diff --git a/coursebuilder/__main__.py b/coursebuilder/__main__.py
index 996e426..bc36a3d 100644
--- a/coursebuilder/__main__.py
+++ b/coursebuilder/__main__.py
@@ -11,16 +11,17 @@ actual values are kept in YAML files in order to version them with git.
 """
 
 from argparse import ArgumentParser
-import yaml
 import string
 import os,sys
+import yaml
+import pandas as pd
+
 
 from tablegenerator import TableGenerator
 from markdowngenerator import MarkdownGenerator
 from templategenerator import TemplateGenerator
 from metagenerator import MetaGenerator
 
-
 class CourseBuilder:
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -39,7 +40,10 @@ class CourseBuilder:
         parser.add_argument('--level',type=int,default=1,help="level of header tags")
         parser.add_argument('--table-gen',type=str,default=None,help='runs table generator')
         parser.add_argument('--template',type=str,default=None,help='defines a template to be used with fields')
-        
+        parser.add_argument('-o','--out',type=str,default=None,help='set the output type')
+
+        parser.add_argument('--maxcol',type=int,default=28,help='maximum size of left column')
+
         # get arguments
         args = parser.parse_args()
         
@@ -114,14 +118,21 @@ class CourseBuilder:
                     generator = MetaGenerator()
                     generator.set_schema(actual_schema)
 
-                    table_items = generator.process(yaml.load(fm,Loader=yaml.Loader),fields=actual_fields,lang=args.lang,pagebreak=args.pagebreak,createTitle=args.title,header_level=args.level,template=args.template)
+                    meta = yaml.load(fm,Loader=yaml.Loader)
 
-                    if args.template:
-                        TemplateGenerator.generate(table_items)
-                    else:
-                        MarkdownGenerator.generate(table_items,pagebreak=args.pagebreak,title=args.title,header_level=args.level)
+                    table_items = generator.process(meta=meta,fields=actual_fields,lang=args.lang)
 
-                    # print(table_items)
+                    df = pd.DataFrame(table_items)
+                    df.columns = df.iloc[0]
+                    df = df[1:]
+                    print(df.to_markdown(tablefmt='grid', index=False, maxcolwidths=[args.maxcol,None]))
+                    print('\n')
+
+                    if args.pagebreak:
+                        print('\\pagebreak')
+
+
+                        # MarkdownGenerator.generate(table_items,pagebreak=args.pagebreak,title=args.title,header_level=args.level)
 
         else:
             parser.print_help()
diff --git a/coursebuilder/metagenerator.py b/coursebuilder/metagenerator.py
index fe70f33..4d3ef52 100644
--- a/coursebuilder/metagenerator.py
+++ b/coursebuilder/metagenerator.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import os,string,sys
-import yaml
 
 class MetaGenerator:
 
@@ -92,7 +91,7 @@ class MetaGenerator:
         return [k,', '.join(parts)]
 
 
-    def process(self,meta,fields = [],lang = 'de',pagebreak = False,createTitle=False,header_level=1,template=None):
+    def process(self,meta,fields = [],lang = 'de'):
 
         table_items = []
 
diff --git a/coursebuilder/tablegenerator.py b/coursebuilder/tablegenerator.py
index 3bdc6f5..824e714 100644
--- a/coursebuilder/tablegenerator.py
+++ b/coursebuilder/tablegenerator.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import string
 import tempfile
 import subprocess
 import os
+import pandas as pd
+import tabulate
 
 class TableGenerator:
     """
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0f7ee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+numpy==1.26.4
+pandas==2.2.2
+python-dateutil==2.9.0.post0
+pytz==2024.1
+six==1.16.0
+tabulate==0.9.0
+tzdata==2024.1
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a11f91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+
+build_dir := build
+target_en := ${build_dir}/table.en.pdf
+target_de := ${build_dir}/table.de.pdf
+
+target_flags := --template pandoc-template/eisvogel.latex
+
+coursebuilder := ../coursebuilder
+
+${target_en}:
+	@echo "creating English version ..."
+	mkdir -p ${build_dir}
+	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml -l en -f fields.yaml | pandoc ${target_flags} -o ${target_en}
+
+${target_de}:
+	@echo "creating German version ..."
+	mkdir -p ${build_dir}
+	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml -l de -f fields.yaml | pandoc ${target_flags} -o ${target_de}
+
+all: ${target_de} ${target_en}
+
+clean: 
+	rm ${target_de} ${target_en}
+
+# debug-template:
+# 	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml mod.interactsys.yaml -l de -f name credits goal content --template "$$name | $$credits"
+
+# debug-markdown:
+# 	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml mod.interactsys.yaml -l de -f name credits 
+
+# debug-book:
+# 	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -b book.yaml -l de 
+
+debug:
+	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml mod.interactsys.yaml mod.test.yaml -l de -f name credits goal content | pandoc ${target_flags} -V lang:de -o ${target_de}
+
+
+.PHONY: clean
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/simple/book.yaml b/test/book.yaml
similarity index 96%
rename from test/simple/book.yaml
rename to test/book.yaml
index 5ec66d5..38011e9 100644
--- a/test/simple/book.yaml
+++ b/test/book.yaml
@@ -33,5 +33,6 @@ book:
         en: "## elective courses {.unnumbered}"
     - modules: 
         - mod.interactsys.yaml
+        - mod.test.yaml
 
