diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 547444e..a98bc7d 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "cogs_ast",
  "eyre",
+ "intern-arc",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -142,6 +143,10 @@ dependencies = [
  "tracing",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "cogs_runtime"
+version = "0.1.0"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "color-eyre"
 version = "0.6.3"
@@ -267,6 +272,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "similar",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "intern-arc"
+version = "0.6.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "328e5c9569f7aa3ee795c58e1e7da8875c1eb506fba10341e912d892e6d0a193"
+dependencies = [
+ "loom",
+ "once_cell",
+ "parking_lot",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "lazy_static"
 version = "1.5.0"
@@ -297,6 +313,16 @@ version = "0.4.14"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "78b3ae25bc7c8c38cec158d1f2757ee79e9b3740fbc7ccf0e59e4b08d793fa89"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "lock_api"
+version = "0.4.12"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "07af8b9cdd281b7915f413fa73f29ebd5d55d0d3f0155584dade1ff18cea1b17"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg",
+ "scopeguard",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "log"
 version = "0.4.22"
@@ -390,6 +416,9 @@ name = "once_cell"
 version = "1.20.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "1261fe7e33c73b354eab43b1273a57c8f967d0391e80353e51f764ac02cf6775"
+dependencies = [
+ "parking_lot_core",
+]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "overload"
@@ -403,6 +432,29 @@ version = "3.5.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "c1b04fb49957986fdce4d6ee7a65027d55d4b6d2265e5848bbb507b58ccfdb6f"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "parking_lot"
+version = "0.12.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f1bf18183cf54e8d6059647fc3063646a1801cf30896933ec2311622cc4b9a27"
+dependencies = [
+ "lock_api",
+ "parking_lot_core",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "parking_lot_core"
+version = "0.9.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "1e401f977ab385c9e4e3ab30627d6f26d00e2c73eef317493c4ec6d468726cf8"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "libc",
+ "redox_syscall",
+ "smallvec",
+ "windows-targets",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "pin-project-lite"
 version = "0.2.15"
@@ -501,6 +553,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "rand_core",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "redox_syscall"
+version = "0.5.7"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9b6dfecf2c74bce2466cabf93f6664d6998a69eb21e39f4207930065b27b771f"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "regex"
 version = "1.11.1"
@@ -588,6 +649,12 @@ version = "1.0.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "e1cf6437eb19a8f4a6cc0f7dca544973b0b78843adbfeb3683d1a94a0024a294"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "scopeguard"
+version = "1.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "94143f37725109f92c262ed2cf5e59bce7498c01bcc1502d7b9afe439a4e9f49"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "sharded-slab"
 version = "0.1.7"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index f04ed00..fee0d5e 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [workspace]
 members = [
-  "crates/ast",
+  "crates/ast", "crates/runtime",
   "crates/codegen",
   "crates/parser",
   "integrations/axum"
diff --git a/crates/codegen/Cargo.toml b/crates/codegen/Cargo.toml
index 647fcaf..797a395 100644
--- a/crates/codegen/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/codegen/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ edition = "2021"
 [dependencies]
 cogs_ast = { path = "../ast" }
 eyre.workspace = true
+intern-arc = "0.6.1"
diff --git a/crates/codegen/src/generate.rs b/crates/codegen/src/generate.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02f3255
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/codegen/src/generate.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+use super::*;
+
+pub struct Generator {
+    pub trees: Vec<Tree>,
+    pub intern_str: StrInterner,
+}
+
+macro_rules! push {
+    (@noquote $cx:expr, $fmt:expr, $($arg:expr),+$(,)?) => {{
+        $cx.format.push_str($fmt);
+        $cx.arguments.extend([$($arg),+]);
+    }};
+    ($cx:expr, $fmt:expr, $($arg:expr),+$(,)?) => {{
+        $cx.format.push_str($fmt);
+        $cx.arguments.extend([$(quoted(&$arg)),+]);
+    }};
+}
+
+struct AppendContext {
+    pre: String,
+    format: String,
+    arguments: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+impl AppendContext {
+    #[inline]
+    fn push(&mut self, format: &str) {
