diff --git a/lib/format_text/format-text.c b/lib/format_text/format-text.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a4439a9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/format_text/format-text.c
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2001 Sistina Software (UK) Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is released under the LGPL.
+ */
+
+#include "format-text.h"
+
+#include "log.h"
+#include "pool.h"
+#include "config.h"
+#include "hash.h"
+
+/*
+ * The text format is a human readable metadata
+ * format that will be used to store the metadata
+ * backups from the LVM2 system.  By being human
+ * readable it is hoped that people will be able
+ * to recieve a lot more support when things go
+ * wrong.
+ *
+ * The format instance is given a directory path
+ * upon creation.  Each file in this directory
+ * whose name is of the form '*.vg' is a config
+ * file (see lib/config.[hc]), which contains a
+ * description of a single volume group.
+ *
+ * The prefix of the config file gives the volume group
+ * name.
+ */
+
+
+struct text_c {
+	char *dir;
+};
+
+
+
+/*
+ * Returns a list of config files, one for each
+ * .vg file in the given directory.
+ */
+struct config_list {
+	struct list list;
+	struct config_file *cf;
+};
+
+struct list *_get_configs(struct pool *mem, const char *dir)
+{
+	
+}
+
+void _put_configs(struct pool *mem, struct list *configs)
+{
+	struct list *cfh;
+	struct config_list *cl;
+
+	list_iterate(cfh, configs) {
+		cl = list_item(cfh, struct config_file);
+		destroy_config_file(cl->cf);
+	}
+
+	pool_free(mem, configs);
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * Just returns the vg->name fields
+struct list *get_vgs(struct format_instance *fi)
+{
+	struct text_c *tc = (struct text_c *) fi->private;
+
+	
+}
+
+struct list *get_pvs(struct format_instance *fi)
+{
+
+}
+
+struct physical_volume *pv_read(struct format_instance *fi,
+				const char *pv_name)
+{
+
+}
+
+int pv_setup(struct format_instance *fi, struct physical_volume *pv,
+		struct volume_group *vg)
+{
+
+}
+
+int pv_write(struct format_instance *fi, struct physical_volume *pv)
+{
+
+}
+
+int vg_setup(struct format_instance *fi, struct volume_group *vg)
+{
+
+}
+
+struct volume_group *vg_read(struct format_instance *fi, const char *vg_name)
+{
+
+}
+
+int vg_write(struct format_instance *fi, struct volume_group *vg)
+{
+
+}
+
+void destroy(struct format_instance *fi)
+{
+	/*
+	 * We don't need to do anything here since
+	 * everything is allocated from the pool.
+	 */
+}
+
+
+static struct format_handler _text_handler = {
+	get_vgs: _get_vgs,
+	get_pvs: _get_pvs,
+	pv_read: _pv_read,
+	pv_setup: _pv_setup,
+	pv_write: _pv_write,
+	vg_setup: _vg_setup,
+	vg_read: _vg_read,
+	vg_write: _vg_write,
+	destroy: _destroy
+};
+
+struct format_instance *text_format_create(struct cmd_context *cmd,
+					   const char *dir)
+{
+	struct format_instance *fi;
+	struct text_c *tc = NULL;
+
+	if (!(tc = pool_zalloc(cmd->mem, sizeof(*tc)))) {
+		stack;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (!(tc->dir = pool_strdup(cmd->mem, dir))) {
+		stack;
+		goto bad;
+	}
+
+	if (!(fi = pool_alloc(cmd->mem, sizeof(*fi)))) {
+		stack;
+		goto bad;
+	}
+
+	fi->cmd = cmd;
+	fi->ops = _text_handler;
+	fi->private = tc;
+
+	return fi;
+
+ bad:
+	pool_free(mem, tc);
+	return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/lib/format_text/format-text.h b/lib/format_text/format-text.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7121ec67b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/format_text/format-text.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2001 Sistina Software (UK) Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is released under the LGPL.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _LVM_FORMAT_TEXT_H
+#define _LVM_FORMAT_TEXT_H
+
+struct format_instance *text_format_create(struct cmd_context,
+					   const char *dir);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/lib/format_text/import-export.c b/lib/format_text/import-export.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ffeacddbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/format_text/import-export.c
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2001 Sistina Software (UK) Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is released under the LGPL.
+ */
+
+#include "text-rep.h"
+
+struct volume_group *text_vg_import(struct pool *mem, struct config_file *cf)
+{
+	log_err("text_vg_import not implemented yet.");
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+struct config_file *text_vg_export(struct pool *mem, struct volume_group *vg)
+{
+	
+}
+
diff --git a/lib/format_text/import-export.h b/lib/format_text/import-export.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..766ebabbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/format_text/import-export.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2001 Sistina Software (UK) Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is released under the LGPL.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _LVM_TEXT_IMPORT_EXPORT_H
+#define _LVM_TEXT_IMPORT_EXPORT_H
+
+struct volume_group *text_vg_import(struct pool *mem, struct config_file *cf);
+struct config_file *text_vg_export(struct pool *mem, struct volume_group *vg);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/lib/format_text/sample.vg b/lib/format_text/sample.vg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d44b453c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/format_text/sample.vg
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# An example volume group
+
+vg {
+	id = "ksjdlfksjldskjlsk"
+	name = "sample_volume_group"
+
+	status = [???]
+
+	extent_size = 8192 	# 4M
+	extent_count = 1024
+	free_count = 430
+
+	max_lv = 99
+        max_pv = 255
+
+	physical_volumes = ["pv1", "pv2"]
+	logical_volumes = ["lv1", "lv2"]
+}
+
+pv1 {
+	id = "lksjdflksdlsk"
+
+	major = 123
+	minor = 23
+
+	status = [???]
+        size = ??
+
+	pe_start = 8192
+        pe_count = 300
+        pe_allocated = 30
+}
+
+lv1 {
+	id = "lksdflskj"
+        name = "music"
+
+        status = [???]
+	read_ahead = 1024
+	stripes = 1
+
+        size = ??
+        le_count = 30
+
+        map = ["pv1", 0,
+	       "pv2", 1,
+	       ...
+              ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file