diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d9c58a9fed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+
+version: 2.1
+jobs:
+  build-test:
+    docker:
+      - image: cimg/base:current
+    steps:
+      # Checkout the code as the first step.
+      - checkout
+      - run:
+          name: InstallPreq
+          command: | 
+            echo "Installing clang-tidy"
+            sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y clang-tidy
+            echo "Installed"
+      - run:
+          name: Build
+          command: | 
+            echo "Building"
+            mkdir build && cd build
+            cmake -S ..
+            make -j $(nproc)
+            cd ../
+            echo "Built"
+      - run:
+          name: ninjaTest
+          command: | 
+            cd build
+            ./ninja_test --gtest_output=XML
+            echo "Testing Done"
+      - store_test_results:
+              path: build
+      - run:
+          name: ctest
+          command: | 
+            echo "Start Testing"
+            cd build
+            ctest --output-junit results.xml
+            echo "Testing Done"
+      - store_test_results:
+              path: build/results.xml
+      - run:
+          name: Run Performance Tests
+          command: |
+            cd build
+            for test in build_log_perftest canon_perftest clparser_perftest elide_middle_perftest hash_collision_bench; do
+              echo "Running $test"
+              ./$test
+            done
+      - run: 
+          name: Run Compile .o and .so Tests
+          command: |
+            check_success() {
+              if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+                echo "$1"
+              else
+                echo "$1"
+                exit 1
+              fi
+            }
+
+            cd src/shadowdash
+
+            g++ -w -std=c++17 -fPIC -c manifest.cc  manifest.h
+            check_success ".o compiled successfully"
+
+            g++ -w -shared -o manifest.so manifest.o
+            check_success ".so compiled successfully"
+
+            cd ../..
+
+
+workflows:
+  build-test-workflow: 
+    jobs:
+      - build-test
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ca36ec8810..5e6932bbad 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -47,3 +47,10 @@
 # Visual Studio files
 /.vs/
 /out/
+
+commands.md
+
+# New Language files
+src/shadowdash/manifest.o
+src/shadowdash/manifest.so
+src/shadowdash/manifest.h.gch
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/shadowdash/manifest.cc b/src/shadowdash/manifest.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8d39c75cfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shadowdash/manifest.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+#include "manifest.h"
+
+using namespace shadowdash;
+
+BuildsReturn manifest() {
+    // example of defining a variable named "flags"
+    // the value "-03" is a literal token
+    let(flags, "-O3");      // original language: flags = -03
+    let(pool_depth, "4");   // original language: pool_depth = 4
+    // variable examples
+
+    // examples of creating pool objects:
+    auto heavy_object_pool = pool_(bind(depth, "pool_depth"_v));
+    // passing the argument via macro
+    auto heavy_object_pool2 = pool_(binding("depth", {"pool_depth"_v}));       
+    // passing the argument via creating a binding object
+    /*
+    in original language:
+    pool heavy_object_pool:
+        depth = pool_depth
+    */
+    // pool examples
+
+    // examples of creating rules in the new language
+    make_rule(compile, 
+        bind(command, "g++", "flags"_v, "-c", in, "-o", out),  
+        bind(pool, "heavy_object_pool"_v)
+    );
+    /*
+    in original language:
+    rule compile:
+        command = gcc $flags -c $in -o $out
+        pool = heavy_object_pool
+    */
+
+    make_rule(link,
+        bind(command, "g++", in, "-o", out)
+    );
+    // rule examples
+
+    // examples of creating builds in the new language:
+    auto build_c = build(list{ str{ "hello.o" } }, 
+        {},
+        compile,
+        list{ str{ "hello.cc" } },
+        {},
+        {},
+        { bind(flags, "-O2"), 
+        bind(pool, "console"_v) }
+    );
+    /*
+    in original language:
+    build hello.o : compile hello.cc
+        flags = -02
+        pool = console
+    */
+
+    auto build_l = build(list{ str{ "hello" } },
+        {},
+        link,
+        list{ str{ "hello.o" } },
+        {},
+        {},
+        {}
+    );
+
+    auto build_p = build(list{ str{ "dummy" } },
+        {},
+        phony,
+        {},
+        {},
+        {},
+        {}
+    );
+    // build examples
+
+    // examples of adding defaults in new language
+    default_(str{ "hello" });
+    default_(list{ str{ "foo1" }, str{ "foo2" } });
+    /*
+    in original language:
+    default hello
+    default foo1 foo2
+    */
+    // default examples
+    return {build_c, build_l, build_p}; // returns all the builds
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/shadowdash/manifest.h b/src/shadowdash/manifest.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..315fb88539
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shadowdash/manifest.h
@@ -0,0 +1,243 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <initializer_list>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace shadowdash {
+
+// The atom "string" object in the new language with type identifying whether  
+// a string object is a "Literal" or a "Variable"
+class Token {
+public:
+  enum Type {LITERAL, VAR}; 
+  // Token type: LITERAL (constant) or VAR (variable).
+
+  // Constructor for a Token with a specified type and value.
+  constexpr Token(Type type, std::string_view value) : 
+    type_(type), value_(value) {}
+
+  // Constructor for a Token defaulting to LITERAL type.
+  constexpr Token(std::string_view value) : Token(Token::LITERAL, value) {}
+
+  // Constructor for a Token from a C-style string, defaulting to LITERAL.
+  constexpr Token(const char* value) : Token(Token::LITERAL, value) {}
+
+  Type type_;                  // The type of the token.
+  std::string_view value_;     // The value of the token (string content).
+};
+
+// User-defined literal to create a LITERAL token.
+constexpr Token operator"" _l(const char* value, std::size_t len) {
+  return Token(Token::Type::LITERAL, { value, len });
+}
+
+// User-defined literal to create a VAR token.
+constexpr Token operator"" _v(const char* value, std::size_t len) {
+  return Token(Token::Type::VAR, { value, len });
+}
+
+// Represents a string as a collection of tokens.
+class str {
+public:
+  // Constructor accepting an initializer list of tokens.
+  str(std::initializer_list<Token> tokens) : tokens_(tokens) {}
+
+  // Returns the number of tokens in the string.
+  constexpr size_t size() const { return tokens_.size(); }
+
+  // Access a specific token by index.
+  constexpr const Token& operator[](size_t i) const 
+  { return *(tokens_.begin() + i); }
+
+  std::initializer_list<Token> tokens_; 
+  // The list of tokens forming the string.
+};
+
+// Alias for a name-value binding, where the value is a `str`.
+// typically used when passing in arguments for rules, builds, etc.
+// example: depth = 4 -> binding("depth", {"4"}) in binding language
+using binding = std::pair<std::string, str>;
+
+// map: alias for an initializaiton_list of bindings
+// represents a list of all the arguments
+using map = std::initializer_list<binding>;
+
+// Represents a list of `str` objects.
+class list {
+public:
+  // Constructor accepting an initializer list of `str` objects.
+  list(std::initializer_list<str> values) : values_(values) {}
+
+  // Returns the size of the list.
+  constexpr size_t size() const { return values_.size(); }
+
+  // Access a specific `str` by index.
+  constexpr const str& operator[](size_t i) const 
+  { return *(values_.begin() + i); }
+
+  std::initializer_list<str> values_; // The list of strings.
+};
+
+// Ninja variables with attributes of name and value
+class var {
+public:
+  const char* name_;
+  str value_;
+
+  var(const char* name, str value) : name_(name), value_(value) {}
+};
+
+// Ninja rule object
+class rule {
+public:
+  // Constructor with a name and bindings.
+  constexpr rule(std::string_view name, map bindings) : 
+    name(name), bindings_(bindings) {}
+
+  // Constructor with only a name.
+  constexpr rule(std::string_view name) : name(name) {}
+
+  // Get the name of the rule.
+  constexpr std::string_view get_rule_name() const { return name; }
+
+  // Returns the number of bindings in the rule.
+  constexpr size_t size() const { return bindings_.size(); }
+
+  // Access a specific binding by index.
+  constexpr const binding& operator[](size_t i) const 
+    { return *(bindings_.begin() + i); }
+
+  std::string_view name; // Name of the rule.
