diff --git a/samples/parse_check.c b/samples/parse_check.c
index b342992..da00371 100644
--- a/samples/parse_check.c
+++ b/samples/parse_check.c
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ int main(int argument_count, char **arguments)
     {
         for(MD_EachNode(node, root->first_child))
         {
-            MD_DebugOutputTree(stdout, node, 0);
+            MD_String8List strs = MD_DebugStringListFromNode(arena, node, 0, MD_S8Lit(" "), MD_GenerateFlags_Tree);
+            MD_String8 str = MD_S8ListJoin(arena, &strs, 0);
+            fprintf(stdout, "%.*s\n", MD_S8VArg(str));
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/source/md.c b/source/md.c
index 9a998b3..80d895d 100644
--- a/source/md.c
+++ b/source/md.c
@@ -1308,6 +1308,34 @@ MD_PathChopLastSlash(MD_String8 string)
     return string;
 }
 
+MD_FUNCTION_IMPL MD_String8
+MD_S8SkipWhitespace(MD_String8 string)
+{
+    for(MD_u64 i = 0; i < string.size; i += 1)
+    {
+        if(!MD_CharIsSpace(string.str[i]))
+        {
+            string = MD_S8Skip(string, i);
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    return string;
+}
+
+MD_FUNCTION_IMPL MD_String8
+MD_S8ChopWhitespace(MD_String8 string)
+{
+    for(MD_u64 i = string.size-1; i < string.size; i -= 1)
+    {
+        if(!MD_CharIsSpace(string.str[i]))
+        {
+            string = MD_S8Prefix(string, i+1);
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    return string;
+}
+
 //~ Numeric Strings
 
 MD_FUNCTION_IMPL MD_u64
@@ -2879,62 +2907,388 @@ MD_NodeDeepMatch(MD_Node *a, MD_Node *b, MD_MatchFlags flags)
     return result;
 }
 
-//~ Generation
+//~ String Generation
 
-MD_FUNCTION_IMPL void
-MD_DebugOutputTree(FILE *file, MD_Node *node, int indent_spaces)
+MD_FUNCTION_IMPL MD_String8List
+MD_DebugStringListFromNode(MD_Arena *arena, MD_Node *node, int indent, MD_String8 indent_string, MD_GenerateFlags flags)
 {
-#define MD_PrintIndent() do { for(int i = 0; i < indent_spaces; i += 1) fprintf(file, " "); } while(0)
-    for(MD_Node *tag = node->first_tag; !MD_NodeIsNil(tag); tag = tag->next)
+    MD_String8List list = {0};
+#define MD_PrintIndent(_indent_level) do\
+{\
+for(int i = 0; i < (_indent_level); i += 1)\
+{\
+MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, indent_string);\
+}\
+}while(0)
+    
+    //- rjf: prev-comment
+    // TODO(rjf): @node_comments
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_Comments && node->prev_comment.size != 0)
     {
-        MD_PrintIndent();
-        fprintf(file, "@%.*s", MD_S8VArg(tag->string));
-        if(!MD_NodeIsNil(tag->first_child))
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("/*\n"));
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, node->prev_comment);
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("*/\n"));
+    }
+    
+    //- rjf: tags of node
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_Tags)
+    {
+        for(MD_EachNode(tag, node->first_tag))
         {
-            fprintf(file, "(");
-            for(MD_Node *child = tag->first_child; !MD_NodeIsNil(child); child = child->next)
+            MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("@"));
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, tag->string);
+            if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_TagArguments && !MD_NodeIsNil(tag->first_child))
             {
-                MD_DebugOutputTree(file, child, 0);
-                fprintf(file, ", ");
+                int tag_arg_indent = indent + 1 + tag->string.size + 1;
+                MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("("));
+                for(MD_EachNode(child, tag->first_child))
+                {
+                    int child_indent = tag_arg_indent;
+                    if(MD_NodeIsNil(child->prev))
+                    {
+                        child_indent = 0;
+                    }
+                    MD_String8List child_strings = MD_DebugStringListFromNode(arena, child, child_indent, MD_S8Lit(" "), flags);
+                    MD_S8ListConcat(&list, &child_strings);
+                    if(!MD_NodeIsNil(child->next))
+                    {
+                        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit(",\n"));
+                    }
+                }
+                MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit(")\n"));
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
             }
-            fprintf(file, ")\n");
         }
-        else if(!MD_NodeIsNil(tag->next))
-        {
-            fprintf(file, " ");
-        }
-    }
-    if(!MD_NodeIsNil(node->first_tag))
-    {
-        fprintf(file, "\n");
     }
     
