diff --git a/code/code_gen/code_gen.py b/code/code_gen/code_gen.py
index e126781..5a10cf1 100644
--- a/code/code_gen/code_gen.py
+++ b/code/code_gen/code_gen.py
@@ -1,8 +1,18 @@
 
+import os, sys
+
+import argparse
+
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+parser.add_argument("term_file", help="name of file containing postprocessing term spec")
+parser.add_argument("-b", "--build-info", action="store_true", help="print build_info instead of code")
+args = parser.parse_args()
+
 from lark import Lark, Visitor, Transformer, v_args, Token
 
 from post import *
 
+from resources.m_template import mod_form
 
 calc_grammar = """
     ?varlist: "[" [NAME ("," NAME)*] "]"
@@ -63,35 +73,39 @@ class VersionInfo(object):
         import os, datetime
         import subprocess as sp
 
-        bd = 'character (len=*), parameter :: build_date="{}"'
-        bb = 'character (len=*), parameter :: build_base="{}"'
+        bd = 'build date: {}'
+        bb = 'build base: {}'
 
         self.build_date = bd.format(datetime.datetime.today().ctime())
 
         try:
             self.build_base = bb.format(sp.check_output(["git", "rev-parse", "HEAD"]).strip())
-        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+        except sp.CalledProcessError:
             self.build_base = "None"
 
-        tinfo = 'character (len=*), parameter :: term_info={}'
+        try:
+            sp.check_output("git diff --exit-code".split())
+            sp.check_output("git diff --cached --exit-code".split())
+            self.off_base = ""
+        except sp.CalledProcessError:
+            self.off_base = "built with changes not commited"
 
-        self.lines = input_raw.split(os.linesep)
+        tinfo = '''
+================================================================================
+************************************ terms *************************************
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+{}
+================================================================================
+'''
 
-        nl = len(self.lines)
-
-        self.term_info = tinfo.format("//char(10)//".join(map('"{}"'.format, self.lines)))
+        self.term_info = tinfo.format(input_raw)
 
     def fparams (self):
-        return "\n".join([self.build_date, self.build_base, self.term_info])
+        return "\n".join([self.build_date, self.build_base, self.off_base, self.term_info])
 
-def test():
 
-    with open("resources/m_template.f90") as template_file:
-        mod_form = template_file.read()
-
-    with open("terms.input") as inputfile:
-        terms_raw = ((inputfile.read()))
 
+def test(terms_raw):
 
     tree = Lark(calc_grammar, parser='lalr' ).parse(terms_raw)
 
@@ -107,13 +121,24 @@ def test():
 
     print mod_form.format( cdict )
 
-    # print mod_form.format( ir4.print_program() )
-
-    # print mod_form.format( ir3.print_program() )
-
     # ir4.save_ir()
 
 
 
+def build_info(terms_raw):
+
+    vinfo = VersionInfo(terms_raw)
+
+    print vinfo.fparams()
+
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    test()
+
+    with open(args.term_file) as inputfile:
+        terms_raw = ((inputfile.read()))
+
+    if args.build_info:
+        build_info(terms_raw)
+    else:
+        test(terms_raw)
diff --git a/code/code_gen/resources/__init__.py b/code/code_gen/resources/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/code/code_gen/resources/m_template.f90 b/code/code_gen/resources/m_template.py
similarity index 96%
rename from code/code_gen/resources/m_template.f90
rename to code/code_gen/resources/m_template.py
index 3a5fb3b..7f9fd01 100644
--- a/code/code_gen/resources/m_template.f90
+++ b/code/code_gen/resources/m_template.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-module m_{0[module_name]}
+mod_form='''module m_{0[module_name]}
 
 use m_openmpi
 use m_parameters
@@ -77,3 +77,4 @@ end subroutine m_{0[module_name]}_write_result
 
 
 end module m_{0[module_name]}
+'''
diff --git a/code/makefile b/code/makefile
index 97cb73c..ef43297 100644
--- a/code/makefile
+++ b/code/makefile
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ x-edge-cold-bc-uPrime-hybrid : ${MODULES} ${OBJ} print_build_info.o build_info.o
 
 ${OBJ} : ${MODULES}
 
-m_terms.f90 : code_gen/code_gen.py code_gen/terms.input code_gen/resources/m_template.f90
-	cd code_gen && python code_gen.py > ../$@
+m_terms.f90 : code_gen/code_gen.py code_gen/terms.input code_gen/resources/m_template.py
+	python code_gen/code_gen.py code_gen/terms.input > $@
 
 %.o: %.f90
 	${compiler} -c ${flags} $<
@@ -62,11 +62,4 @@ build_info.o : build_info.txt
 	ld -r -b binary -o build_info.o build_info.txt
 
 build_info.txt : code_gen/terms.input
-	echo "<<build date>>" > build_info.txt
-	date >> build_info.txt
-	echo "<<build base revision>>" >> build_info.txt
-	git rev-parse HEAD >> build_info.txt
-	echo "<<git status>>" >> build_info.txt
-	git status >> build_info.txt
-	echo "<<terms>>" >> build_info.txt
-	cat code_gen/terms.input >> build_info.txt
+	python code_gen/code_gen.py -b code_gen/terms.input > build_info.txt