+  map bindings_;
+  // 
+  /*
+  bindings_: {
+    (type binding, {op1, {args}}),
+    (type binding, {op2, {args}}),
+    ...
+  }
+  records operations that will be executed within this rule
+  as well as arguments required for each operation in list 
+  of tokens
+  */
+  // 
+};
+
+// Exception class for invalid pool arguments.
+class PoolException : public std::exception {
+public:
+  // Error message for invalid pool arguments.
+  const char* what() const noexcept override {
+    return "Pool has argument that is not depth!";
+  }
+};
+
+// Represents a pool with a depth binding.
+class pool_ {
+public:
+  // Constructor that validates the binding is for "depth".
+  pool_(binding depth) : depth_(depth) {
+    if (depth.first != "depth") throw PoolException();
+  // throw an excpetion when pool_ objects received arguments other than depth
+  }
+
+  // Get the depth binding.
+  constexpr const binding& get_depth() const { return depth_; }
+
+  binding depth_; // The depth argument of pool.
+};
+
+// Represents a build configuration with inputs, outputs, and rules.
+class build {
+public:
+  build(
+      list outputs,              // List of output files.
+      list implicit_outputs,     // Implicit output files.
+      rule& rule,                // Associated build rule.
+      list inputs,               // List of input files.
+      list implicit_inputs,      // Implicit input files.
+      list order_only_inputs,    // Order-only dependencies.
+      map bindings               // Additional arguments.
+  ) : outputs_(outputs),
+      implicit_outputs_(implicit_outputs),
+      rule_(rule),
+      inputs_(inputs),
+      implicit_inputs_(implicit_inputs),
+      order_only_inputs_(order_only_inputs),
+      bindings_(bindings) {}
+
+  list outputs_;              // Outputs of the build.
+  list implicit_outputs_;     // Implicit outputs.
+  rule& rule_;                // Associated rule.
+  list inputs_;               // Inputs of the build.
+  list implicit_inputs_;      // Implicit inputs.
+  list order_only_inputs_;    // Order-only dependencies.
+  map bindings_;              // Additional arguments.
+};
+
+// Represents a collection of builds returned by a manifest.
+struct BuildsReturn {
+  // Constructor accepting a list of builds.
+  BuildsReturn(std::initializer_list<build> builds) : builds(builds) {}
+
+  // Returns the number of builds.
+  constexpr size_t size() const { return builds.size(); }
+
+  // Access a specific build by index.
+  constexpr const build& operator[](size_t i) const 
+  { return *(builds.begin() + i); }
+
+  std::initializer_list<build> builds; // List of builds.
+};
+
+// Represents default build targets.
+class default_ {
+public:
+  // Add a list of targets to the defaults.
+  default_(list addedList) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < addedList.size(); i++) 
+      targets_.push_back(addedList[i]);
+  }
+
+  // Add a single target to the defaults.
+  default_(str addedTarget) {
+    targets_.push_back(addedTarget);
+  }
+
+  static std::vector<str> targets_; // List of default targets.
+};
+
+std::vector<str> default_::targets_; // Definition of static targets list.
+
+// Predefined constants for common variables.
+static constexpr auto in = "in"_v;        // Input variable, used in rules
+static constexpr auto out = "out"_v;      // Output variable, used in rules
+static auto phony = rule{{}};             // Default phony rule.
+static auto console = pool_(binding("depth", str{ {"1"} })); 
+// Default console pool.
+
+} // namespace shadowdash
+
+// Macro to define a variable with a name and value(s).
+#define let(name, ...) \
+  var name {           \
+    #name, str {       \
+      __VA_ARGS__      \
+    }                  \
+  }
+
+// Macro to create a binding with a name and value(s).
+#define bind(name, ...) \
+  {                     \
+    #name, str {        \
+      __VA_ARGS__       \
+    }                   \
+  }
+
+// Macro to define a rule with a name and bindings.
+#define make_rule(name, ...) \
+rule name {                  \
+  #name, {__VA_ARGS__}       \
+}
\ No newline at end of file