-    if(node->raw_string.size > 0)
+    //- rjf: node kind
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_NodeKind)
     {
-        MD_PrintIndent();
-        fprintf(file, "%.*s", MD_S8VArg(node->raw_string));
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("// kind: \""));
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_StringFromNodeKind(node->kind));
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\"\n"));
     }
     
-    if(!MD_NodeIsNil(node->first_child))
+    //- rjf: node flags
+    // TODO(rjf): @node_comments
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_NodeFlags)
     {
-        if(node->raw_string.size > 0)
-        {
-            fprintf(file, ":\n");
-        }
-        MD_PrintIndent();
-        fprintf(file, "{\n");
-        for(MD_Node *child = node->first_child; !MD_NodeIsNil(child); child = child->next)
-        {
-            MD_DebugOutputTree(file, child, indent_spaces+2);
-        }
-        MD_PrintIndent();
-        fprintf(file, "}\n");
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_ArenaTemp scratch = MD_GetScratch(&arena, 1);
+        MD_String8List flag_strs = MD_StringListFromNodeFlags(scratch.arena, node->flags);
+        MD_StringJoin join = { MD_S8Lit(""), MD_S8Lit("|"), MD_S8Lit("") };
+        MD_String8 flag_str = MD_S8ListJoin(arena, flag_strs, &join);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("// flags: \""));
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, flag_str);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\"\n"));
+        MD_ReleaseScratch(scratch);
     }
-    else
+    
+    //- rjf: node string hash
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_StringHash)
     {
-        fprintf(file, "\n");
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Fmt(arena, "// string hash: 0x%llx\n", node->string_hash));
     }
+    
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_Location)
+    {
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_CodeLoc loc = MD_CodeLocFromNode(node);
+        MD_String8 string = MD_S8Fmt(arena, "// location: %.*s:%i:%i\n", MD_S8VArg(loc.filename), (int)loc.line, (int)loc.column);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, string);
+    }
+    
+    //- rjf: name of node
+    if(node->string.size != 0)
+    {
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        if(node->kind == MD_NodeKind_File)
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("`"));
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, node->string);
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("`"));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, node->raw_string);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    //- rjf: children list
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_Children && !MD_NodeIsNil(node->first_child))
+    {
+        if(node->string.size != 0)
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit(":\n"));
+        }
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("{\n"));
+        for(MD_EachNode(child, node->first_child))
+        {
+            MD_String8List child_strings = MD_DebugStringListFromNode(arena, child, indent+1, indent_string, flags);
+            MD_S8ListConcat(&list, &child_strings);
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit(",\n"));
+        }
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("}"));
+    }
+    
+    //- rjf: next-comment
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_Comments && node->next_comment.size != 0)
+    {
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n/*\n"));
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, node->next_comment);
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("*/\n"));
+    }
+    
 #undef MD_PrintIndent
+    return list;
+}
+
+MD_FUNCTION_IMPL MD_String8List
+MD_ReconstructedStringListFromNode(MD_Arena *arena, MD_Node *node, int indent, MD_String8 indent_string, MD_GenerateFlags flags)
+{
+    // TODO(rjf): // TODO(rjf): // TODO(rjf): 
+    // TODO(rjf): // TODO(rjf): // TODO(rjf): 
+    // TODO(rjf): cleanup pass
+    // TODO(rjf): // TODO(rjf): // TODO(rjf): 
+    // TODO(rjf): // TODO(rjf): // TODO(rjf): 
+    
+    MD_CodeLoc node_loc = MD_CodeLocFromNode(node);
+    
+    MD_String8List list = {0};
+#define MD_PrintIndent(_indent_level) do\
+{\
+for(int i = 0; i < (_indent_level); i += 1)\
+{\
+MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, indent_string);\
+}\
+}while(0)
+    
+    //- rjf: prev-comment
+    // TODO(rjf): @node_comments
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_Comments && node->prev_comment.size != 0)
+    {
+        MD_String8 comment = MD_S8SkipWhitespace(MD_S8ChopWhitespace(node->prev_comment));
+        MD_b32 requires_multiline = MD_S8FindSubstring(comment, MD_S8Lit("\n"), 0, 0) < comment.size;
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        if(requires_multiline)
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("/*\n"));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("// "));
+        }
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, comment);
+        if(requires_multiline)
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n*/\n"));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
+        }
+    }
+    
+    //- rjf: tags of node
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_Tags)
+    {
+        for(MD_EachNode(tag, node->first_tag))
+        {
+            MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("@"));
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, tag->string);
+            if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_TagArguments && !MD_NodeIsNil(tag->first_child))
+            {
+                int tag_arg_indent = indent + 1 + tag->string.size + 1;