+        self.format.push_str(format);
+    }
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn push_arg(&mut self, value: String) {
+        self.push("{}");
+        self.arguments.push(value);
+    }
+}
+
+fn quoted(s: &str) -> String {
+    format!("r#\"{}\"#", s)
+}
+
+impl Expression {
+    fn append(&self, cx: &mut AppendContext) {
+        match self {
+            Expression::Literal(literal) => push!(cx, "\"{}\"", literal),
+            Expression::Code(code) => cx.push_arg(code.trim().to_string()),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl HtmlTag {
+    fn append(&self, cx: &mut AppendContext) {
+        push!(
+            cx,
+            // add space after, if there are attributes
+            if self.attributes.is_empty() {
+                "<{}"
+            } else {
+                "<{} "
+            },
+            self.tag,
+        );
+
+        for attr in &self.attributes {
+            push!(
+                cx,
+                if attr.value.is_some() { "{}=" } else { "{}" },
+                attr.name
+            );
+            if let Some(value) = &attr.value {
+                value.append(cx);
+            }
+        }
+        if self.content.is_empty() {
+            cx.push("/>");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        cx.push(">");
+
+        for tree in &self.content {
+            tree.append(cx);
+        }
+
+        push!(cx, "</{}>", self.tag);
+    }
+}
+
+impl CodeTree {
+    fn append(&self, cx: &mut AppendContext) {
+        match self {
+            CodeTree::Code(code) => {
+                let trimmed = code.trim();
+                if trimmed.is_empty() {
+                    return;
+                }
+                cx.pre.push_str(code.trim());
+            }
+            CodeTree::HtmlTag(html_tag) => html_tag.append(cx),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl CodeBlock {
+    fn append(&self, cx: &mut AppendContext) {
+        let mut my_cx = AppendContext {
+            pre: String::new(),
+            format: String::new(),
+            arguments: Vec::new(),
+        };
+        for code in self.content.iter() {
+            code.append(&mut my_cx);
+        }
+
+        let fmt = if my_cx.format.is_empty() {
+            my_cx.pre
+        } else {
+            format!(
+                r##"{{{pre}
+format!(r#"{format}"#, {arguments})
+}}"##,
+                pre = my_cx.pre,
+                format = my_cx.format,
+                arguments = my_cx.arguments.join(","),
+            )
+        };
+
+        push!(@noquote cx, "{}", fmt);
+    }
+}
+
+impl Tree {
+    fn append(&self, cx: &mut AppendContext) {
+        match self {
+            Tree::HtmlText(text) => {
+                // this adds {} to the format string and adds "{text}" to the args
+                cx.push_arg(quoted(text.trim()));
+            }
+            Tree::HtmlTag(html_tag) => html_tag.append(cx),
+            Tree::CodeBlock(code_block) => code_block.append(cx),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Generator {
+    pub fn to_format(&self) -> String {
+        let mut cx = AppendContext {
+            pre: String::new(),
+            format: String::new(),
+            arguments: Vec::new(),
+        };
+        for tree in self.trees.iter() {
+            if let Tree::CodeBlock(code_block) = tree {
+                if !code_block.has_html {
+                    for code in code_block.content.iter() {
+                        let CodeTree::Code(code) = code else {
+                            panic!("has_html = false, but got CodeTree::HtmlTag")
+                        };
+                        let trimmed = code.trim();
+                        if trimmed.is_empty() {
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                        cx.pre.push_str(code.trim());
+                    }
+                }
+            } else {
+                tree.append(&mut cx);
+            }
+        }
+        format!(
+            "{pre}let __rendered = format!(r#\"{format}\"#, {arguments});",
+            pre = cx.pre,
+            format = cx.format,
+            arguments = cx.arguments.join(","),
+        )
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/codegen/src/ir.rs b/crates/codegen/src/ir.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb0f537
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/codegen/src/ir.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+use super::*;
+
+pub enum Expression {
+    Literal(InternedStr),
+    Code(InternedStr),
+}
+
+pub struct HtmlAttribute {
+    pub name: InternedStr,
+    pub value: Option<Expression>,
+}
+
+pub struct HtmlTag {
+    pub tag: InternedStr,
+    pub attributes: Vec<HtmlAttribute>,
+    pub content: Vec<Tree>,
+}
+
