diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..299a121
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TODO
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Python:
+ - More options for accessing a heck tree.
+ - automated testing
+
+Guile, C (or D), and Haxe:
+ - Initial implementation
+
diff --git a/python/heckformat/parse.py b/python/heckformat/parse.py
index 19fa90b..23e6724 100644
--- a/python/heckformat/parse.py
+++ b/python/heckformat/parse.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ from .exceptions import HeckParseException
 
 HeckValue = TypeVar("HeckElement") | str | int | float
 
+UNPARSED_MARKER = "%%% UNPARSED %%% "
+
 class HeckElement:
     """
     Container for a tree of HECKformat elements.
@@ -30,11 +32,14 @@ class HeckElement:
         self.unparsed = False
 
     def flatten(self) -> Mapping:
+        """
+        Convert a hecktree element into a dictionary.
+        """
         output = {}
         for elm in self.children:
             elmval = []
             if elm.unparsed:
-                nam = '%%%UNPARSED%%% '+elm.name
+                nam = UNPARSED_MARKER+elm.name
                 val = '\n'.join(elm.values)
                 if nam in output:
                     output[nam] = '\n'.join([output[nam], val])
@@ -50,6 +55,37 @@ class HeckElement:
                     output[elm.name] = elmval
         return output
 
+    def get_flat_value(self) -> Union[List, HeckValue]:
+        if not len(self.values):
+            return None
+
+        if len(self.values) > 1:
+            return list(self.values)
+
+        return self.values[0]
+
+    def flatten_replace(self) -> Mapping:
+        """
+        Convert a hecktree element into a dictionary (but don't try to merge values, just pretend each key is unique)
+        """
+        output = {}
+        for elm in self.children:
+            if elm.unparsed:
+                nam = UNPARSED_MARKER+elm.name
+                val = '\n'.join(elm.values)
+                output[nam] = val
+            else:
+                elmval = None
+                if len(elm.children):
+                    elmval = {}
+                    elmval['children'] = elm.flatten_replace()
+                    elmval['value'] = elm.get_flat_value()
+                else:
+                    elmval = elm.get_flat_value()
+                output[elm.name] = elmval
+        return output
+
+
     def __str__(self):
         k=''
         if self.unparsed: