diff --git a/file.proto b/file.proto
index e4e6a4f..a8313de 100644
--- a/file.proto
+++ b/file.proto
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ message FormatMsg {
       MESSAGE          = 0;
       ENUM             = 1;
       ONEOF            = 2;
+      VAR              = 3;
     }
 
         int64                 depth             = 1;  // used to indent output
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ message FormatMsg {
         repeated FormatMsg    msgs              = 6;  // locally defined messages and enums
         repeated string       lines             = 7;  // the variables
         string                footer            = 8;  // the '}' line
-    Type type = 9;
+    Type type = 9; // yep. type. yep. that's what this is for
 }
 
 message Find {
diff --git a/protoReformat.go b/protoReformat.go
index c2296b0..4248ed9 100644
--- a/protoReformat.go
+++ b/protoReformat.go
@@ -76,58 +76,69 @@ func protoReformat(filename string) error {
 
 	var newfile string
 
-	var bigName int64
-	var bigType int64
+	// var bigName int64
+	// var bigType int64
 
-	var fmtmsg *FormatMsg
-	fmtmsg = new(FormatMsg)
+	// var fmtmsg *FormatMsg
+	// fmtmsg = new(FormatMsg)
 
-	var inMessage bool
-	var allLinesIter iter.Seq[string]
-	allLinesIter = makeLineIter(data)
-	// gets the max vartype and varname
-	for line := range allLinesIter {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "message ") {
-			inMessage = true
-			continue
-		}
-
-		// find the end of the message
-		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "}") {
-			inMessage = false
-			setMaxSizes(fmtmsg)
-			if bigName < fmtmsg.MaxVarname {
-				bigName = fmtmsg.MaxVarname
+	/*
+		var allLinesIter iter.Seq[string]
+		allLinesIter = makeLineIter(data)
+		// gets the max vartype and varname
+		for line := range allLinesIter {
+			if strings.HasPrefix(line, "message ") {
+				inMessage = true
+				continue
 			}
-			if bigType < fmtmsg.MaxVartype {
-				bigType = fmtmsg.MaxVartype
-			}
-			fmtmsg = new(FormatMsg)
-			continue
-		}
 
-		// don't format or change anything when not in a "message {" section
-		if !inMessage {
-			continue
+			// find the end of the message
+			if strings.HasPrefix(line, "}") {
+				inMessage = false
+				setMaxSizes(fmtmsg)
+				if bigName < fmtmsg.MaxVarname {
+					bigName = fmtmsg.MaxVarname
+				}
+				if bigType < fmtmsg.MaxVartype {
+					bigType = fmtmsg.MaxVartype
+				}
+				fmtmsg = new(FormatMsg)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// don't format or change anything when not in a "message {" section
+			if !inMessage {
+				continue
+			}
 		}
+	*/
+
+	basemsg := doParse(strings.Split(string(data), "\n"))
+
+	for _, newline := range basemsg.format() {
+		newfile += fmt.Sprintln(newline)
 	}
 
+	return saveFile(filename, newfile)
+}
+
+func doParse(lines []string) *FormatMsg {
+	var comments string
+	var inMessage bool
+
 	var basemsg *FormatMsg
 	basemsg = new(FormatMsg)
-	basemsg.MaxVarname = bigName
-	basemsg.MaxVartype = bigType
 	inMessage = false
 
-	var comments string
-
 	// write out the messages
-	allTheLines = newLinesScanner(strings.Split(string(data), "\n"))
+	allTheLines = newLinesScanner(lines)
 	for allTheLines.Scan() {
 		line := allTheLines.NextRaw()
 
