diff --git a/serial_logger/src/serial_logger.c b/serial_logger/src/serial_logger.c
index 6a32f33..c4315f3 100644
--- a/serial_logger/src/serial_logger.c
+++ b/serial_logger/src/serial_logger.c
@@ -11,12 +11,14 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 static const char doc[] =
-	"Reads a serial terminal and outputs to a log file while also printing contents.\n"
+	"Reads a serial terminal and outputs to a log file while also printing "
+	"contents.\n"
 	"Any options that have a negation as well as an assertion will use "
 	"defaults for the provided tty if neither is provided.\n"
 	"If LOG_FILE is not given, will only output to stdout";
 static const char args_doc[] = "INPUT_FILE";
 
+// for the parsed CLI args, we want to know if the user explicitly set them, because if not, we dont want to touch them.
 typedef enum { TRUE, FALSE, DEFAULT } OptionalBool;
 
 // starts at 128 to make sure none of them are ascii printable.
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	NO_IGNCR
 } longOnlyOpts;
 
+// for storing the parsed CLI args.
 struct Arguments {
 	char* inFile;
 	char* logFile;
@@ -57,7 +60,8 @@ static struct argp_option options[] = {
 	{"igncr", ENABLE_IGNCR, 0, 0, "ignore cr", 0},
 	{"no-igncr", NO_IGNCR, 0, 0, "do not ignore cr", 0},
 	{"baud-rate", 'r', "BAUDRATE", 0,
-     "baud rate of the terminal.\nMust be a standard baud rate: 50,  75,  110,  134,  150,  200, 300, 600, 1200, 1800, "
+     "baud rate of the terminal.\nMust be a standard baud rate: 50,  75,  110, "
+     " 134,  150,  200, 300, 600, 1200, 1800, "
      "2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200, 230400, or 460800",
      0},
 	{0},
@@ -129,23 +133,6 @@ static error_t parseArgs(int key, char* arg, struct argp_state* state) {
 
 static struct argp argp = {options, parseArgs, args_doc, doc, 0, 0, 0};
 
-// static bool parseArgs(int argc, char* argv[], struct Arguments* arguments) {
-// 	bool succsess = true;
-// 	switch (argc) {
-// 	case 3:
-// 		arguments->logFile = argv[2];
-// 		// fallthrough
-// 	case 2:
-// 		arguments->inFile = argv[1];
-// 		break;
-// 	default:
-// 		printf("%s\n%s\n", args_doc, doc);
-// 		succsess = false;
-// 		break;
-// 	}
-// 	return succsess;
-// }
-
 // puts the current time into buff in the form of YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.
 // buff MUST BE at least 20 chars long.
 static bool getTimeString(char* buff) {
@@ -164,6 +151,7 @@ static bool getTimeString(char* buff) {
 	return succsess;
 }
 
+// puts the given string into the logfile alongside a basic timestamp.
 static bool sendToLog(FILE* logFile, char* lineBuff) {
 	bool succsess = true;
 	char currentTime[20] = "";
@@ -367,12 +355,16 @@ static bool setTTY(struct termios* tty, struct Arguments* arguments) {
 	return success;
 }
 
-static bool initInputFile(FILE** inFile, struct Arguments* arguments) {
+// opens the TTY file, and applies any options to the tty through termios that are non-DEFAULT in arguments.
+static bool initTTY(FILE** inFile, struct Arguments* arguments) {
 	bool succsess = true;
 	*inFile = fopen(arguments->inFile, "r");
+	// the tcgetattr and dcsetattr require POSIX file descriptors, but our reading and writing functions require file
+	// pointers. (I dont want to re-implement buffered input myself)
 	int fd = fileno(*inFile);
 	if (inFile != NULL || fd >= 0) {
 		struct termios tty;
+		// initalize the tty struct with current settings. This is required by POSIX.
 		if (tcgetattr(fd, &tty) == 0) {
 			if (setTTY(&tty, arguments) != 0) {
 				// Save tty settings, also checking for error
@@ -431,23 +423,17 @@ static void processLines(FILE* inFile, FILE* logFile) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
-	// for some reason, when doing this with a serial port, log.log never gets
-	// written to. I think this is becasue the program is terminated with
-	// ctrl-c, so the file descriptors dont close? adding fflushes fixes it, but
-	// I shouldnt need to add that.
-
 	int ret = EXIT_SUCCESS;
+	// an argument that is left DEFAULT will not change the tty from whatever state it was in before the start of the
+	// program.
 	static struct Arguments arguments = {NULL, NULL, DEFAULT, DEFAULT, 0, DEFAULT, DEFAULT, DEFAULT, 0};
 	argp_parse(&argp, argc, argv, 0, 0, &arguments);
 	FILE* inFile = NULL;
-	if (initInputFile(&inFile, &arguments)) {
+	if (initTTY(&inFile, &arguments)) {
 		FILE* outFile = NULL;
 		if (initLogFile(&outFile, arguments.logFile)) {
 			processLines(inFile, outFile);
 
-			// these things should be done by the OS when we exit.
-			// fclose(inFile);
-			// fclose(outFile);
 		} else {
 			ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
 		}