+                MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("("));
+                MD_u32 last_line = MD_CodeLocFromNode(tag).line;
+                for(MD_EachNode(child, tag->first_child))
+                {
+                    MD_CodeLoc child_loc = MD_CodeLocFromNode(child);
+                    if(child_loc.line != last_line)
+                    {
+                        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
+                        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+                    }
+                    last_line = child_loc.line;
+                    
+                    int child_indent = tag_arg_indent;
+                    if(MD_NodeIsNil(child->prev))
+                    {
+                        child_indent = 0;
+                    }
+                    MD_String8List child_strings = MD_ReconstructedStringListFromNode(arena, child, child_indent, MD_S8Lit(" "), flags);
+                    MD_S8ListConcat(&list, &child_strings);
+                    if(!MD_NodeIsNil(child->next))
+                    {
+                        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit(",\n"));
+                    }
+                }
+                MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit(")\n"));
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    
+    //- rjf: name of node
+    if(node->string.size != 0)
+    {
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        if(node->kind == MD_NodeKind_File)
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("`"));
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, node->string);
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("`"));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, node->raw_string);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    //- rjf: children list
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_Children && !MD_NodeIsNil(node->first_child))
+    {
+        if(node->string.size != 0)
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit(":"));
+        }
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        
+        // rjf: figure out opener/closer symbols
+        MD_u8 opener_char = 0;
+        MD_u8 closer_char = 0;
+        if(node->flags & MD_NodeFlag_HasParenLeft)
+        {
+            opener_char = '(';
+        }
+        else if(node->flags & MD_NodeFlag_HasBracketLeft)
+        {
+            opener_char = '[';
+        }
+        else if(node->flags & MD_NodeFlag_HasBraceLeft)
+        {
+            opener_char = '{';
+        }
+        if(node->flags & MD_NodeFlag_HasParenRight)
+        {
+            closer_char = ')';
+        }
+        else if(node->flags & MD_NodeFlag_HasBracketRight)
+        {
+            closer_char = ']';
+        }
+        else if(node->flags & MD_NodeFlag_HasBraceRight)
+        {
+            closer_char = '}';
+        }
+        
+        MD_b32 multiline = 0;
+        for(MD_EachNode(child, node->first_child))
+        {
+            MD_CodeLoc child_loc = MD_CodeLocFromNode(child);
+            if(child_loc.line != node_loc.line)
+            {
+                multiline = 1;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        
+        if(opener_char != 0)
+        {
+            if(multiline)
+            {
+                MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
+                MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+            }
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8(&opener_char, 1));
+        }
+        MD_u32 last_line = node_loc.line;
+        for(MD_EachNode(child, node->first_child))
+        {
+            int child_indent = 0;
+            MD_CodeLoc child_loc = MD_CodeLocFromNode(child);
+            if(child_loc.line != last_line)
+            {
+                MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
+                MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+                child_indent = indent+1;
+            }
+            last_line = child_loc.line;
+            MD_String8List child_strings = MD_ReconstructedStringListFromNode(arena, child, child_indent, indent_string, flags);
+            MD_S8ListConcat(&list, &child_strings);
+        }
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        if(closer_char != 0)
+        {
+            if(last_line != node_loc.line)
+            {
+                MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
+                MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+            }
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8(&closer_char, 1));
+        }
+    }
+    
+    //- rjf: trailing separator symbols
+    if(node->flags & MD_NodeFlag_IsBeforeSemicolon)
+    {
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit(";"));
+    }
+    else if(node->flags & MD_NodeFlag_IsBeforeComma)
+    {
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit(","));
+    }
+    
+    //- rjf: next-comment
+    // TODO(rjf): @node_comments
+    if(flags & MD_GenerateFlag_Comments && node->next_comment.size != 0)
+    {
+        MD_String8 comment = MD_S8SkipWhitespace(MD_S8ChopWhitespace(node->next_comment));
+        MD_b32 requires_multiline = MD_S8FindSubstring(comment, MD_S8Lit("\n"), 0, 0) < comment.size;
+        MD_PrintIndent(indent);
+        if(requires_multiline)
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("/*\n"));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("// "));
+        }
+        MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, comment);
+        if(requires_multiline)
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n*/\n"));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            MD_S8ListPush(arena, &list, MD_S8Lit("\n"));
+        }
+    }
+    
+#undef MD_PrintIndent
+    return list;
 }
 
