diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/.github/workflows/main.yml b/xo-pyrprintjson/.github/workflows/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..af5526f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+name: build xo-pyprintjson + dependencies
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ "main" ]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ "main" ]
+
+env:
+  # Customize the CMake build type here (Release, Debug, RelWithDebInfo, etc.)
+  BUILD_TYPE: Release
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    # The CMake configure and build commands are platform agnostic and should work equally well on Windows or Mac.
+    # You can convert this to a matrix build if you need cross-platform coverage.
+    # See: https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/actions/learn-github-actions/managing-complex-workflows#using-a-build-matrix
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - name: checkout source
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+    - name: Install catch2
+      # install catch2.  see [[https://stackoverflow.com/questions/57982945/how-to-apt-get-install-in-a-github-actions-workflow]]
+      run: sudo apt-get install -y catch2
+
+    - name: Install pybind11-dev
+      run: sudo apt-get install -y pybind11-dev
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone xo-cmake
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/xo-cmake
+        path: repo/xo-cmake
+
+    - name: Configure xo-cmake
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_xo-cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/xo-cmake
+
+    - name: Build xo-cmake (trivial)
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_xo-cmake --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install xo-cmake
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_xo-cmake
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone indentlog
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/indentlog
+        path: repo/indentlog
+
+    - name: Configure indentlog
+      # configure cmake for indentlog in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_indentlog -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/indentlog
+
+    - name: Build indentlog
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_indentlog --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install indentlog
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_indentlog
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone subsys
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/subsys
+        path: repo/subsys
+
+    - name: Configure subsys
+      # configure cmake for subsys in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_subsys -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/subsys
+
+    - name: Build subsys
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_subsys --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install subsys
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_subsys
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone refcnt
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/refcnt
+        path: repo/refcnt
+
+    - name: Configure refcnt
+      # configure cmake for refcnt in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_refcnt -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/refcnt
+
+    - name: Build refcnt
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_refcnt --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install refcnt
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_refcnt
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone reflect
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/reflect
+        path: repo/reflect
+
+    - name: Configure reflect
+      # configure cmake for reflect in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_reflect -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/reflect
+
+    - name: Build reflect
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_reflect --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install reflect
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_reflect
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone printjson
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/xo-printjson
+        path: repo/printjson
+
+    - name: Configure printjson
+      # configure cmake for printjson in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_printjson -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/printjson
+
+    - name: Build printjson
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_printjson --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install printjson
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_printjson
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone pyutil
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/xo-pyutil
+        path: repo/pyutil
+
+    - name: Configure pyutil
+      # configure cmake for pyutil in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyutil -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/pyutil
+
+    - name: Build pyutil
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyutil --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install pyutil
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyutil
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone pyreflect
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/xo-pyreflect
+        path: repo/pyreflect
+
+    - name: Configure pyreflect
+      # configure cmake for pyreflect in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyreflect -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/pyreflect
+
+    - name: Build pyreflect
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyreflect --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install pyreflect
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyreflect
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Configure self (pyprintjson)
+      # Configure CMake in a 'build' subdirectory. `CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE` is only required if you are using a single-configuration generator such as make.
+      # See https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/variable/CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE.html?highlight=cmake_build_type
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyprintjson -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Build self (pyprintjson)
+      # Build your program with the given configuration
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyprintjson --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Test self (pyprintjson)
+      working-directory: ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyprintjson
+      # Execute tests defined by the CMake configuration.
