diff --git a/codec/decode.go b/codec/decode.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e665e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codec/decode.go
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+package codec
+
+import "io"
+
+// Decoder wraps an [io.Reader] and decodes data from it.
+type Decoder struct {
+	io.Reader
+}
+
+// ReadFull calls [io.ReadFull] on the reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadFull(buffer []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	return io.ReadFull(this, buffer)
+}
+
+// ReadByte decodes a single byte from the input reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadByte() (value byte, n int, err error) {
+	uncasted, n, err := this.ReadUint8()
+	return byte(uncasted), n, err
+}
+
+// ReadInt8 decodes an 8-bit signed integer from the input reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadInt8() (value int8, n int, err error) {
+	uncasted, n, err := this.ReadUint8()
+	return int8(uncasted), n, err
+}
+
+// ReadUint8 decodes an 8-bit unsigned integer from the input reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadUint8() (value uint8, n int, err error) {
+	buffer := [1]byte { }
+	n, err = this.ReadFull(buffer[:])
+	return uint8(buffer[0]), n, err
+}
+
+// ReadInt16 decodes an 16-bit signed integer from the input reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadInt16() (value int16, n int, err error) {
+	uncasted, n, err := this.ReadUint16()
+	return int16(uncasted), n, err
+}
+
+// ReadUint16 decodes an 16-bit unsigned integer from the input reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadUint16() (value uint16, n int, err error) {
+	buffer := [2]byte { }
+	n, err = this.ReadFull(buffer[:])
+	return uint16(buffer[0]) << 8 |
+		uint16(buffer[1]), n, err
+}
+
+// ReadInt32 decodes an 32-bit signed integer from the input reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadInt32() (value int32, n int, err error) {
+	uncasted, n, err := this.ReadUint32()
+	return int32(uncasted), n, err
+}
+
+// ReadUint32 decodes an 32-bit unsigned integer from the input reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadUint32() (value uint32, n int, err error) {
+	buffer := [4]byte { }
+	n, err = this.ReadFull(buffer[:])
+	return uint32(buffer[0]) << 24 |
+		uint32(buffer[1]) << 16 |
+		uint32(buffer[2]) << 8 |
+		uint32(buffer[3]), n, err
+}
+
+// ReadInt64 decodes an 64-bit signed integer from the input reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadInt64() (value int64, n int, err error) {
+	uncasted, n, err := this.ReadUint64()
+	return int64(uncasted), n, err
+}
+
+// ReadUint64 decodes an 64-bit unsigned integer from the input reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadUint64() (value uint64, n int, err error) {
+	buffer := [8]byte { }
+	n, err = this.ReadFull(buffer[:])
+	return uint64(buffer[0]) << 56 |
+		uint64(buffer[1]) << 48 |
+		uint64(buffer[2]) << 48 |
+		uint64(buffer[3]) << 32 |
+		uint64(buffer[4]) << 24 |
+		uint64(buffer[5]) << 16 |
+		uint64(buffer[6]) << 8 |
+		uint64(buffer[7]), n, err
+}
+
+// ReadGBEU decodes a growing unsigned integer of up to 64 bits from the input
+// reader.
+func (this *Decoder) ReadGBEU() (value uint64, n int, err error) {
+	var fullValue uint64
+	for {
+		chunk, nn, err := this.ReadByte()
+		if err != nil { return 0, n, err }
+		n += nn
+		
+		fullValue *= 0x80
+		fullValue += uint64(chunk & 0x7F)
+		ccb := chunk >> 7
+		if ccb == 0 {
+			return fullValue, n, nil
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/codec/encode.go b/codec/encode.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a18febd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codec/encode.go
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+package codec
+
+import "io"
+
+// Encoder wraps an [io.Writer] and encodes data to it.
+type Encoder struct {
+	io.Writer
+}
+
+// WriteInt8 encodes an 8-bit signed integer to the output writer.
+func (this *Encoder) WriteInt8(value int8) (n int, err error) {
+	return this.WriteUint8(uint8(value))
+}
+
+// WriteUint8 encodes an 8-bit unsigned integer to the output writer.
+func (this *Encoder) WriteUint8(value uint8) (n int, err error) {
+	return this.Write([]byte { byte(value) })
+}
+
+// WriteInt16 encodes an 16-bit signed integer to the output writer.
+func (this *Encoder) WriteInt16(value int16) (n int, err error) {
+	return this.WriteUint16(uint16(value))
+}
+
+// WriteUint16 encodes an 16-bit unsigned integer to the output writer.
+func (this *Encoder) WriteUint16(value uint16) (n int, err error) {
+	return this.Write([]byte {
+		byte(value >> 8),
+		byte(value),
+	})
+}
+
+// WriteInt32 encodes an 32-bit signed integer to the output writer.
+func (this *Encoder) WriteInt32(value int32) (n int, err error) {
+	return this.WriteUint32(uint32(value))
+}
+
+// WriteUint32 encodes an 32-bit unsigned integer to the output writer.
+func (this *Encoder) WriteUint32(value uint32) (n int, err error) {
+	return this.Write([]byte {
+		byte(value >> 24),
+		byte(value >> 16),
+		byte(value >> 8),
+		byte(value),
+	})
+}
+
+// WriteInt64 encodes an 64-bit signed integer to the output writer.
+func (this *Encoder) WriteInt64(value int64) (n int, err error) {
+	return this.WriteUint64(uint64(value))
+}
+
+// WriteUint64 encodes an 64-bit unsigned integer to the output writer.
+func (this *Encoder) WriteUint64(value uint64) (n int, err error) {
+	return this.Write([]byte {
+		byte(value >> 56),
+		byte(value >> 48),
+		byte(value >> 40),
+		byte(value >> 32),
+		byte(value >> 24),
+		byte(value >> 16),
+		byte(value >> 8),
+		byte(value),
+	})
+}
+
+// EncodeGBEU encodes a growing unsigned integer of up to 64 bits to the output
+// writer.
+func (this *Encoder) EncodeGBEU(value uint64) (n int, err error) {
+	// increase if go somehow gets support for over 64 bit integers. we
+	// could also make an expanding int type in goutil to use here, or maybe
+	// there is one in the stdlib. keep this int64 version as well though
+	// because its ergonomic.
+	buffer := [16]byte { }
+	
+	window := (GBEUSize(value) - 1) * 7
+	index := 0
+	for window >= 0 {
+		chunk := uint8(value >> window) & 0x7F
+		if window > 0 {
+			chunk |= 0x80
+		}
+		buffer[index] = chunk
+		
+		index += 1
+		window -= 7
+	}
+	
+	return this.Write(buffer[:])
+}
diff --git a/codec/measure.go b/codec/measure.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..777a982
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codec/measure.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package codec
+
+// GBEUSize returns the size (in octets) of a GBEU integer.
+func GBEUSize(value uint64) int {
+	length := 0
+	for {
+		value >>= 7
+		length ++
+		if value == 0 { return length }
+	}
+}