 //~ Command Line Argument Helper
diff --git a/source/md.h b/source/md.h
index 70c2788..5386f7b 100644
--- a/source/md.h
+++ b/source/md.h
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@
 **
 */
 
+// TODO(rjf): implicitly-delimited sets are not having their separator flags
+// appropriately set
+
 //~ Set default values for controls
 #if !defined(MD_DEFAULT_FILE_ITER)
 # define MD_DEFAULT_FILE_ITER 1
@@ -505,6 +508,9 @@ struct MD_Node
     MD_u64 string_hash;
     
     // Comments.
+    // TODO(rjf): @node_comments these are pretty under-powered... should they
+    // just be nodes, maybe? Would that allow for some cool stuff, like comment
+    // hierarchies?
     MD_String8 prev_comment;
     MD_String8 next_comment;
     
@@ -651,6 +657,26 @@ struct MD_ParseResult
     MD_MessageList errors;
 };
 
+//~ String Generation Types
+
+typedef MD_u32 MD_GenerateFlags;
+enum
+{
+    MD_GenerateFlag_Tags         = (1<<0),
+    MD_GenerateFlag_TagArguments = (1<<1),
+    MD_GenerateFlag_Children     = (1<<2),
+    MD_GenerateFlag_Comments     = (1<<3),
+    MD_GenerateFlag_NodeKind     = (1<<4),
+    MD_GenerateFlag_NodeFlags    = (1<<5),
+    MD_GenerateFlag_StringHash   = (1<<6),
+    MD_GenerateFlag_Location     = (1<<7),
+    
+    MD_GenerateFlags_Tree = (MD_GenerateFlag_Tags |
+                             MD_GenerateFlag_TagArguments |
+                             MD_GenerateFlag_Children),
+    MD_GenerateFlags_All  = 0xffffffff,
+};
+
 //~ Command line parsing helper types.
 
 typedef struct MD_CmdLineOption MD_CmdLineOption;
@@ -846,7 +872,7 @@ MD_FUNCTION MD_String16    MD_S16FromS8(MD_Arena *arena, MD_String8 str);
 MD_FUNCTION MD_String8     MD_S8FromS32(MD_Arena *arena, MD_String32 str);
 MD_FUNCTION MD_String32    MD_S32FromS8(MD_Arena *arena, MD_String8 str);
 