+      # See https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/manual/ctest.1.html for more detail
+      run: ctest -C ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/.gitignore b/xo-pyrprintjson/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..13c0afb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# clangd working space (see emacs+lsp)
+.cache
+# typical cmake build directory (source-tree-nephew)
+.build*
+# symlink to builddir/compile_commands.json;  should be set manually in dev sandbox
+compile_commands.json
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/CMakeLists.txt b/xo-pyrprintjson/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dd29fbc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# xo-pyprintjson/CMakeLists.txt
+
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
+
+project(xo_pyprintjson VERSION 1.0)
+
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
+include(cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake)
+
+xo_cxx_toplevel_options3()
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# c++ settings (usually temporary)
+
+set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "")
+add_definitions(${PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS})
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# sources
+
+add_subdirectory(src/pyprintjson)
+#add_subdirectory(utest)
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# provide find_package() support
+
+xo_export_cmake_config(${PROJECT_NAME} ${PROJECT_VERSION} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets)
+
+# end CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/README.md b/xo-pyrprintjson/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e85bc227
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+# python bindings for c++ printjson library (xo-printjson)
+
+## Getting Started
+
+### build + install dependencies
+
+- [github/Rconybea/xo-pyutil](https://github.com/Rconybea/xo-pyutil)
+- [github/Rconybea/xo-printjson](https://github.com/Rconybea/xo-printjson)
+
+### build + install
+
+```
+$ cd xo-pyprintjson
+$ mkdir build
+$ cd build
+$ INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local  # or wherever you prefer, e.g. ~/local
+$ cmake \
+    -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/cmake \
+    -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${INSTALL_PREFIX} \
+    -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${INSTALL_PREFIX} ..
+$ make
+$ make install
+```
+(also see .github/workflows/main.yml)
+
+## Examples
+
+```
+PYTHONPATH=~/local2/lib:$PYTHONPATH python
+>>> import xo_pyprintjson
+>>> dir(xo_pyprintjson)
+['PrintJson', '__doc__', '__file__', '__loader__', '__name__', '__package__', '__spec__']
+>>> dir(xo_pyprintjson.PrintJson)
+['__class__', '__delattr__', '__dir__', '__doc__', '__eq__', '__format__', '__ge__', '__getattribute__', '__getstate__', '__gt__', '__hash__', '__init__', '__init_subclass__', '__le__', '__lt__', '__module__', '__ne__', '__new__', '__reduce__', '__reduce_ex__', '__repr__', '__setattr__', '__sizeof__', '__str__', '__subclasshook__', 'instance', 'print']
+>>>
+```
+
+## Development
+
+### build for unit test coverage
+```
+$ cd xo-pyprintjson
+$ mkdir build-ccov
+$ cd build-ccov
+$ cmake \
+    -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/cmake \
+    -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${INSTALL_PREFIX} \
+    -DCODE_COVERAGE=ON \
+    -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ..
+```
+
+### LSP (language server) support
+
+LSP looks for compile commands in the root of the source tree;
+while Cmake creates them in the root of its build directory.
+
+```
+$ cd xo-pyprintjson
+$ ln -s build/compile_commands.json  # supply compile commands to LSP
+```
+
+### display cmake variables
+
+- `-L` list variables
+- `-A` include 'advanced' variables
+- `-H` include help text
+
+```
+$ cd xo-pyprintjson/build
+$ cmake -LAH
+```
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake b/xo-pyrprintjson/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aba31169
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# for example:
+#   $ PREFIX=/usr/local   # for example
+#   $ cmake -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=prefix -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$PREFIX -B .build
+#
+# will get
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
+# from xo-cmake-config --cmake-module-path
+#
+# and expect .cmake macros in
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH/xo_macros/xo_cxx.cmake
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+find_program(XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE NAMES xo-cmake-config REQUIRED)
+
+if ("${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}" STREQUAL "XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE-NOT_FOUND")
+    message(FATAL "could not find xo-cmake-config executable")
+endif()
+
+message(STATUS "XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE=${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}")
+
+if (NOT XO_SUBMODULE_BUILD)
+    if (("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "") OR ("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL prefix))
+        # default to typical install location for xo-project-macros
