diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 9df35aa..45f7c0e 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/awesome-gocui/gocui"
 
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/guipb"
 	log "go.wit.com/log"
 	"go.wit.com/toolkits/tree"
 )
@@ -181,38 +182,39 @@ type colorT struct {
 }
 
 type guiWidget struct {
-	v            *gocui.View  // this is nil if the widget is not displayed
-	cuiName      string       // what gocui uses to reference the widget (usually "TK <widgetId>"
-	parent       *guiWidget   // mirrors the binary node tree
-	children     []*guiWidget // mirrors the binary node tree
-	node         *tree.Node   // the pointer back to the tree
-	windowFrame  *guiWidget   // this is the frame for a window widget
-	internal     bool         // indicates the widget is internal to gocui and should be treated differently
-	hasTabs      bool         // does the window have tabs?
-	currentTab   bool         // the visible tab
-	window       window       // holds information specific only to Window widgets
-	value        string       // ?
-	checked      bool         // ?
-	labelN       string       // the actual text to display in the console
-	vals         []string     // dropdown menu items
-	enable       bool         // ?
-	gocuiSize    rectType     // should mirror the real display size. todo: verify these are accurate. they are not yet
-	full         rectType     // full size of children (used by widget.Window, etc)
-	force        rectType     // force widget within these boundries (using this to debug window dragging)
-	startW       int          // ?
-	startH       int          // ?
-	lastW        int          // used during mouse dragging
-	lastH        int          // used during mouse dragging
-	isFake       bool         // widget types like 'box' are 'false'
-	widths       map[int]int  // how tall each row in the grid is
-	heights      map[int]int  // how wide each column in the grid is
-	tainted      bool         // ?
-	frame        bool         // ?
-	selectedTab  *tree.Node   // for a window, this is currently selected tab
-	color        *colorT      // what color to use
-	colorLast    colorT       // the last color the widget had
-	defaultColor *colorT      // the default colors // TODO: make a function for this instead
-	isBG         bool         // means this is the background widget. There is only one of these
+	v            *gocui.View   // this is nil if the widget is not displayed
+	cuiName      string        // what gocui uses to reference the widget (usually "TK <widgetId>"
+	parent       *guiWidget    // mirrors the binary node tree
+	children     []*guiWidget  // mirrors the binary node tree
+	node         *tree.Node    // the pointer back to the tree
+	pb           *guipb.Widget // the guipb Widget
+	windowFrame  *guiWidget    // this is the frame for a window widget
+	internal     bool          // indicates the widget is internal to gocui and should be treated differently
+	hasTabs      bool          // does the window have tabs?
+	currentTab   bool          // the visible tab
+	window       window        // holds information specific only to Window widgets
+	value        string        // ?
+	checked      bool          // ?
+	labelN       string        // the actual text to display in the console
+	vals         []string      // dropdown menu items
+	enable       bool          // ?
+	gocuiSize    rectType      // should mirror the real display size. todo: verify these are accurate. they are not yet
+	full         rectType      // full size of children (used by widget.Window, etc)
+	force        rectType      // force widget within these boundries (using this to debug window dragging)
+	startW       int           // ?
+	startH       int           // ?
+	lastW        int           // used during mouse dragging
+	lastH        int           // used during mouse dragging
+	isFake       bool          // widget types like 'box' are 'false'
+	widths       map[int]int   // how tall each row in the grid is
+	heights      map[int]int   // how wide each column in the grid is
+	tainted      bool          // ?
+	frame        bool          // ?
+	selectedTab  *tree.Node    // for a window, this is currently selected tab
+	color        *colorT       // what color to use
+	colorLast    colorT        // the last color the widget had
+	defaultColor *colorT       // the default colors // TODO: make a function for this instead
+	isBG         bool          // means this is the background widget. There is only one of these
 }
 
 // THIS IS GO COMPILER MAGIC