-//~ File Name Strings
+//~ String Skipping/Chopping Helpers
 
 // This is intended for removing extensions.
 MD_FUNCTION MD_String8 MD_PathChopLastPeriod(MD_String8 string);
@@ -860,6 +886,9 @@ MD_FUNCTION MD_String8 MD_PathSkipLastPeriod(MD_String8 string);
 // This is intended for getting the folder string from a full path.
 MD_FUNCTION MD_String8 MD_PathChopLastSlash(MD_String8 string);
 
+MD_FUNCTION MD_String8 MD_S8SkipWhitespace(MD_String8 string);
+MD_FUNCTION MD_String8 MD_S8ChopWhitespace(MD_String8 string);
+
 //~ Numeric Strings
 
 MD_FUNCTION MD_u64     MD_U64FromString(MD_String8 string, MD_u32 radix);
@@ -962,9 +991,10 @@ MD_FUNCTION void MD_PrintNodeMessageFmt(FILE *out, MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind
 MD_FUNCTION MD_b32 MD_NodeMatch(MD_Node *a, MD_Node *b, MD_MatchFlags flags);
 MD_FUNCTION MD_b32 MD_NodeDeepMatch(MD_Node *a, MD_Node *b, MD_MatchFlags flags);
 
-//~ Generation
+//~ String Generation
 
-MD_FUNCTION void MD_DebugOutputTree(FILE *file, MD_Node *node, int indent_spaces);
+MD_FUNCTION MD_String8List MD_DebugStringListFromNode(MD_Arena *arena, MD_Node *node, int indent, MD_String8 indent_string, MD_GenerateFlags flags);
+MD_FUNCTION MD_String8List MD_ReconstructedStringListFromNode(MD_Arena *arena, MD_Node *node, int indent, MD_String8 indent_string, MD_GenerateFlags flags);
 
 //~ Command Line Argument Helper
 
diff --git a/tests/sanity_tests.c b/tests/sanity_tests.c
index 40b07f1..6534336 100644
--- a/tests/sanity_tests.c
+++ b/tests/sanity_tests.c
@@ -898,5 +898,33 @@ int main(void)
         }
     }
     
+    Test("Debug Strings")
+    {
+        {
+            MD_String8 code     = MD_S8Lit("@foo @bar @baz a: { b c d e f }");
+            MD_String8 expected = MD_S8Lit("@foo\n@bar\n@baz\na:\n{\n b,\n c,\n d,\n e,\n f,\n}");
+            MD_ParseResult parse = MD_ParseOneNode(arena, code, 0);
+            MD_String8List actual_strings = MD_DebugStringListFromNode(arena, parse.node, 0, MD_S8Lit(" "), MD_GenerateFlags_Tree);
+            MD_String8 actual = MD_S8ListJoin(arena, actual_strings, 0);
+            TestResult(MD_S8Match(expected, actual, 0));
+        }
+        {
+            MD_String8 code     = MD_S8Lit("@foo(1, 2, 3) a: { x y }");
+            MD_String8 expected = MD_S8Lit("@foo(1,\n     2,\n     3)\na:\n{\n x,\n y,\n}");
+            MD_ParseResult parse = MD_ParseOneNode(arena, code, 0);
+            MD_String8List actual_strings = MD_DebugStringListFromNode(arena, parse.node, 0, MD_S8Lit(" "), MD_GenerateFlags_Tree);
+            MD_String8 actual = MD_S8ListJoin(arena, actual_strings, 0);
+            TestResult(MD_S8Match(expected, actual, 0));
+        }
+        {
+            MD_String8 code     = MD_S8Lit("// foo\na");
+            MD_String8 expected = MD_S8Lit("/*\n foo\n*/\na");
+            MD_ParseResult parse = MD_ParseOneNode(arena, code, 0);
+            MD_String8List actual_strings = MD_DebugStringListFromNode(arena, parse.node, 0, MD_S8Lit(" "), MD_GenerateFlags_Tree|MD_GenerateFlag_Comments);
+            MD_String8 actual = MD_S8ListJoin(arena, actual_strings, 0);
+            TestResult(MD_S8Match(expected, actual, 0));
+        }
+    }
+    
     return 0;
 }