diff --git a/src/common/csv.c b/src/common/csv.c
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/csv.c
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2010 Nathan Phillip Brink
+ *
+ * This file is a part of DistRen.
+ *
+ * DistRen is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * DistRen is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with DistRen.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include "common/config.h"
+
+#include "common/csv.h"
+
+#include <list.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+/**
+ * \todo
+ *   replace with a more generic function for rendering a CSV file
+ */
+static int csv_print_row(size_t *columns, char *row[])
+{
+  size_t c;
+
+  for (c = 0; c < *columns; c ++)
+    {
+      printf("%s", row[c]);
+      if (c < *columns - 1)
+	printf(", ");
+    }
+  printf("\n");
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+csv_row_t csv_row_init(size_t columns)
+{
+  csv_row_t row;
+
+  row = malloc(sizeof(struct csv_row));
+  if (!row)
+    return NULL;
+
+  row->cols = malloc(sizeof(char *) * columns);
+  if (!row->cols)
+    {
+      free(row);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+  row->num_cols = columns;
+
+  return row;
+}
+
+void csv_row_free(csv_row_t row)
+{
+  size_t c;
+
+  for (c = 0; c < row->num_cols; c ++)
+    free(row->cols[c]);
+  free(row);
+}
+
+list_t csv_parse(const char *inbuf, size_t columns)
+{
+  list_t rows;
+  size_t seek;
+  const char newline = '\n';
+  csv_row_t row;
+
+  size_t cur_col;
+
+  rows = list_init();
+  while(*inbuf)
+    {
+      row = csv_row_init(columns);
+      if (!row)
+	{
+	  list_free(rows, (list_dealloc_func_t)&csv_row_free);
+	  return NULL;
+	}
+
+      for(cur_col = 0; cur_col < columns; cur_col ++)
+	{
+	  for(seek = 0; inbuf[seek]; seek ++)
+	    if (inbuf[seek] == newline
+		|| inbuf[seek] == ',')
+	      break;
+	  row->cols[cur_col] = malloc(seek + 1);
+	  if (seek)
+	    memcpy(row->cols[cur_col], inbuf, seek);
+	  row->cols[cur_col][seek] = '\0';
+
+	  /* get us to the ',' (or NULL or newline char, if things are bad) */
+	  inbuf += seek;
+	  /* skip a comma, but not a NULL char or newline */
+	  if (*inbuf == ',')
+	    inbuf ++;
+	}
+
+      list_insert_after(rows, row, 0);
+
+      /* skip the newline char */
+      while (*inbuf && *inbuf != newline)
+	inbuf ++;
+      if (*inbuf == newline)
+	inbuf ++;
+    }
+
+  return rows;
+}