diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df5b263
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main.py
@@ -0,0 +1,280 @@
+from asyncore import read
+
+##############################################
+# DEBUGGING FUNCTIONS
+##############################################
+
+def default_fp ():
+    '''default file for debugging purposes; can also be used by the user for their own file'''
+    fp = "example_password_format.txt"
+    return fp
+
+##############################################
+# FILE FUNCTIONS
+##############################################
+
+def initialize_file ():
+    '''repeatedly prompts for a file until one is successfully opened'''
+    while True:
+        fp = input("Enter a file name. \n-> ")
+        try:
+            file = open(fp, "r")
+            return fp
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            print("\n    Error: File not found.")
+            continue 
+
+def read_file (fp):
+    '''opens file for reading'''
+    file = open(fp, "r")
+    return file
+
+def append_file (fp):
+    '''opens file for appending'''
+    file = open(fp, "a")
+    return file
+
+def write_file(fp):
+    '''opens file for writing'''
+    file = open(fp, "w")
+    return file
+
+def create_file():
+    fp = str(input("What would you like your file to be called?\n-> "))
+    if ".txt" in fp:
+        open(fp, "x")
+        return fp
+    else:
+        fp += ".txt"
+        open(fp, "x")
+        return fp
+
+def unknown_input():
+    print("I didn't understand that.\n")
+
+##############################################
+# INITIALIZE DICTIONARY
+##############################################
+
+def build_dict (fp):
+    '''Reads the file and splits lines, then calls a function to form the dictionary'''
+    file = read_file(fp)
+
+    data_dict = {}
+    for line in file:   
+        line = line.strip().replace(" ", "")
+        linelist = line.split("|")
+        data_dict[linelist[0]] = (linelist[1], linelist[2], linelist[3])
+    file.close()
+    return data_dict
+
+##############################################
+# TEXT FORMAT FUNCTIONS
+##############################################
+
+def character_count (data_dict):
+    '''loops through the file to find the keyword with the largest number of characters per  category, then returns those number'''
+    w = 0     #len for websites
+    e = 0     #len for emails
+    u = 0     #len for usernames
+    p = 0     #len for passwords
+
+    for key in data_dict:
+        w_len = len(key)
+        e_len = len(data_dict[key][0])
+        u_len = len(data_dict[key][1])
+        p_len = len(data_dict[key][2])
+
+        if w_len > w:
+            w = w_len
+        if e_len > e:
+            e = e_len
+        if u_len > u:
+            u = u_len
+        if p_len > p:
+            p = p_len 
+
+    return w, e, u, p
+
+def pretty_print (output, data_dict):
+    w, e, u, p = character_count(data_dict)
+
+    '''takes output from a function and formats the result for printing'''
+    print("    {:{w}s} | {:{e}s} | {:{u}s} | {:{p}s}".format("Website", "Email", "Username", "Password", w = w, e = e, u = u, p = p))
+    print("    {:{w}s}   {:{e}s}   {:{u}s}   {:{p}s}".format("-------", "-----", "--------", "--------", w = w, e = e, u = u, p = p))
+
+    for key in output:
+        print("    {:{w}s} | {:{e}s} | {:{u}s} | {:{p}s}".format(key, output[key][0], output[key][1], output[key][2], w = w, e = e, u = u, p = p))
+
+##############################################
+# PROGRAM ACTION FUNCTIONS
+##############################################
+
+def print_all (data_dict):
+    '''sorts dictionary keys and stores it oin a new variable to return'''
+    output = {}
+    for key in sorted((data_dict)):
+        keylist = [data_dict[key][0], data_dict[key][1], data_dict[key][2]]
+        output[key] = keylist
+    pretty_print(output, data_dict)
+
+def print_sites (data_dict):
+    '''prints out the dictionary keys in alphabetical order'''
+    print("    Website\n    -------")
+    for key in sorted(data_dict):
+        print("   ", key)
+    print()
+
+def p_lookup (data_dict):
+    '''takes a website name as an argument, and searches the dictionary for that key; if unable to find key, function suggests related websites'''
+    answer = input("What website would you like to search for?\n-> ")
+    output = {}
+    alt_output = {}
+    for key in sorted(data_dict):
+        if answer.lower() == key.lower():
+            linelist = [data_dict[key][0], data_dict[key][1], data_dict[key][2]]
+            output[key] = linelist
+
+        if key.lower().startswith(answer.lower()):
+            linelist = [data_dict[key][0], data_dict[key][1], data_dict[key][2]]
+            alt_output[key] = linelist
+
+    if output != {}:
+        pretty_print(output, data_dict)
+    else:
+        print("\nWe couldn't find any websites with that name. Do any of these similar websties match what you are looking for?\n")
+        pretty_print(alt_output, data_dict)
+
+def add_entry (fp, data_dict):
+    '''add an entry to the original file'''
+    file = append_file(fp)
+
+    print("We will now ask you to input the necessary login information. Type \"n/a\" for any fields you'd like to leave blank.\n")
+    website = input("What is the name of the website? \n-> ")
+    email = input("\nWhat is the email address? \n-> ")
+    username = input("\nWhat is the username? \n-> ")
+    password = input("\nWhat is the password? \n-> ")
+
+    linelist = [email, username, password]
+    data_dict[website] = linelist
+    file.write("\n" + website + " | " + email + " | " + username + " | " + password)
+    file.close()
+    print("\nYour data has been sucessfully saved to your file.")