 		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "oneof ") {
 			newmsg := basemsg.newOneofMessage(line)
 			newmsg.Notes = strings.Split(comments, "\n")
+			comments = ""
 			newmsg.load()
 			inMessage = true
 			continue
@@ -136,6 +147,7 @@ func protoReformat(filename string) error {
 		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "enum ") {
 			newmsg := basemsg.newEnumMessage(line)
 			newmsg.Notes = strings.Split(comments, "\n")
+			comments = ""
 			newmsg.load()
 			inMessage = true
 			continue
@@ -146,6 +158,7 @@ func protoReformat(filename string) error {
 
 			newmsg := basemsg.newStdMessage(line)
 			newmsg.Notes = strings.Split(comments, "\n")
+			comments = ""
 			newmsg.load()
 			inMessage = true
 			continue
@@ -158,11 +171,7 @@ func protoReformat(filename string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	for _, newline := range basemsg.format() {
-		newfile += fmt.Sprintln(newline)
-	}
-
-	return saveFile(filename, newfile)
+	return basemsg
 }
 
 func saveFile(filename string, data string) error {
@@ -296,6 +305,7 @@ func makeLineIter(data []byte) iter.Seq[string] {
 	}
 }
 
+/*
 // func loadEnumDefinition(newMsg *EnumMessage) *EnumMessage {
 func (newMsg *EnumMessage) load() {
 	curPB := newMsg.msgPB
@@ -308,6 +318,7 @@ func (newMsg *EnumMessage) load() {
 		curPB.Lines = append(curPB.Lines, line)
 	}
 }
+*/
 
 // find the max length of varname and vartype
 func setMaxSizes(curmsg *FormatMsg) {
@@ -361,14 +372,45 @@ func formatEnum(curmsg *FormatMsg) []string {
 	return newmsg
 }
 
-func (msg *FormatMsg) format() []string {
-	switch msg.Type {
-	case FormatMsg_ENUM:
-		return formatEnum(msg)
-	case FormatMsg_MESSAGE:
-		return formatMessage(msg)
+func (all *FormatMsg) format() []string {
+	var bigType int64
+	var bigName int64
+
+	// find the biggest var names and var types
+	for _, msg := range all.Msgs {
+		switch msg.Type {
+		case FormatMsg_ENUM:
+		case FormatMsg_MESSAGE:
+			// find the max length of varname and vartype
+			setMaxSizes(msg)
+			if bigType < msg.MaxVartype {
+				bigType = msg.MaxVartype
+			}
+			if bigName < msg.MaxVarname {
+				bigName = msg.MaxVarname
+			}
+		default:
+		}
 	}
-	return formatMessage(msg)
+
+	// set this size in each message
+	for _, msg := range all.Msgs {
+		switch msg.Type {
+		case FormatMsg_ENUM:
+		case FormatMsg_MESSAGE:
+			msg.MaxVartype = bigType
+			msg.MaxVarname = bigName
+		default:
+		}
+	}
+
+	switch all.Type {
+	case FormatMsg_ENUM:
+		return formatEnum(all)
+	case FormatMsg_MESSAGE:
+		return formatMessage(all)
+	}
+	return formatMessage(all)
 }
 
 func formatMessage(curmsg *FormatMsg) []string {
@@ -400,9 +442,6 @@ func formatMessage(curmsg *FormatMsg) []string {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// find the max length of varname and vartype
-	setMaxSizes(curmsg)
-
 	for _, msg := range curmsg.Msgs {
 		switch msg.Type {
 		case FormatMsg_ENUM:
@@ -411,7 +450,7 @@ func formatMessage(curmsg *FormatMsg) []string {
 				newmsg = append(newmsg, line)
 			}
 		case FormatMsg_MESSAGE:
-			for _, line := range formatMessage(msg) {
+			for _, line := range msg.format() {
 				line = fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", curmsg.pad(), line)
 				newmsg = append(newmsg, line)
 			}
@@ -445,7 +484,11 @@ func formatMessage(curmsg *FormatMsg) []string {
 		newline = strings.TrimRight(newline, " ")
 		newmsg = append(newmsg, newline)
 	}
-	newmsg = append(newmsg, curmsg.Footer) // +" //footer")
+	if curmsg.Footer == "" {
+		newmsg = append(newmsg, "// footer was empty")
+	} else {
+		newmsg = append(newmsg, curmsg.Footer) // +" //footer")
+	}
 	return newmsg
 }