"+thing+") UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return protojson.Unmarshal(data, r)")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// marshal to wire")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (r *"+thing+") Marshal() ([]byte, error) {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return proto.Marshal(r)")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// unmarshal from wire")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (r *"+thing+") Unmarshal(data []byte) error {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return proto.Unmarshal(data, r)")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+}