diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 21637a0..9240015 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -192,3 +192,5 @@ Module.symvers
 Mkfile.old
 dkms.conf
 
+# project specific
+record_test_output
diff --git a/record.py b/record.py
index cd26bf4..b5df8d3 100644
--- a/record.py
+++ b/record.py
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+def filewrapper(file, mode):
+    if type(file) is str:
+        return open(file, mode)
+    elif hasattr(file, "read"):
+        return file
+    else:
+        raise ValueError("need string or file descriptor object")
+
 class FileParsingError(SyntaxError):
     pass
 
@@ -20,10 +28,7 @@ class Record:
 
 class RecordCollection():
     def __init__(self, file):
-        if type(file) is str:
-            fd = open(file, "r")
-        elif hasattr(file, "read"):
-            fd = file
+        fd = filewrapper(file, "r")
 
         self._fromFile(fd)
         self._parent()
@@ -76,3 +81,28 @@ class RecordCollection():
                 ret.append(self.objects[i])
 
         return ret
+
+    def write(self, file):
+        fd = filewrapper(file, "w")
+
+        lines = []
+        for i in self.objects:
+            if self.objects[i].children:
+                lines.append(f"cat {self.objects[i].name}:")
+            else:
+                lines.append(f"rec {self.objects[i].name}:")
+
+            for j in self.objects[i].data:
+                lines.append(
+                    f"  {j}: {self.objects[i].data[j]}"
+                )
+
+            lines.append("")
+
+        lines.pop()
+
+        for i in range(len(lines)):
+            lines[i] += "\n"
+
+        fd.writelines(lines)
+        fd.close()
diff --git a/record_test.py b/record_test.py
index 9202490..2e22e50 100644
--- a/record_test.py
+++ b/record_test.py
@@ -4,5 +4,6 @@ records = record.RecordCollection('datafile')
 
 entries = records.findEntrypoints()
 
+records.write("record_test_output")
 print(records.objects)
 print(entries)