+
+def edit_entry(fp, data_dict):
+    '''edit an already existing entry in the file'''
+    file = write_file(fp)
+    print("We will now ask you to input the necessary login information. Type \"n/a\" for any fields you'd like to leave blank.\n")
+
+    while True:
+        website = input("What is the name of the website you need to edit? \n-> ")
+        try:
+            linelist = data_dict[website]
+            break
+        except KeyError:
+            print("We couldn't find that website within our data.\n")
+            continue
+
+    while True:
+        answer = input("What would you like to edit?\n    1. Email Address\n    2. Username\n    3. Password\n-> ")
+
+        if answer.strip() == "1":
+            email = input("\nWhat is the new email address? \n-> ")
+            data_dict[website][0] = email
+            break
+        elif answer.strip() == "2":
+            username = input("\nWhat is the username? \n-> ")
+            data_dict[website][1] = username
+            break
+        elif answer.lower() == "3":
+            password = input("\nWhat is the password? \n-> ")
+            data_dict[website][2] = password
+            break
+        else:
+            unknown_input()
+            continue
+
+    for key in data_dict:    
+        file.write(key + " | " + data_dict[key][0] + " | " + data_dict[key][1] + " | " + data_dict[key][2] + "\n")
+    file.close()
+    print("\nYour data has been sucessfully saved to your file.")
+            
+##############################################
+# PROGRAM PARTS
+##############################################
+
+def intro():
+    '''program intro to determine what file to use'''
+    print("\nHello. Welcome to the password manager.")
+
+    while True:
+        answer = input("\nTo get started, we need the name of the file that is holding your data. Would you like to:\n    1. Provide the name of an already exisiting text file with your data\n    2. Create a new text file to store your data\n    3. Use the default file name stored in the program\n-> ")
+        print()
+
+        if answer.strip() == "1":
+            fp = initialize_file()
+            return fp
+        elif answer.strip() == "2":
+            fp = create_file()
+            return fp
+        elif answer.lower() == "3":
+            fp = default_fp()
+            return fp
+        else:
+            unknown_input()
+            continue
+
+def main_program(fp):
+    '''main program and it's functions'''
+    while True:
+        data_dict = build_dict(fp) 
+        answer = input("What would you like to do today?\n    1. View a complete, alphabetized list of websites, emails and passwords.\n    2. View an alphabetized list of just the websites.\n    3. Look up login information for a specific website.\n    4. Add and save a new entry to your data.\n    5. Edit an already existing entry in the database.\n-> ")
+        print()
+
+        if answer.strip() == "1":
+            print_all(data_dict)
+            break   
+        elif answer.strip() == "2":
+            print_sites(data_dict)
+            break  
+        elif answer.strip() == "3":
+            p_lookup(data_dict)
+            break
+        elif answer.strip() == "4":
+            add_entry(fp, data_dict)
+            break
+        elif answer.strip() == "5":
+            edit_entry(fp, data_dict)
+            break
+        else:
+            unknown_input()
+            continue
+
+def cont_question():
+    '''question to ask the user if they'd like to coontinue or not'''
+    while True:
+        answer = input("\nWould you like to start over? (yes/no)\n-> ")
+        
+        if answer.lower() == "no":
+            print("\nThank you for using the password manager. We will now close the program.\n")
+            return False
+        elif answer.lower() == "yes":
+            print()
+            return True
+        else:
+            unknown_input()
+            continue
+
+##############################################
+# MAIN
+##############################################
+
+def main():
+    cont = True
+    fp = intro()
+    print()
+    while cont == True:
+        main_program(fp)
+        cont = cont_question()
+
+main()
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