diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9aea658..fefeb05 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 .dir-locals.el
 bin/
-node_modules/
\ No newline at end of file
+node_modules/
+.root
diff --git a/_reformat-common.bash b/_reformat-common.bash
index 4cff1bb..20f22ff 100644
--- a/_reformat-common.bash
+++ b/_reformat-common.bash
@@ -2,6 +2,24 @@ function root() {
     echo "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
 }
 
+wfroot() {
+    dir="$1"
+    cat "$dir/.root"
+}
+
+function custom_formatter() {
+    root="$1"
+    file_type="$2"
+
+    maybe="$root/.would-reformat/$file_type"
+    if [[ -f "$maybe" ]] ; then
+        echo "$maybe"
+        return
+    fi
+        
+    echo "use-default"
+}
+
 function sniff_file_type() {
     ff=$1
     shift
@@ -39,3 +57,8 @@ function sniff_file_type() {
 
     echo $file_type
 }
+
+
+function wrflog() {
+    echo "$@" >> /tmp/wrflog
+}
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 54093d4..cf2086b 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -7,13 +7,18 @@ DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 
 here=$(pwd)
 
+pushd $DIR
+rm -f .root
+echo "$(pwd)" > .root
+popd
+
 ret=0
 
 # If this use of readlink breaks, see
 # https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/47710/find-only-destination-of-symlink
 # for discussion of alternatives.
 
-for i in _reformat-common.sh do-reformat.sh would-reformat.sh; do
+for i in _reformat-common.bash do-reformat.sh would-reformat.sh .root; do
     if [[ -f "$here"/bin/"$i" ]] ; then
         dest=$(readlink bin/$i)
         if [[ x"$dest" == x"$DIR/$i" ]] ; then
diff --git a/prettier.sh b/prettier.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..24df7f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prettier.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/bin/bash 
+
+set -uo pipefail
+IFS=$'\n\t'
+
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+
+source "$DIR/_reformat-common.bash"
+
+file="$1"
+
+wrflog running against file $file
+
+out=$(npx prettier --check $file 2>&1 >/dev/null)
+
+if [[ x"$WOULD_REFORMAT" = x"would_reformat" ]] ; then
+    out=$(npx prettier --check $file 2>&1 >/dev/null)
+    retval="$?"
+    exit "$retval"
+fi
+
+if [[ x"$WOULD_REFORMAT" = x"do_reformat" ]] ; then # 
+    out=$(npx prettier --write $file 2>&1 >/dev/null)
+    retval="$?"
+    exit "$retval"
+fi
+
+exit 255
diff --git a/would-reformat.sh b/would-reformat.sh
index ebd39aa..657daf6 100755
--- a/would-reformat.sh
+++ b/would-reformat.sh
@@ -5,12 +5,20 @@ IFS=$'\n\t'
 
 DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 
+source "$DIR/_reformat-common.bash"
+
+wrflog asdf asdf asdf
+
 file="$1"
 
-source "$DIR/_reformat-common.sh"
+## fixme use realpath or something on "$file"
+
+
 
 file_type=$(sniff_file_type $file)
 
+wrflog got file_type $file_type
+
 if [[ $file_type = "javascript" || \
     $file_type = "vue" || \
     $file_type = "typescript" || \
@@ -22,7 +30,10 @@ if [[ $file_type = "javascript" || \
     $file_type == "css" || \
     $file_type == "scss" || \
     $file_type = "sh" ]]; then
-    out=$(npx prettier --check $file 2>&1 >/dev/null)
+wrflog will run thing
+wrflog "$(wfroot $DIR)"
+wrflog "prettier: $(ls -l $(wfroot $DIR)/./prettier.sh)"
+    out=$(WOULD_REFORMAT=would_reformat $(wfroot $DIR)/./prettier.sh $file 2>&1 > /dev/null)
     retval="$?"
     success_retval=0
     would_reformat_retval=1