+        execute_process(COMMAND ${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE} --cmake-module-path OUTPUT_VARIABLE CMAKE_MODULE_PATH)
+        message(STATUS "CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}")
+    endif()
+endif()
+
+# needs to have been installed somewhere on CMAKE_MODULE_PATH,
+# (e.g. from xo-cmake with the same value for CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX)
+#
+include(xo_macros/xo_cxx)
+
+xo_cxx_bootstrap_message()
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/cmake/xo_pyprintjsonConfig.cmake.in b/xo-pyrprintjson/cmake/xo_pyprintjsonConfig.cmake.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9c15f36a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/cmake/xo_pyprintjsonConfig.cmake.in
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+@PACKAGE_INIT@
+
+include("${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/@PROJECT_NAME@Targets.cmake")
+check_required_components("@PROJECT_NAME@")
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/include/README.md b/xo-pyrprintjson/include/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5d2b4c67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/include/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+placeholder for future pyprintjson #include files
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/CMakeLists.txt b/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..defff223
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# xo_pyprintjson/src/pyprintjson/CMakeLists.txt
+
+set(SELF_LIB xo_pyprintjson)
+set(SELF_SRCS pyprintjson.cpp)
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+xo_pybind11_library(${SELF_LIB} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets ${SELF_SRCS})
+xo_pybind11_dependency(${SELF_LIB} printjson)
+xo_pybind11_header_dependency(${SELF_LIB} xo_pyreflect)
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/EXAMPLES b/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/EXAMPLES
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5965b9b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/EXAMPLES
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import pyprintjson
+pj=pyprintjson.PrintJson()
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/pyprintjson.cpp b/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/pyprintjson.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1e107f31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/pyprintjson.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/* @file pyprintjson.cpp */
+
+// note: need pyreflect/ here bc pyreflect.hpp is generated, located in build directory
+#include "pyprintjson.hpp"
+#include "xo/pyreflect/pyreflect.hpp"
+
+#include "xo/printjson/PrintJson.hpp"
+#include "xo/reflect/TaggedRcptr.hpp"
+//#include "reflect/SelfTagging.hpp"
+//#include "refcnt/Refcounted.hpp"
+//#include "refcnt/Unowned.hpp"
+#include "xo/pyutil/pyutil.hpp"
+//#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
+//#include <pybind11/stl.h>
+//#include <pybind11/chrono.h>
+//#include <pybind11/operators.h>
+
+namespace xo {
+    namespace py = pybind11;
+
+    namespace json {
+        using xo::reflect::SelfTagging;
+        using xo::reflect::TaggedRcptr;
+        using xo::ref::unowned_ptr;
+
+        PYBIND11_MODULE(PYPRINTJSON_MODULE_NAME(), m) {
+            PYREFLECT_IMPORT_MODULE();
+
+            py::class_<PrintJson, rp<PrintJson>>(m, "PrintJson")
+                .def_static("instance", &PrintJsonSingleton::instance)
+                .def("print",
+                     [](PrintJson & pj, TaggedRcptr p)
+                         {
+                             pj.print_tp(p, &std::cout); std::cout << "\n";
+                         },
+                     py::arg("value"))
+                .def("print",
+                     [](PrintJson & pj, rp<SelfTagging> const & p)
+                         {
+                             pj.print_obj(p, &std::cout); std::cout << "\n";
+                         },
+                     py::arg("value"));
+
+            //m.def("print_json", [](){ return PrintJsonSingleton::instance_ptr(); });
+        } /*pyprintjson*/
+    } /*namespace json*/
+} /*namespace xo*/
+
+/* end pyprintjson.cpp */
diff --git a/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/pyprintjson.hpp.in b/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/pyprintjson.hpp.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d80e5aba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pyrprintjson/src/pyprintjson/pyprintjson.hpp.in
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/* @file pyprintjson.hpp
+ *
+ * automatically generated from src/pyprintjson/pyprintjson.hpp.in
+ * see src/pyprintjson/CMakeLists.txt
+ */
+
+/* python requires module name = library name
+ * example:
+ *   PYBIND11_MODULE(PYPRINTJSON_MODULE_NAME(), m) { ... }
+ */
+#define PYPRINTJSON_MODULE_NAME() @SELF_LIB@
+
+/* example:
+ *   py::module_::import(PYPRINTJSON_MODULE_NAME_STR)
+ */
+#define PYPRINTJSON_MODULE_NAME_STR "@SELF_LIB@"
+
+/* example:
+ *   PYPRINTJSON_IMPORT_MODULE()
+ * replaces
+ *   py::module_::import("pyprintjson")
+ */
+#define PYPRINTJSON_IMPORT_MODULE() py::module_::import("@SELF_LIB@")
+
+/* end pyprintjson.hpp */