diff --git a/host/scripts/inlretro.lua b/host/scripts/inlretro.lua
index 2e4cac9..566dee0 100644
--- a/host/scripts/inlretro.lua
+++ b/host/scripts/inlretro.lua
@@ -1,31 +1,104 @@
 -- main script that runs application logic and flow
 
--- Dictionary table definitions
-dict = {}
-dict["DICT_PINPORT"] = 1
-dict["DICT_IO"] = 2
-dict["DICT_NES"] = 3
-dict["DICT_SNES"] = 4
-dict["DICT_BUFFER"] = 5
-dict["DICT_USB"] = 6
-dict["DICT_OPER"] = 7
-
-pinport = {}
-pinport["LED_IP"] = 65
-pinport["LED_OP"] = 66
-pinport["LED_OFF"] = 67
-pinport["LED_ON"] = 68
 
 USB_IN = 0x80	--device to host
 USB_OUT = 0x00	--host to device
 
+-- read all the C shared_dict*.h files and create tables with all values
+-- This isn't 'Nam there are rules!
+-- dictionary #define that start with underscore are skipped this skips over header and special cases
+-- currently only finds lowercase #define statements (seems C does too!)
+-- multiline comments /* comment */ are not permitted, will throw error!
+-- #define statements must have a numeric value such as: #define FOO 4
+-- #define without number will error like this: "#define FOO BAR" or "#define FOO BAR - 100" is bad too!
+-- fills passed in table with keys and values to be used for making usb dictionary calls
+-- accepts decimal or hex when 0x00 format
+
+function create_dict_tables( table, file )
+	assert(io.input(file, "r"))
+
+	local count = 0
+	local define = 0
+	local define_end = 0
+	local comment = 0
+	for line in io.lines() do
+		count = count + 1
+		--search for multiline comment opening, starting at index 1, plain search = true
+		if string.find( line, "/*", 1, true) then
+			print("\n\n!!!ERROR!!!\nmultiline comment found line number", count)
+			print("while parsing file:", file, "\nonly inline comments are permitted!!!\n")
+			error("multiline comments not allowed in dictionary files!")
+		end
+		define, define_end = string.find( line, "#define") 
+		if define then 
+			comment = string.find(line, "//")
+			--check for comment following define, if present cut out comment
+			if comment and (comment>define) then
+				line = string.sub(line, 1, comment-1 )
+			end
+			--check for comment prior to define, skip if present
+			if not (comment and (comment<define)) then 
+				--print( count, define, line) 
+				line = string.sub(line, define_end+1, -1)
+				--match alpha and any trailing printable chars besides white space
+				--this doesn't match guarded header/footer that starts with underscore
+				local key = string.match( line, "%s%a%g+" )
+				if key then
+	--print ("\n\n",line)
+					--key found, trim key from line
+					local key_start, key_end
+					key_start, key_end = string.find( line, key )
+					line = string.sub( line, key_end+1, -1)
+					--trim preceeding space needed to filter out underscore
+					key = string.match( key, "%a%g+" )
+					--match the number
+					if string.match( line, "[^%s0-9a-fxA-F]+") then
+			print("\n\n!!!ERROR!!!\ndictionary file #define parsing problem line:", count)
+			print("while parsing file:", file, "\n", line, "is not a number!!!\n")
+						error("dictionary #define statements must end with a number")
+					end
+
+					local number = string.match( line,  "%s+[0-9a-fxA-F]+")
+					if number then
+						number = string.match( number, "%s+[0-9a-fxA-F]+")
+					end
+	--print (number)
+					--at this point we have the key and value, just convert from string
+					number = tonumber( number )
+	--print("key/val:", key, number)
+	--print("key type:", type(key), "value type:", type(number))
+					--add the key and value pair to the table
+					table[key] = number
+				end
+			end
+		end
+	end
+end
+
 
 -- initial function called from C main
 function main ()
 	--			     print	dictionary		opcode               addr   miscdata endpt buffer length
-	print("dict_call ", dict_call( 1,	dict["DICT_PINPORT"],	pinport["LED_OFF"],	0,	0,	USB_IN,	nil,	1), "\n")
+	print("dict_call ", dict_call( 1,	dict["DICT_PINPORT"],	op_pinport["LED_OFF"],	0,	0,	USB_IN,	nil,	1), "\n")
 end
 
+-- Dictionary table definitions
+dict = {}
+op_pinport = {}
+op_buffer = {}
+op_io = {}
+op_operation = {}
+op_nes = {}
+op_snes = {}
+
 -- call functions desired to run when script is called
+create_dict_tables( dict, 	"../shared/shared_dictionaries.h")
+create_dict_tables( op_pinport, "../shared/shared_dict_pinport.h")
+create_dict_tables( op_buffer, 	"../shared/shared_dict_buffer.h")
+create_dict_tables( op_io,  	"../shared/shared_dict_io.h")
+create_dict_tables( op_operation,  "../shared/shared_dict_operation.h")
+create_dict_tables( op_nes,  	"../shared/shared_dict_nes.h")
+create_dict_tables( op_snes,  	"../shared/shared_dict_snes.h")
+
 main ()