 
diff --git a/test/simple/fields.yaml b/test/fields.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from test/simple/fields.yaml
rename to test/fields.yaml
diff --git a/test/simple/mod.cg.yaml b/test/mod.cg.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from test/simple/mod.cg.yaml
rename to test/mod.cg.yaml
diff --git a/test/simple/mod.interactsys.yaml b/test/mod.interactsys.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from test/simple/mod.interactsys.yaml
rename to test/mod.interactsys.yaml
diff --git a/test/mod.test.yaml b/test/mod.test.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c70d8ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mod.test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+name:
+  de: Test Vorlesung
+  en: Lecture of Test
+
+
+id:
+  value: Test
+
+credits: 
+  value: 5
+
+form-of-exam: 
+  value: written
+
+form-of-instruction:
+  value: { 'lecture': 2, 'exersise': 1 }
+
+term:
+  value: [1, 3]
+
+duration:
+  value: 1
+
+kind: 
+  value: compulsory
+
+goal: 
+  de: |
+      **What is it**
+
+      Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting 
+      industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text 
+      ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type 
+      and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only 
+      five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining 
+      essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release 
+      of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with
+      desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of 
+      Lorem Ipsum.
+
+
+
+  en: | 
+      
+
+content: 
+  de: |
+      **Where did it come from**
+
+      Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. 
+      It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, 
+      making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor 
+      at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more 
+      obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and 
+      going through the cites of the word in classical literature, 
+      discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 
+      1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The 
+      Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book 
+      is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the 
+      Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, "Lorem ipsum dolor 
+      sit amet..", comes from a line in section 1.10.32.
+       
+   
+  en: |
+     
+
+teaching-material:
+  de: |
+   
+  en: |
+    
+
+prerequisites:
+  de: ""
+  en: ""
+
+author-of-indenture: 
+  de: ""
+  en: ""
+
+used-in:
+  de: "Master Applied Computerscience"
+  en: "Master Applied Computerscience"
+
+workload:
+  de: "2SWS Vorlesung 1SWS Übung"
+  en: "2SWS lecture 1SWS exersise"
+
+form-of-exam:
+  value: written
+  spec: 
+    de: "120min Klausur"
+    en: "120min exam"
+  
+frequency:
+  value: once_per_year
+
+kind:
+  value: compulsory
+
+remarks:
+  de: 
+  en:
diff --git a/test/simple/pandoc-template/eisvogel.latex b/test/pandoc-template/eisvogel.latex
similarity index 100%
rename from test/simple/pandoc-template/eisvogel.latex
rename to test/pandoc-template/eisvogel.latex
diff --git a/test/simple/schema.yaml b/test/schema.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from test/simple/schema.yaml
rename to test/schema.yaml
diff --git a/test/simple/Makefile b/test/simple/Makefile
deleted file mode 100644
index 3047ab0..0000000
--- a/test/simple/Makefile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-
-coursebuilder := ../../coursebuilder
-
-table.en.pdf:
-	@echo "creating English version ..."
-	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml -l en -f fields.yaml | pandoc --template pandoc-template/eisvogel.latex -o table.en.pdf
-
-table.de.pdf:
-	@echo "creating German version ..."
-	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml -l de -f fields.yaml | pandoc --template pandoc-template/eisvogel.latex -o table.de.pdf
-
-all: table.en.pdf table.de.pdf
-
-clean: 
-	rm -f table.en.pdf table.de.pdf
-
-debug-template:
-	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml mod.interactsys.yaml -l de -f name credits --template "$$name | $$credits"
-
-debug-markdown:
-	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml mod.interactsys.yaml -l de -f name credits 
-
-debug-book:
-	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -b book.yaml -l de 
-
-debug:
-	python ${coursebuilder} -s schema.yaml -m mod.cg.yaml -l de -f fields.yaml
-
diff --git a/test/simple/mod.test.yaml b/test/simple/mod.test.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index d600dda..0000000
--- a/test/simple/mod.test.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,98 +0,0 @@
-
-name:
-  en: Test Course
-
-
-test:
-  
-  competency-table:
-    de:
-      - "Lineare Algebra": 'ABC'
-      - "Vector Spaces": 'A'
-
-
-
-#
-# nested lists seem to work in Markdown only in the US style way
-#
-# reference here: https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/85474/how-to-write-nested-numbered-lists
-#
-# note the parser actually corrects 'Tervuren' to 3 in resulting data
-#
-
-content:
-  en: |
-    1. Blah
-
-    2. Blub
-
-        1. Blah
-
-        1. Blub
-
-        1. Blah
-
-        1. Blub
-
-        1. Blah
-
-        1. Blub
-
-        1. Blah
-
-        1. Blub
-
-    3. Blah
-
-    4. Blub
-
-    <!-- break -->
-
-    5. Blah
-
-    6. Blah and Blub
-
-        1. Blah
-
-        1. Blub
-
-    7. Blah and Blub
-
-      - Blah
-
-      - Blub
-
-      - Blah
-
-      - Blub
-
-    8. Blub and Blah
-
-      - Blah
-
-      - Blub
-
-      - Blah
-
-      - Blub
-
-      - Blah
-
-      - Blub
-
-      - Blah
-
-      - Blub
-
-    9. Blah, Blub and Blub
-
-      - Blah
-
-      - Blub
-
-      - Blah
-
-      - Blub
-
-
-