diff --git a/dropdown.go b/dropdown.go
index f426fc0..f14e54b 100644
--- a/dropdown.go
+++ b/dropdown.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 // screen debugging output I might be able to figure it
 // it out now. maybe. notsure.
 
+/*
 func makeDropdownView(ddItems string) *guiWidget {
 	newNode := addDropdown()
 	tk := newNode.TK.(*guiWidget)
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ func makeDropdownView(ddItems string) *guiWidget {
 	tk.Show()
 	return tk
 }
+*/
 
 func addDropdownTK(wId int) *guiWidget {
 	n := addDropdownNew(wId)
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) showDropdown() {
 	log.Log(GOCUI, "new dropdown items should be set to:", me.dropdown.items)
 
 	if me.dropdown.tk == nil {
-		me.dropdown.tk = addDropdownTK(-77)
+		me.dropdown.tk = addDropdownTK(me.dropdown.wId)
 	}
 	if me.dropdown.tk == nil {
 		log.Log(GOCUI, "showDropdown() IS BROKEN")
@@ -159,3 +161,22 @@ func dropdownUnclicked(w, h int) {
 	}
 	// log.Log(GOCUI, "dropdownUnclicked()", d.node.Strings(), "end. now try to enable me.dropdownV")
 }
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) showTextbox() {
+	// todo: fix this after switching to protobuf
+
+	if me.textbox.tk == nil {
+		me.textbox.tk = addDropdownTK(me.textbox.wId)
+	}
+	if me.textbox.tk == nil {
+		log.Log(GOCUI, "showDropdown() IS BROKEN")
+		return
+	}
+	startW, startH := tk.Position()
+	log.Log(GOCUI, "showDropdown() SHOWING AT W,H=", startW, startH)
+	me.textbox.tk.MoveToOffset(startW+3, startH+2)
+	me.textbox.tk.labelN = "holy cow"
+	me.textbox.tk.Show()
+	me.textbox.active = true
+	me.textbox.callerTK = tk
+}
diff --git a/eventMouseClick.go b/eventMouseClick.go
index 57c4580..ca361b7 100644
--- a/eventMouseClick.go
+++ b/eventMouseClick.go
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) doWidgetClick(w int, h int) {
 		tk.showDropdown()
 	case widget.Dropdown:
 		tk.showDropdown()
+	case widget.Textbox:
+		tk.showTextbox()
 	case widget.Flag:
 		tk.dropdownClicked(w, h)
 	default:
@@ -104,7 +106,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) doWidgetClick(w int, h int) {
 }
 
 // sends the mouse click to a widget underneath
-func click(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
+func clickOLD(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 	mouseW, mouseH := me.baseGui.MousePosition()
 
 	w := mouseW
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index 8439097..8bff631 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ func init() {
 	me.stdout.lastW = 30
 	me.stdout.lastH = 10
 
+	// just make up unique values for these
+	me.dropdown.wId = -77
+	me.textbox.wId = -55
+
 	// Set(&me, "dense")
 
 	me.myTree = tree.New()
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 186d228..e24ea21 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -28,14 +28,13 @@ var me config
 // it got me here, but now it's time to clean it up for good
 // I can't get a GO plugins that use protobuf to load yet (versioning mismatch)
 type config struct {
-	baseGui       *gocui.Gui     // the main gocui handle
-	treeRoot      *tree.Node     // the base of the binary tree. it should have id == 0
-	myTree        *tree.TreeInfo // ?
-	ctrlDown      *tree.Node     // shown if you click the mouse when the ctrl key is pressed
-	currentWindow *guiWidget     // this is the current tab or window to show
-	helpLabel     *gocui.View    // ?
-	showHelp      bool           // toggle boolean for the help menu (deprecate?)
-	// dropdownW        *guiWidget     // grab the dropdown choices from this widget
+	baseGui          *gocui.Gui      // the main gocui handle
+	treeRoot         *tree.Node      // the base of the binary tree. it should have id == 0
+	myTree           *tree.TreeInfo  // ?
+	ctrlDown         *tree.Node      // shown if you click the mouse when the ctrl key is pressed
+	currentWindow    *guiWidget      // this is the current tab or window to show
+	helpLabel        *gocui.View     // ?
+	showHelp         bool            // toggle boolean for the help menu (deprecate?)
 	FramePadW        int             `default:"1" dense:"0"` // When the widget has a frame, like a button, it adds 2 lines runes on each side
 	FramePadH        int             `default:"1" dense:"0"` // When the widget has a frame, like a button, it adds 2 lines runes on each side
 	PadW             int             `default:"1" dense:"0"` // pad spacing
@@ -67,6 +66,7 @@ type config struct {
 	stdout           stdout          // information for the STDOUT window
 	showDebug        bool            // todo: move this into config struct
 	dropdown         dropdown        // the dropdown menu
+	textbox          dropdown        // the textbox popup window
 	allwin           []*guiWidget    // for tracking which window is next
 	downW            int             // where the mouse was pressed down
 	downH            int             // where the mouse was pressed down
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ type dropdown struct {
 	h        int        // the height
 	active   bool       // is the dropdown menu currently in use?
 	init     bool       // moves the window offscreen on startup
+	wId      int        // the widget id to use
 	// dtoggle bool       // is a dropdown or combobox currently active?
 }