--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/numerics/text_display.py	Mon Mar 02 18:35:16 2015 -0800
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+"""
+text display
+"""
+
+# imports
+import argparse
+
+# module globals
+__all__ = ['main', 'frac', 'FracParser']
+
+block = ''
+
+
+def frac(*fractions, width=20, bar='│'):
+    """display fractions"""
+    raise NotImplementedError('TODO') # -> record TODO items
+
+
+class FracParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
+    """CLI option parser"""
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        kwargs.setdefault('formatter_class', argparse.RawTextHelpFormatter)
+        kwargs.setdefault('description', __doc__)
+        argparse.ArgumentParser.__init__(self, **kwargs)
+        self.add_argument('fraction', type=float, nargs='+'
+                          help="fractions to display")
+        self.add_argument('-w', '--width', dest='width',
+                          type=int, default=20,
+                          help="width to display [DEFAULT: %(default)s]")
+        self.options = None
+
+    def parse_args(self, *args, **kw):
+        options = argparse.ArgumentParser.parse_args(self, *args, **kw)
+        self.validate(options)
+        self.options = options
+        return options
+
+    def validate(self, options):
+        """validate options"""
+        if options.width < 1:
+            self.error("Width must be greater than zero (You gave: {})".format(options.width))
+
+def main(args=sys.argv[1:]):
+    """CLI"""
+
+    # parse command line options
+    parser = FracParser()
+    options = parser.parse_args(args)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
+
+