diff --git a/bitwise/ion/Makefile b/bitwise/ion/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6240cd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bitwise/ion/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+TARGET :=	ion
+OBJS :=		$(TARGET).o
+CFLAGS :=	-g
+
+all: $(TARGET)
+
+$(TARGET): $(OBJS)
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ $(OBJS)
+
+.PHONY: clean
+clean:
+	rm -f $(OBJS) $(TARGET)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bitwise/ion/ion.c b/bitwise/ion/ion.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4062c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bitwise/ion/ion.c
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+
+
+// stretchy buffers
+static size_t
+buf_len(void *buf)
+{
+	return *(size_t *)(buf - (2 * sizeof(size_t)));
+}
+
+static void
+buf_set_len(void *buf, size_t len)
+{
+	*(size_t *)(buf - (2 * sizeof(size_t))) = len;
+}
+
+static size_t
+buf_cap(void *buf)
+{
+	return *(size_t *)(buf - sizeof(size_t));
+}
+
+static size_t
+buf_set_cap(void *buf, size_t cap)
+{
+	*(size_t *)(buf - sizeof(size_t)) = cap;
+}
+
+static const size_t buf_overhead = 2 * sizeof(size_t);
+
+static void
+buf_allocate(void **buf, size_t nelem, size_t size)
+{
+	size_t	len = 0, cap = nelem * size;
+	if (*buf == NULL) {
+		*buf = malloc(buf_overhead + cap);
+		*buf += buf_overhead;
+	}
+	else {
+		len = buf_len(*buf);
+		assert(len < cap);
+		void *new_buf = malloc(buf_overhead + cap);
+		new_buf += buf_overhead;
+		memcpy(new_buf, *buf, cap);
+		free(*buf);
+		*buf = new_buf;
+	}
+
+	buf_set_len(*buf, len);
+	buf_set_cap(*buf, cap);
+}
+
+static bool
+buf_must_grow(void *buf)
+{
+	return (buf == NULL) || (buf_len(buf) == buf_cap(buf));
+}
+
+static const size_t buf_initial_length = 32;
+
+#define buf_push(buf, x)	{ \
+	if ((void *)buf == NULL) { buf_allocate((void **)&(buf), buf_initial_length, sizeof((x))); } \
+	if (buf_must_grow((void *)(buf))) { buf_allocate((void **)&(buf), 2 * buf_cap((void *)(buf)), 1); } \
+	(buf)[buf_len((buf))] = (x); \
+	buf_set_len((void *)(buf), buf_len((void *)(buf)) + 1); \
+} \
+
+static void
+buf_free(void *buf)
+{
+	buf = (void *)buf - buf_overhead;
+	free(buf);
+}
+
+/*
+ * 1. NULL? → allocate with default size (32?)
+ * 2. 
+ */
+
+int
+main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	int	*buf = NULL;
+	buf_push(buf, 47); // std::vector::push_back
+	// now buf actually points to a buffer
+	buf_push(buf, 1234);
+
+	printf("buf length: %lu / cap: %lu\n", buf_len(buf), buf_cap(buf));
+	for (int i = 0; i < buf_len(buf); i++) {
+		printf("%d\n", buf[i]);
+	}
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < 1024; i++) {
+		buf_push(buf, i+1);
+	}
+	printf("buf length: %lu / cap: %lu\n", buf_len(buf), buf_cap(buf));
+
+	buf_free(buf);
+	return 0;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bitwise/ion/notes.txt b/bitwise/ion/notes.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30584a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bitwise/ion/notes.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+NOTES
+=====
+
+2018-03-15
+----------
+
++ chapter 2 - 4.1 of Wirth's [compiler book](http://www.ethoberon.ethz.ch/WirthPubl/CBEAll.pdf)
+
+stretch buffers:
++ dynamically growable arrays such that with a few pitfalls but is easy to generate
++ invented by stb?
\ No newline at end of file