diff --git a/DEVELOPMENT.md b/DEVELOPMENT.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d73bf97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DEVELOPMENT.md
@@ -0,0 +1,297 @@
+# Development Guide
+
+This document captures the design decisions, architecture, and implementation strategy for the kvstore project. Use this when returning to the project or working with an AI assistant.
+
+## Project Philosophy
+
+**Learning First**: This is an educational project prioritizing understanding over optimization.
+
+**Explicit Over Implicit**: C makes you manage memory explicitly. We lean into this—every allocation and free is intentional and documented.
+
+**Batch Processing**: The application runs, executes one command, and exits. No persistent state between invocations (yet).
+
+**String-Only Storage**: Keys and values are always strings. Simple but sufficient for the learning phase.
+
+## Current Design State
+
+### Data Model
+
+```
+Entry: key (char*) -> value (char*)
+Store: Dynamic array of entries with length and capacity tracking
+```
+
+Key insight: The store is not a hash table yet—it's a simple array. This means O(n) lookups, but it's easier to understand and implement. Future evolution: hash table or B-tree.
+
+### Memory Ownership Rules
+
+**Rule 1: Allocation implies ownership**
+- Whoever calls `malloc` (directly or indirectly) is responsible for calling `free`
+- Functions document what they allocate and return
+
+**Rule 2: Deep copying on boundaries**
+- When you pass data to the store, it makes its own copy
+- When you retrieve data from the store, you get a copy
+- This prevents external code from accidentally modifying internal state
+
+**Rule 3: Pointer parameters indicate mutability**
+- `const kv_store_t *store` → function only reads, cannot modify
+- `kv_store_t *const store` → can modify store, cannot change the pointer itself
+- `kv_store_t *store` → can modify store (rare in read-only functions)
+
+### Error Handling Convention
+
+All kvstore operations return:
+```
+ 1 = success / found
+ 0 = not found / created new / no error (but different result)
+-1 = error (allocation failed, etc.)
+```
+
+Never throw exceptions. Use return codes.
+
+Allocation failures return NULL pointers. Always check before dereferencing.
+
+### Function Patterns
+
+**Creating allocations:**
+```c
+TYPE *kv_store_entry_init(...)
+// Returns pointer to newly allocated struct
+// Caller must call kv_store_entry_free() when done
+```
+
+**Freeing:**
+```c
+void kv_store_entry_free(TYPE *ptr)
+// Takes pointer to free
+// Should be NULL-safe (check for NULL before free)
+```
+
+**Reading:**
+```c
+TYPE *kv_store_get_entry(...)
+// Returns newly allocated COPY of entry
+// Caller must free the returned pointer
+```
+
+**Modifying:**
+```c
+int kv_store_set_entry(TYPE *store, const TYPE *input)
+// Takes pointer to store and const input
+// Makes its own copy of input data
+// Returns status code (1/0/-1)
+```
+
+## Module Breakdown
+
+### kv_store (src/kv_store.c / include/kv_store.h)
+
+**Current State**: Interface complete, implementation needed
+
+**Core operations**:
+1. `kv_store_init(capacity)` - Create empty store
+2. `kv_store_set_entry(store, entry)` - Add or update
+3. `kv_store_get_entry(store, key)` - Retrieve (returns copy)
+4. `kv_store_delete_entry(store, key)` - Remove
+5. `kv_store_free(store)` - Clean up
+
+**Entry operations**:
+1. `kv_store_entry_init(key, value)` - Create entry
+2. `kv_store_entry_copy(entry)` - Deep copy
+3. `kv_store_entry_free(entry)` - Cleanup
+
+**Implementation considerations**:
+- Entries array may need resizing (when length reaches capacity)
+- Need way to find entries by key (linear search for now: O(n))
+- Deletion might use swap-and-pop or mark-as-deleted
+- All strings must be copied, not just pointer assignments
+
+### cli (src/cli.c / include/cli.h)
+
+**Current State**: Interface complete, minimal implementation
+
+**Key functions**:
+1. `cli_print_help()` - Display GNU-style help
+2. `cli_execute(argc, argv)` - Parse and execute command
+3. `cli_print_result(result)` - Format output
+
+**Behavior**:
+- `main.c` checks for `--help` or `-h` first, before calling `cli_execute`
+- If help found, call `cli_print_help()` and exit(0)
+- Otherwise, pass full argv to `cli_execute()`
+- `cli_execute()` parses first argv (after program name) as command
+- Routes to appropriate store operation
+- Returns `cli_result_t` with status and message
+
+**Future commands** (not yet implemented):
+```
+kvstore get <key>              # Retrieve a value
+kvstore set <key> <value>      # Store a value
+kvstore delete <key>           # Remove a value
+kvstore list                   # Show all entries
+kvstore --help, -h             # Show help
+```
+
+### string (src/string.c / include/string.h)
+
+**Current State**: Interface complete, implementation needed
+
+**Functions**:
+1. `string_copy(src)` - Allocate and copy
+2. `string_compare(s1, s2)` - Like strcmp
+3. `string_trim(str)` - Copy with whitespace trimmed
+4. `string_search(src, search)` - Find substring (returns index or -1)
+5. `string_free(str)` - Safe free (NULL-safe)
+
+**Use case**: These are helpers for CLI parsing and kvstore string operations.
