diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index e0138f6..92fe865 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -30,3 +30,22 @@ func (c *Config) set(key string, value interface{}) {
 	}
 	c.items[key] = value
 }
+
+func (c *Config) Get(key string) interface{} {
+	if c.items == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return c.items[key]
+}
+
+func (c *Config) GetString(key string) string {
+	v := c.Get(key)
+	if v == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	s, ok := v.(string)
+	if ok {
+		return s
+	}
+	return ""
+}
diff --git a/lex.go b/lex.go
index 01b9d0f..f73a843 100644
--- a/lex.go
+++ b/lex.go
@@ -28,11 +28,12 @@ func (t tokenType) String() string {
 }
 
 const (
-	t_error  tokenType = iota // a stored lex error
-	t_string                  // a string literal
-	t_name                    // a name
-	t_type                    // a type
-	t_equals                  // equals sign
+	t_error   tokenType = iota // a stored lex error
+	t_string                   // a string literal
+	t_name                     // a name
+	t_type                     // a type
+	t_equals                   // equals sign
+	t_comment                  // a comment
 )
 
 type stateFn func(*lexer) (stateFn, error)
diff --git a/parse_test.go b/parse_test.go
index 53688e1..4f4df83 100644
--- a/parse_test.go
+++ b/parse_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,44 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+var parseTests = []parseTest{
+	{
+		in:   ``,
+		desc: "an empty string is a valid config",
+		configTests: []configTest{
+			{
+				desc: "undefined name field should not exist",
+				pass: inv(hasKey("name")),
+			},
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		in:        `name `,
+		desc:      "eof after name",
+		errorType: e_unexpected_eof,
+	},
+	{
+		in:        `firstname lastname`,
+		desc:      "two names in a row",
+		errorType: e_unexpected_token,
+	},
+	{
+		in:        `name = `,
+		desc:      "eof after equals",
+		errorType: e_unexpected_eof,
+	},
+	{
+		in:   `name = "jordan"`,
+		desc: "assign a value",
+		configTests: []configTest{
+			{
+				desc: "should have name",
+				pass: hasValue("name", "jordan"),
+			},
+		},
+	},
+}
+
 // a boolean statement about a config struct
 type configPredicate func(*Config) bool
 
@@ -58,39 +96,6 @@ type configTest struct {
 	pass configPredicate
 }
 
-var parseTests = []parseTest{
-	{
-		in:   ``,
-		desc: "an empty string is a valid config",
-		configTests: []configTest{
-			{
-				desc: "undefined name field should not exist",
-				pass: inv(hasKey("name")),
-			},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		in:        `name `,
-		desc:      "a name alone is not a valid config",
-		errorType: e_unexpected_eof,
-	},
-	{
-		in:        `name = `,
-		desc:      "dangling assignment",
-		errorType: e_unexpected_eof,
-	},
-	{
-		in:   `name = "jordan"`,
-		desc: "assign a value",
-		configTests: []configTest{
-			{
-				desc: "should have name",
-				pass: hasKey("name"),
-			},
-		},
-	},
-}
-
 // inverts a given config predicate
 func inv(fn configPredicate) configPredicate {
 	return func(c *Config) bool {
@@ -104,6 +109,21 @@ func hasKey(s string) configPredicate {
 	}
 }
 
+func hasValue(key string, expected interface{}) configPredicate {
+	switch t := expected.(type) {
+	case string:
+		return hasStringValue(key, t)
+	default:
+		panic("no we can't do that yet")
+	}
+}
+
+func hasStringValue(key string, expected string) configPredicate {
+	return func(c *Config) bool {
+		return c.GetString(key) == expected
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range parseTests {
 		test.run(t)