diff --git a/src/cxxopts.cpp b/src/cxxopts.cpp
index 8e502fa..fb43c25 100644
--- a/src/cxxopts.cpp
+++ b/src/cxxopts.cpp
@@ -86,33 +86,63 @@ Options::parse(int& argc, char**& argv)
 
         for (int i = 0; i != s.size(); ++i)
         {
-          auto iter = m_short.find(std::string(1, s[i]));
+          std::string name(1, s[i]);
+          auto iter = m_short.find(name);
 
           if (iter == m_short.end())
           {
+            //argument not found
           }
 
           auto value = iter->second;
 
-          if (value->has_arg())
+          //if no argument then just add it
+          if (!value->has_arg())
           {
+            auto& v = m_parsed[name];
+            value->parse("", v);
+          }
+          else
+          {
+            //it must be the last argument
+            if (i + 1 == s.size())
+            {
+            }
+            else
+            {
+              //error
+            }
           }
         }
       }
       else if (result[1].length() != 0)
       {
-        if (result[3].length() != 0)
+        std::string name = result[1];
+      
+        auto iter = m_long.find(name);
+
+        if (iter == m_long.end())
         {
-          auto iter = m_long.find(result[3]);
+        }
 
-          if (iter == m_long.end())
+        auto opt = iter->second;
+
+        //equals provided for long option?
+        if (result[3].length() != 0)
+        {
+          //parse the option given
+        }
+        else
+        {
+          if (opt->has_arg())
           {
+            //parse the next argument
+          }
+          else
+          {
+            //parse with empty argument
           }
-
-          auto value = iter->second;
         }
-
-        //equals provided for long option?
       }
 
     }
diff --git a/src/cxxopts.hpp b/src/cxxopts.hpp
index aa89386..f45cf0b 100644
--- a/src/cxxopts.hpp
+++ b/src/cxxopts.hpp
@@ -40,19 +40,18 @@ namespace cxxopts
 
   extern std::basic_regex<char> option_specifier;
 
-  class OptionException : public std::exception
-  {
-  };
+  class MessageException
+  ;
 
-  class option_exists_error : public OptionException
+  class OptionException : public std::exception
   {
     public:
-    option_exists_error(const std::string& option)
+    OptionException(const std::string& message)
+    : m_message(message)
     {
-      m_message = u8"Option ‘" + option + u8"’ already exists";
     }
 
-    const char*
+    virtual const char*
     what() const noexcept
     {
       return m_message.c_str();
@@ -62,22 +61,41 @@ namespace cxxopts
     std::string m_message;
   };
 
-  class invalid_option_format_error : public OptionException
+  class OptionSpecException : public OptionException
   {
     public:
-    invalid_option_format_error(const std::string& format)
+
+    OptionSpecException(const std::string& message)
+    : OptionException(message)
     {
-      m_message = u8"Invalid option format ‘" + format + u8"’";
     }
+  };
 
-    const char*
-    what() const noexcept
+  class OptionParseException : public OptionException
+  {
+    public:
+    OptionParseException(const std::string& message)
+    : OptionException(message)
     {
-      return m_message.c_str();
     }
+  };
 
-    private:
-    std::string m_message;
+  class option_exists_error : public OptionSpecException
+  {
+    public:
+    option_exists_error(const std::string& option)
+    : OptionSpecException(u8"Option ‘" + option + u8"’ already exists")
+    {
+    }
+  };
+
+  class invalid_option_format_error : public OptionSpecException
+  {
+    public:
+    invalid_option_format_error(const std::string& format)
+    : OptionSpecException(u8"Invalid option format ‘" + format + u8"’")
+    {
+    }
   };
 
   class OptionAdder;
@@ -107,8 +125,13 @@ namespace cxxopts
       return m_parser->has_arg();
     }
 
+    void
+    parse(const std::string& text, boost::any& arg)
+    {
+      m_parser->parse(text, arg);
+    }
+
     private:
-    boost::any m_value;
     std::string m_desc;
     std::shared_ptr<const Value> m_parser;
   };
@@ -128,6 +151,8 @@ namespace cxxopts
 
     std::map<std::string, std::shared_ptr<OptionDetails>> m_short;
     std::map<std::string, std::shared_ptr<OptionDetails>> m_long;
+
+    std::map<std::string, boost::any> m_parsed;
   };
 
   class OptionAdder
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 1f58c9f..df6a4cb 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   options.add_options()
     ("a,apple", "an apple")
     ("b,bob", "Bob")
+    ("b,bob", "Bob")
   ;
 
   options.parse(argc, argv);