+
+## Implementation Roadmap
+
+### Week 1: Foundation
+1. Implement `string.c` functions
+   - `string_copy()` - basic malloc + strcpy wrapper
+   - `string_compare()` - wrapper for strcmp
+   - `string_free()` - free with NULL check
+   - Test manually in main
+   
+2. Implement `kv_store.c` basics
+   - `kv_store_entry_init()` - allocate entry, copy strings
+   - `kv_store_entry_free()` - free both key and value
+   - `kv_store_entry_copy()` - allocate and copy
+   - `kv_store_init()` - allocate store, allocate empty entries array
+   - `kv_store_free()` - free all entries, then store
+
+3. Test with simple program in main.c
+
+### Week 2: Core CRUD
+1. `kv_store_get_entry()` - Linear search, return copy
+2. `kv_store_set_entry()` - Find or append, copy input
+3. `kv_store_delete_entry()` - Find and remove
+4. Add array resizing when capacity is reached
+
+5. Test each operation manually
+
+### Week 3: CLI Integration
+1. Implement `cli_print_help()` - GNU-style output
+2. Implement `cli_execute()` - Command parsing
+3. Wire commands to store operations
+4. Update `main.c` to check for help flag
+5. Test: `./kvstore --help`, `./kvstore set x y`, `./kvstore get x`
+
+### Week 4+: Polish & Future
+1. Add `string_trim()` and `string_search()` if needed
+2. Consider testing framework (Unity)
+3. File persistence (load/save)
+4. Performance improvements (hash table)
+
+## Common Patterns & Idioms
+
+### Safe pointer casting in free functions
+```c
+void kv_store_entry_free(kv_store_entry_t *entry) {
+  if (entry == NULL) return;  // NULL-safe
+  string_free(entry->key);
+  string_free(entry->value);
+  free(entry);
+}
+```
+
+### Linear search pattern
+```c
+for (int i = 0; i < store->length; i++) {
+  if (string_compare(store->entries[i].key, key) == 0) {
+    // Found at index i
+    return i;
+  }
+}
+// Not found
+return -1;
+```
+
+### Array resizing pattern (for future)
+```c
+if (store->length == store->capacity) {
+  store->capacity *= 2;
+  store->entries = realloc(store->entries, 
+                          store->capacity * sizeof(kv_store_entry_t));
+}
+```
+
+### Returning allocated struct
+```c
+kv_store_entry_t *copy = malloc(sizeof(kv_store_entry_t));
+copy->key = string_copy(entry->key);
+copy->value = string_copy(entry->value);
+return copy;  // Caller must free this
+```
+
+## Debugging Tips
+
+1. **Valgrind** for memory leaks: `valgrind ./bin/kvstore`
+2. **GDB** for stepping: `gdb ./bin/kvstore`
+3. **Add printf statements** to trace execution
+4. **Check return codes** - most functions signal errors via -1 or NULL
+5. **Test edge cases**: NULL inputs, empty store, duplicate keys
+
+## Common Mistakes to Avoid
+
+1. **Forgetting to copy strings** - Just assigning pointers will cause use-after-free
+2. **Not NULL-checking allocations** - malloc can fail
+3. **Confusion on ownership** - Who allocated this? Who must free it?
+4. **Buffer overruns** - When resizing array, check capacity is adequate
+5. **Off-by-one in loops** - Easy to miss the last entry or go past array bounds
+6. **const correctness** - If you can't modify, declare const
+
+## Testing Strategy (Future)
+
+When you add Unity tests:
+```c
+// Test entry lifecycle
+TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(entry);
+TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_STRING("key", entry->key);
+
+// Test store operations
+TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(1, kv_store_set_entry(store, entry));
+TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(1, kv_store_get_entry(store, "key", &out));
+
+// Test edge cases
+TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(-1, kv_store_get_entry(NULL, "key", &out));
+```
+
+## Quick Reference: Function Checklist
+
+### string.c
+- [ ] `string_copy()` - Return malloc'd copy or NULL
+- [ ] `string_compare()` - 0 if equal, negative/positive if different
+- [ ] `string_trim()` - Return malloc'd trimmed copy or NULL
+- [ ] `string_search()` - Return index or -1
+- [ ] `string_free()` - Free with NULL check
+
+### kv_store.c
+- [ ] `kv_store_entry_init()` - Allocate entry, copy strings
+- [ ] `kv_store_entry_copy()` - Allocate copy, copy strings
+- [ ] `kv_store_entry_free()` - Free key, value, then entry
+- [ ] `kv_store_init()` - Allocate store and entries array
+- [ ] `kv_store_free()` - Free all entries, then store
+- [ ] `kv_store_get_entry()` - Find and return copy (or NULL)
+- [ ] `kv_store_set_entry()` - Find/add and copy, return 0/1/-1
+- [ ] `kv_store_delete_entry()` - Find/remove, return 1/0/-1
+
+### cli.c
+- [ ] `cli_print_help()` - Print usage to stdout
+- [ ] `cli_execute()` - Parse argv, call store ops, return result
+- [ ] `cli_print_result()` - Format and print result
+
+## Notes for AI Assistants
+
+If you're helping with this project:
+
+1. **Focus on learning**: Provide hints and clarifications, not complete solutions
+2. **Respect the design**: Use the patterns and conventions established
+3. **Memory safety**: Always think about allocation, ownership, and freeing
+4. **Testing mindset**: Suggest test cases and edge cases
+5. **Documentation**: Functions should have clear comments
+6. **Error handling**: Follow the 1/0/-1 pattern consistently
+
+The goal is building understanding, not just shipping code.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e230b85..7c64e55 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,253 @@
-# C Learning Project: Key-Value store
+# C Learning Project: Key-Value Store
 
-The purpose of this project is to learn c development from first principles using clang and make with the loose goal of creating an RDBMS.
+A educational project to learn C development from first principles, working toward building an RDBMS.
+
+## Project Goals
+
+- Learn C development fundamentals: memory management, pointers, build systems, modularity
+- Build a simple key-value store CLI application
+- Incrementally work toward understanding relational database concepts
+
+## Current Status
+
+**Phase 1: Design & Foundation**
+- ✅ Build system (Makefile with clang)
+- ✅ Core data structures designed (kvstore, entries)
+- ✅ CLI module foundation started
+- ✅ String utility library interface designed
+- ⏳ Implementation in progress
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+kvstore/
+├── Makefile              # Build configuration
+├── README.md             # This file
+├── ARCHITECTURE.md       # Design decisions and module overview
+├── include/
+│   ├── kv_store.h       # Key-value store interface
+│   ├── cli.h            # CLI module interface
+│   └── string.h         # String utility functions
+├── src/
+│   ├── main.c           # Entry point
+│   ├── cli.c            # CLI implementation (in progress)
+│   ├── kv_store.c       # Key-value store implementation (not started)
+│   └── string.c         # String utilities (not started)
+├── build/               # Object files (generated)
+└── bin/                 # Binary output (generated)
+```
+
+## Building
+
+```bash
+make        # Compile the project
+make run    # Build and run
+make clean  # Remove build artifacts
+```
+
+## Modules
+
+### KV Store (`include/kv_store.h`)
+Core key-value store with:
+- **Entry management**: Create, copy, and free individual key-value pairs
+- **Store lifecycle**: Initialize and free stores with configurable capacity
+- **CRUD operations**: Get, set, delete, and list entries
+- **Error handling**: Consistent return codes (1=success, 0=not found, -1=error)
+
+### CLI (`include/cli.h`)
+Command-line interface for batch operations:
+- Parse command-line arguments
+- Execute kvstore commands
+- Display help and results
+
+### String Utilities (`include/string.h`)
+Helper functions for string operations:
+- Copy, compare, trim, and search strings
+- Safe memory management for dynamic strings
+
+## Design Principles
+
+- **Ownership is explicit**: Every allocated pointer is owned by someone who must free it
+- **Separation of concerns**: kvstore provides data/status; CLI formats and displays
+- **Batch mode**: Single execution per program run; persistence through files (future)
+- **Error handling**: Consistent, simple return codes rather than exceptions
+- **Learning-focused**: Prioritize clarity and understanding over optimization
+
+## Learning Focus Areas
+
+1. **Memory management**: malloc, free, ownership, pointers
+2. **C idioms**: Out parameters, return codes, struct lifecycle
+3. **Modularity**: Clear interfaces, separation of concerns
+4. **Build systems**: Makefiles, compilation, linking
+5. **String handling**: C strings, pointer semantics
+
+See `ARCHITECTURE.md` for detailed design decisions and implementation notes.
