diff --git a/.DS_Store b/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..edeb248
Binary files /dev/null and b/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/buffer.hpp b/buffer.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1696510
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buffer.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+#pragma once
+#include "record.hpp"
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <vector>
+
+// Main buffer pool - owns all memory
+class BufferPool {
+private:
+    std::vector<Record> storage;
+    int buffer_capacity;
+    int num_buffers;
+
+public:
+    BufferPool(int num_buffers, int buffer_capacity)
+        : storage(num_buffers * buffer_capacity)
+        , buffer_capacity(buffer_capacity)
+        , num_buffers(num_buffers)
+    {
+    }
+
+    Record* get_buffer_ptr(int index)
+    {
+        return storage.data() + (index * buffer_capacity);
+    }
+
+    int get_buffer_capacity() const { return buffer_capacity; }
+    int get_num_buffers() const { return num_buffers; }
+    int total_capacity() const { return storage.size(); }
+
+    // Sort entire pool (for stage 1 - creating runs)
+    void sort_all(int count)
+    {
+        std::sort(storage.begin(), storage.begin() + count);
+    }
+};
+
+// View into a section of the buffer pool
+class BufferView {
+private:
+    Record* data;
+    int capacity;
+    int length;
+
+public:
+    BufferView(Record* ptr, int cap)
+        : data(ptr)
+        , capacity(cap)
+        , length(0)
+    {
+    }
+
+    // Read up to capacity records from stream
+    int read_from(std::istream& in)
+    {
+        length = 0;
+        for (int i = 0; i < capacity; i++) {
+            if (!(in >> data[i])) {
+                break;
+            }
+            length++;
+        }
+        return length;
+    }
+
+    // Write all current records to stream
+    bool write_to(std::ostream& out) const
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+            out << data[i] << '\n';
+            if (!out)
+                return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    // For stage 2: peek at front record without consuming
+    const Record& front() const { return data[0]; }
+
+    // For stage 2: consume the front record
+    void pop_front()
+    {
+        if (length > 0) {
+            for (int i = 0; i < length - 1; i++) {
+                data[i] = data[i + 1];
+            }
+            length--;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Refill from stream when buffer becomes empty during merge
+    bool refill_from(std::istream& in)
+    {
+        return read_from(in) > 0;
+    }
+
+    int size() const { return length; }
+    int get_capacity() const { return capacity; }
+    bool empty() const { return length == 0; }
+    bool full() const { return length == capacity; }
+
+    Record& operator[](int i) { return data[i]; }
+    const Record& operator[](int i) const { return data[i]; }
+};
+
+// For output buffer during merge
+class OutputBuffer {
+private:
+    Record* data;
+    int capacity;
+    int length;
+
+public:
+    OutputBuffer(Record* ptr, int cap)
+        : data(ptr)
+        , capacity(cap)
+        , length(0)
+    {
+    }
+
+    // Add record to output buffer
+    bool add(const Record& rec)
+    {
+        if (length >= capacity) {
+            return false; // Buffer full
+        }
+        data[length++] = rec;
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    // Flush buffer to stream and reset
+    bool flush_to(std::ostream& out)
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+            out << data[i] << '\n';
+            if (!out)
+                return false;
+        }
+        length = 0;
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    bool full() const { return length >= capacity; }
+    int size() const { return length; }
+};
diff --git a/config.hpp b/config.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7bdc3c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+#pragma once
+#include <getopt.h>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <string>
+
+class Configuration {
+public:
+    std::string input_file = "1.in";
+    std::string output_file = "1.in";
+    std::string directory = "tmp";
+    bool generate_data = false;
+    int N = 100000; // number of records in a file
+    int n = 101; // number of buffers
+    int b = 10; // blocking factor
+
+    static Configuration parse_args(int argc, char** argv)
+    {
+        if (argc <= 1) {
+            std::cerr << "Please specify input arguments\n";
+            std::cerr << "Usage: " << argv[0] << " [-g] [-N count] [-i input] [-o output] [-d directory] [-n buffers] [-b block_size]\n";
+            throw std::invalid_argument("No input arguments");
+        }
+        Configuration config;
+        bool input_set = false;
+        int opt;
+
+        while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "i:o:d:gN:n:b:")) != -1) {
+            switch (opt) {
+            case 'i':
+                config.input_file = optarg;
+                input_set = true;
+                break;
+            case 'o':
+                config.output_file = optarg;
+                break;
+            case 'd':
+                config.directory = optarg;
+                break;
+            case 'g':
+                config.generate_data = true;
+                break;
+            case 'N':
+                config.N = std::stoi(optarg);
+                break;
+            case 'n':
+                config.n = std::stoi(optarg);
+                break;
+            case 'b':
+                config.b = std::stoi(optarg);
+                break;
+            case '?':
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid command line argument");
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (config.generate_data && input_set) {
+            throw std::invalid_argument("Cannot specify both -g and -i options");
+        }
+
+        return config;
+    }
+};
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1403137
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#include "config.hpp"
+#include "record.hpp"
+#include <fstream>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+
+int generate_file(int N, const std::string& filename)
+{
+    std::ofstream out(filename);
+    if (!out) {
+        std::cerr << "Failed to open output file: " << filename << '\n';
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+        Record rec = Record::random();
+        out << rec << '\n';
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int sort_file(const Configuration& opts)
+{
+    // TODO: Implement sorting with new buffer classes
+    std::cout << "Sorting not yet implemented\n";
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+    try {
+        Configuration opts = Configuration::parse_args(argc, argv);
+
+        if (opts.generate_data) {
+            return generate_file(opts.N, opts.output_file);
+        }
+
+        return sort_file(opts);
+
+    } catch (const std::exception& e) {
+        std::cerr << "Error: " << e.what() << '\n';
+        return 1;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/record.hpp b/record.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..411663f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/record.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#pragma once
+#include <array>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <random>
+
+class Record {
+public:
+    std::array<int, 5> a;
+    int x;
+
+    int evaluate() const
+    {
+        int out = 0;
+        int x_n = 1;
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+            out += a[i] * x_n;
+            x_n *= x;
+        }
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    bool operator<(const Record& other) const
+    {
+        return evaluate() < other.evaluate();
+    }
+
+    friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const Record& r)
+    {
+        os << r.a[0] << ' ' << r.a[1] << ' ' << r.a[2] << ' '
+           << r.a[3] << ' ' << r.a[4] << ' ' << r.x;
+        return os;
+    }
+
+    friend std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, Record& r)
+    {
+        is >> r.a[0] >> r.a[1] >> r.a[2] >> r.a[3] >> r.a[4] >> r.x;
+        return is;
+    }
+
+    static Record random()
+    {
+        static std::random_device rd;
+        static std::mt19937 gen(rd());
+        static std::uniform_int_distribution<int> dist;
+
+        Record r;
+        for (int& val : r.a) {
+            val = dist(gen);
+        }
+        r.x = dist(gen);
+        return r;
+    }
+};
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