+pub enum CodeTree {
+    HtmlTag(HtmlTag),
+    Code(InternedStr),
+}
+
+pub struct CodeBlock {
+    pub has_html: bool,
+    pub content: Vec<CodeTree>,
+}
+
+pub enum Tree {
+    HtmlText(InternedStr),
+    HtmlTag(HtmlTag),
+    CodeBlock(CodeBlock),
+}
+
+impl Tree {
+    pub fn from_ast(value: &ast::Element, intern: &StrInterner) -> Self {
+        match value {
+            ast::Element::Text(text) => Tree::HtmlText(intern.intern_ref(text)),
+            ast::Element::Html(html) => Tree::HtmlTag(HtmlTag::from_ast(html, intern)),
+            ast::Element::Block(block) => Tree::CodeBlock(CodeBlock::from_ast(block, intern)),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl HtmlTag {
+    pub fn from_ast(value: &ast::HtmlTag, intern: &StrInterner) -> Self {
+        let tag = intern.intern_ref(&value.tag);
+        let attributes = value
+            .attributes
+            .iter()
+            .map(|attr| HtmlAttribute::from_ast(attr, intern))
+            .collect();
+        let content = value
+            .content
+            .iter()
+            .map(|elem| Tree::from_ast(elem, intern))
+            .collect();
+        HtmlTag {
+            tag,
+            attributes,
+            content,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl HtmlAttribute {
+    pub fn from_ast(value: &ast::Attribute, intern: &StrInterner) -> Self {
+        let ast::Element::Text(name) = &value.name else {
+            panic!("attribute name should be a string")
+        };
+        let name = intern.intern_ref(name);
+        let value = value
+            .value
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|v| Expression::from_ast(v, intern));
+        HtmlAttribute { name, value }
+    }
+}
+
+impl CodeBlock {
+    pub fn from_ast(value: &ast::CodeBlock, intern: &StrInterner) -> Self {
+        let mut has_html = false;
+        let content = value
+            .content
+            .iter()
+            .map(|elem| {
+                if matches!(elem, ast::Element::Html(_)) {
+                    has_html = true
+                };
+                CodeTree::from_ast(elem, intern)
+            })
+            .collect();
+        CodeBlock { content, has_html }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Expression {
+    pub fn from_ast(value: &ast::Element, intern: &StrInterner) -> Self {
+        // TODO expression in parser
+        match value {
+            ast::Element::Text(text) => Expression::Literal(intern.intern_ref(text)),
+            ast::Element::Html(_html) => {
+                panic!("ast::Element::Html should not be used as attribute value")
+            } // this is the only case where expression is used so we can mention that in the panic message
+            ast::Element::Block(_block) => {
+                todo!("code blocks are not supported as attribute values until Expression is implemented in the parser")
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl CodeTree {
+    pub fn from_ast(value: &ast::Element, intern: &StrInterner) -> Self {
+        match value {
+            ast::Element::Text(text) => CodeTree::Code(intern.intern_ref(text)),
+            ast::Element::Html(html) => CodeTree::HtmlTag(HtmlTag::from_ast(html, intern)),
+            ast::Element::Block(_) => {
+                panic!("nested code block detected (how the hell did the parser do this?)")
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/codegen/src/lib.rs b/crates/codegen/src/lib.rs
index 141eb8d..3063ba9 100644
--- a/crates/codegen/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/codegen/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,43 @@
 extern crate cogs_ast as ast;
 
+mod generate;
+use generate::*;
+mod ir;
+use ir::*;
+
+// type aliases for:
+// 1. convenience
+// 2. easy swapping to InternedOrd if i ever find it better
+type InternedStr = intern_arc::InternedHash<str>;
+type StrInterner = intern_arc::HashInterner<str>;
+
 pub fn generate(ast: &ast::Component) -> eyre::Result<String> {
-    Ok(format!("not yet implemented"))
+    let mut generator = Generator {
+        trees: Vec::new(),
+        intern_str: StrInterner::new(),
+    };
+    let mut elements = ast.elements.iter();
+    for element in elements {
+        generator
+            .trees
+            .push(Tree::from_ast(element, &generator.intern_str));
+    }
+
+    let render = generator.to_format();
+    Ok(format!(
+        r#"
+pub struct Cog;
+
+impl cogs_runtime::Component for Cog {{
+    type Props = ();
+    type Error = core::convert::Infallible;
+    fn render(&self, props: Self::Props) -> impl core::future::Future<Output = Result<String, Self::Error>> + core::marker::Send + '_ {{
+        async move {{
+            {render}
+            Ok(__rendered)
+        }}
+    }}
+}}
+"#
+    ))