+```
+
+Now for the architecture file:
+
+```
+# Architecture & Design
+
+## Data Structures
+
+### kv_store_entry_t
+```c
+typedef struct {
+  char *key;
+  char *value;
+} kv_store_entry_t;
+```
+
+A single key-value pair. Both key and value are dynamically allocated strings (C's `char *`). This structure is relatively simple and will evolve as we add persistence and type support.
+
+### kv_store_t
+```c
+typedef struct {
+  kv_store_entry_t *entries;  // Dynamic array of entries
+  int length;                  // Current number of entries
+  int capacity;                // Allocated capacity
+} kv_store_t;
+```
+
+The main store container. Uses a dynamic array (vector-like) for storage. Tracks both used entries and available capacity.
+
+**Design note:** Uses simple array storage for learning purposes. Later evolution might include:
+- Hash tables for O(1) lookup
+- B-trees for sorted iteration and range queries
+- Disk persistence
+
+## Modules
+
+### kv_store (Core Data Structure)
+
+**Status:** Interface designed, implementation pending
+
+**Key functions:**
+- `kv_store_entry_init()`: Allocate and initialize an entry
+- `kv_store_entry_copy()`: Create a deep copy of an entry
+- `kv_store_entry_free()`: Free an entry's memory
+- `kv_store_init()`: Create an empty store with initial capacity
+- `kv_store_free()`: Free a store and all its entries
+- `kv_store_get_entry()`: Retrieve an entry (returns allocated copy)
+- `kv_store_set_entry()`: Add or update an entry
+- `kv_store_delete_entry()`: Remove an entry
+
+**Design decisions:**
+1. **Copying on get**: `get_entry()` returns an allocated copy of the entry. This ensures the caller cannot modify the store's internal state and protects against use-after-free if the store changes.
+2. **Copying on set**: When storing an entry, we deep-copy the key/value strings. This prevents external modifications and clarifies ownership.
+3. **Error codes**: 
+   - `1` = success/found
+   - `0` = not found/created new
+   - `-1` = error
+4. **Pointer parameters**: Store operations that modify take `kv_store_t *` (not const). Read-only operations take `const kv_store_t *`.
+
+### CLI (Command-line Interface)
+
+**Status:** Interface designed, implementation pending
+
+**Key functions:**
+- `cli_print_help()`: Display usage information and commands
+- `cli_execute()`: Parse and execute a command
+- `cli_print_result()`: Format and display results
+
+**Design:**
+- **Batch mode**: Single execution per program invocation
+- **Help handling**: Main checks for `--help` or `-h` before passing to cli_execute
+- **GNU-style**: Follow standard CLI conventions for help text and error messages
+
+**Supported commands (planned):**
+- `set <key> <value>`: Store a value
+- `get <key>`: Retrieve a value
+- `delete <key>`: Remove an entry
+- `list`: Show all entries
+
+### String Utilities
+
+**Status:** Interface designed, implementation pending
+
+Simple helpers for string operations with safe memory management:
+- `string_copy()`: Allocate and copy a string
+- `string_compare()`: Compare two strings
+- `string_trim()`: Copy with whitespace trimming
+- `string_search()`: Find substring
+- `string_free()`: Safe free (NULL-safe)
+
+## Implementation Notes
+
+### Memory Management Pattern
+
+The project uses this consistent pattern:
+1. **Allocation functions** return pointers and document that the caller owns the memory
+2. **Free functions** take pointers and handle NULL safely
+3. **Read operations** return allocated copies, not internal references
+4. **Modification operations** deep-copy input data to maintain ownership
+
+Example:
+```c
+// Caller allocates and owns
+kv_store_entry_t *entry = kv_store_entry_init("key", "value");
+
+// Store makes its own copy when storing
+kv_store_set_entry(store, entry);
+
+// Caller must free their copy
+kv_store_entry_free(entry);
+
+// When reading, get a new copy to work with
+kv_store_entry_t *retrieved = kv_store_get_entry(store, "key");
+// ... use retrieved ...
+kv_store_entry_free(retrieved);
+```
+
+### Error Handling
+
+C doesn't have exceptions. We use:
+- **Return codes** for operational success/failure
+- **NULL pointers** to indicate allocation failures
+- **Documentation** to clarify what each code means
+
+No exceptions or verbose error messages at the library level—those are CLI concerns.
+
+## Next Implementation Steps
+
+### Phase 1: Core Store (High Priority)
+1. Implement `string.c` - string utilities
+2. Implement `kv_store.c` - core store operations
+3. Write basic tests (using Unity framework)
+4. Test with simple program
+
+### Phase 2: CLI (Medium Priority)
+1. Implement `cli.c` - help display
+2. Implement `cli_execute()` - command parsing and routing
+3. Wire commands to store operations
+4. Test each command
+
+### Phase 3: Persistence (Future)
+1. Add file I/O to load/save stores
+2. Consider simple serialization format
+3. Handle startup with existing data
+
+### Phase 4: Advanced Features (Future)
+1. Internal data structure improvements (hash table, B-tree)
+2. Type support (int, float, blob)
+3. Transactions or multiple stores
+4. Performance optimization
+
+## Testing Strategy
+
+**Future:** Use Unity testing framework
+- Unit tests for each module
+- Integration tests for CLI commands
+- Edge cases: empty store, duplicate keys, NULL inputs
+
+## Lessons Learned & Teaching Points
+
+As you implement, pay attention to:
+1. **Pointers and ownership**: Who allocates, who frees?
+2. **const correctness**: What can and cannot be modified?
+3. **Error propagation**: How do errors bubble up from library to CLI?
+4. **Interface design**: How do you make it easy to use correctly and hard to use incorrectly?
+5. **Memory safety**: Are there ways this could leak or crash?
+
+This is learning code—clarity and correctness matter more than optimization.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/kv_store.h b/include/kv_store.h
index e69de29..9e884ba 100644
--- a/include/kv_store.h
+++ b/include/kv_store.h
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+#ifndef KV_STORE_H
+#define KV_STORE_H
+
+/*
+ * Key/Value structure containing a key and associated value.
+ */
+typedef struct {
+  char *key;
+  char *value;
+} kv_store_entry_t;
+
+/*
+ * Colleciton structure containing the entries of a Key/Value store.
+ */
+typedef struct {
+  kv_store_entry_t *entries;
+  int length;   // Current length of store
+  int capacity; // Capacity of store
+} kv_store_t;
+
+/*
+ * kv_store_entry_init - Initialize a Key/Value Store Entry
+ * @key: Key for the entry
+ * @value: Value for the entry
+ *
+ * Returns: Pointer to newly allocated kv_store_entry_t, or NULL on failure.
+ * Caller must free the returned pointer.
+ */
+kv_store_entry_t *kv_store_entry_init(const char *key, const char *value);
+
+/*
+ * kv_store_entry_copy - Copy a Key/Value Store Entry
+ * @entry: Entry to copy
+ *
+ * Returns: Pointer to newly allocated copy of kv_store_entry_t, or NULL on
+ * failure. Caller must free the returned pointer.
+ */
+kv_store_entry_t *kv_store_entry_copy(const kv_store_entry_t *entry);
+
+/*
+ * kv_store_entry_free - Free a Key/Value Store Entry
+ * @entry: Entry to free
+ */
+void kv_store_entry_free(kv_store_entry_t *entry);
+
+/*
+ * kv_store_init - Initialize a Key/Value Store
+ * @capacity: Initial capacity of the store
+ *
+ * Returns: Pointer to newly allocated kv_store_t, or NULL on failure. Caller
+ * must free the returned pointer.
+ */
+kv_store_t *kv_store_init(int capacity);
+
+/*
+ * kv_store_free - Free a Key/Value Store
+ * @store: Store to free
+ */
+void kv_store_free(kv_store_t *store);
+
+/*
+ * kv_store_get_entry - Get Key/Value Store Entry from Store
+ * @store: KV Store
+ * @key: Key to get from store.
+ *
+ * Returns: Pointer to newly allocated copy of the entry, or NULL if not found
+ * or on failure. Caller must free the returned pointer.
+ */
+kv_store_entry_t *kv_store_get_entry(const kv_store_t *store, const char *key);
+
+/*
+ * kv_store_set_entry - Set Key/Value Store Entry to Store
+ * @store: KV Store
+ * @key: Key to set or update in store.
+ *
+ * Returns: 1 if value is updated, 0 if the value was added, or -1 on
+ * failure.
+ */
+int kv_store_set_entry(kv_store_t *const store, const kv_store_entry_t *entry);
+
+/*
+ * kv_store_delete_entry - Delete Key/Value Store Entry from Store
+ * @store: KV Store
+ * @key: Key to delete from store.
+ *
+ * Returns: 1 if the value was deleted, 0 if the value was not found, or -1
+ * on failure.
+ */
+int kv_store_delete_entry(kv_store_t *const store, const char *key);
+
+#endif