 }
diff --git a/crates/parser/src/lib.rs b/crates/parser/src/lib.rs
index 4506cf8..6053a1f 100644
--- a/crates/parser/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/parser/src/lib.rs
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ fn parse_inside_code_block(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, Vec<Element>> {
     debug!("Attempting inside code block {input}");
     let (input, elems) = parse_consecutive_proper_elements(input)?;
 
-    dbg!(&elems);
+    debug!(?elems, "parsed inside code block");
     Ok((input, elems))
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/runtime/Cargo.toml b/crates/runtime/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a53d4e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/runtime/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[package]
+name = "cogs_runtime"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+
+[dependencies]
diff --git a/crates/runtime/src/lib.rs b/crates/runtime/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e713cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/runtime/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+use core::fmt;
+use std::future::Future;
+
+pub trait Component {
+    type Props;
+    type Error;
+
+    fn render<'a>(&'a self, props: Self::Props) -> impl Future<Output = Result<String, Self::Error>> + Send + 'a;
+}
+
+pub trait Render {
+    fn render(&self) -> String;
+}
+
+impl Render for () {
+    fn render(&self) -> String {
+        String::new()
+    }
+}
+
+impl Render for &str {
+    fn render(&self) -> String {
+        format!("{}", self)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Render for String {
+    fn render(&self) -> String {
+        format!("{}", self)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: Render> Render for &T {
+    fn render(&self) -> String {
+        (**self).render()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: Render> Render for Box<T> {
+    fn render(&self) -> String {
+        (**self).render()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/snapshots/cogs__tests__codegen@1.snap b/src/snapshots/cogs__tests__codegen@1.snap
index 5e04bdb..4c7888c 100644
--- a/src/snapshots/cogs__tests__codegen@1.snap
+++ b/src/snapshots/cogs__tests__codegen@1.snap
@@ -3,4 +3,17 @@ source: src/tests.rs
 expression: "cogs_codegen::generate(&ast).unwrap()"
 snapshot_kind: text
 ---
-not yet implemented
+pub struct Cog;
+
+impl cogs_runtime::Component for Cog {
+    type Props = ();
+    type Error = core::convert::Infallible;
+    fn render(&self, props: Self::Props) -> impl core::future::Future<Output = Result<String, Self::Error>> + core::marker::Send + '_ {
+        async move {
+            let x = 1;let __rendered = format!(r#"<{}><{}>{}</{}><{} {}="{}">{}{}</{}>{}{}</{}>{}"#, r#"body"#,r#"h1"#,r#"Yo."#,r#"h1"#,r#"a"#,r#"src"#,r#"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"#,r#"Click this"#,x,r#"a"#,{println!("test");
+format!(r#"<{}>{}</{}>"#, r#"p"#,r#"More Html"#,r#"p"#)
+},r#""#,r#"body"#,r#""#);
+            Ok(__rendered)
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/snapshots/cogs__tests__cogs@1.snap b/src/snapshots/cogs__tests__cogs@1.snap
index 70d72a1..06f18b5 100644
--- a/src/snapshots/cogs__tests__cogs@1.snap
+++ b/src/snapshots/cogs__tests__cogs@1.snap
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ snapshot_kind: text
 ---
 Component {
     elements: [
+        Block(
+            CodeBlock {
+                content: [
+                    Text(
+                        "let x = 1;\n",
+                    ),
+                ],
+            },
+        ),
         Html(
             HtmlTag {
                 tag: "body",
@@ -40,6 +49,15 @@ Component {
                                 Text(
                                     "Click this",
                                 ),
+                                Block(
+                                    CodeBlock {
+                                        content: [
+                                            Text(
+                                                "x",
+                                            ),
+                                        ],
+                                    },
+                                ),
                             ],
                         },
                     ),
diff --git a/tests/1.cog b/tests/1.cog
index aa6af23..10b414a 100644
--- a/tests/1.cog
+++ b/tests/1.cog
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+{
+  let x = 1;
+}
 <body>
     <h1>Yo.</h1>
-    <a src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ">Click this</a>
+    <a src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ">Click this {x}</a>
     {
         println!("test");
         <p>More Html</p>