diff --git a/src/julienne/julienne_file_m.f90 b/src/julienne/julienne_file_m.f90
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87ae4cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/julienne/julienne_file_m.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+module julienne_file_m
+  !! A representation of a file as an object
+  use julienne_string_m, only : string_t
+
+  private
+  public :: file_t
+
+  type file_t
+    private
+    type(string_t), allocatable :: lines_(:)
+  contains
+    procedure :: lines
+    procedure :: write_lines
+  end type
+
+  interface file_t
+
+    module function read_lines(file_name) result(file_object)
+      implicit none
+      type(string_t), intent(in) :: file_name
+      type(file_t) file_object
+    end function
+
+    pure module function construct(lines) result(file_object)
+      implicit none
+      type(string_t), intent(in) :: lines(:)
+      type(file_t) file_object
+    end function
+
+  end interface
+
+  interface
+
+    pure module function lines(self)  result(my_lines)
+      implicit none
+      class(file_t), intent(in) :: self
+      type(string_t), allocatable :: my_lines(:)
+    end function
+
+    impure elemental module subroutine write_lines(self, file_name)
+      implicit none
+      class(file_t), intent(in) :: self
+      type(string_t), intent(in), optional :: file_name
+    end subroutine
+
+  end interface
+
+end module julienne_file_m
diff --git a/src/julienne/julienne_file_s.f90 b/src/julienne/julienne_file_s.f90
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..872bbe3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/julienne/julienne_file_s.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+submodule(julienne_file_m) julienne_file_s
+  use iso_fortran_env, only : iostat_end, iostat_eor, output_unit
+  use assert_m, only : assert
+  implicit none
+
+contains
+
+  module procedure construct
+    file_object%lines_ = lines
+  end procedure
+
+  module procedure write_lines
+
+    integer file_unit, io_status, l
+
+    call assert(allocated(self%lines_), "file_t%write_lines: allocated(self%lines_)")
+
+    if (present(file_name)) then
+      open(newunit=file_unit, file=file_name%string(), form='formatted', status='unknown', iostat=io_status, action='write')
+      call assert(io_status==0,"write_lines: io_status==0 after 'open' statement", file_name%string())
+    else
+      file_unit = output_unit
+    end if
+
+    do l = 1, size(self%lines_)
+      write(file_unit, *) self%lines_(l)%string()
+    end do
+
+    if (present(file_name)) close(file_unit)
+  end procedure
+  
+  module procedure read_lines
+
+    integer io_status, file_unit, line_num
+    character(len=:), allocatable :: line
+    integer, parameter :: max_message_length=128
+    character(len=max_message_length) error_message
+    integer, allocatable :: lengths(:)
+
+    open(newunit=file_unit, file=file_name%string(), form='formatted', status='old', iostat=io_status, action='read')
+    call assert(io_status==0,"read_lines: io_status==0 after 'open' statement", file_name%string())
+
+    lengths = line_lengths(file_unit)
+
+    associate(num_lines => size(lengths))
+
+      allocate(file_object%lines_(num_lines))
+  
+      do line_num = 1, num_lines
+        allocate(character(len=lengths(line_num)) :: line)
+        read(file_unit, '(a)', iostat=io_status, iomsg=error_message) line
+        call assert(io_status==0,"read_lines: io_status==0 after line read", error_message)
+        file_object%lines_(line_num) = string_t(line)
+        deallocate(line)
+      end do
+
+    end associate
+
+    close(file_unit)
+
+  contains
+   
+    function line_count(file_unit) result(num_lines)
+      integer, intent(in) :: file_unit
+      integer num_lines
+    
+      rewind(file_unit)
+      num_lines = 0 
+      do  
+        read(file_unit, *, iostat=io_status)
+        if (io_status==iostat_end) exit
+        num_lines = num_lines + 1 
+      end do
+      rewind(file_unit)
+    end function
+
+    function line_lengths(file_unit) result(lengths)
+      integer, intent(in) :: file_unit
+      integer, allocatable ::  lengths(:)
+      integer io_status
+      character(len=1) c
+
+      associate(num_lines => line_count(file_unit))
+
+        allocate(lengths(num_lines), source = 0)
+        rewind(file_unit)
+
+        do line_num = 1, num_lines
+          do
+            read(file_unit, '(a)', advance='no', iostat=io_status, iomsg=error_message) c
+            if (io_status==iostat_eor .or. io_status==iostat_end) exit
+            lengths(line_num) = lengths(line_num) + 1
+          end do
+        end do
+
+        rewind(file_unit)
+  
+      end associate
+    end function
+
+  end procedure
+
+  module procedure lines
+    my_lines = self%lines_
+  end procedure
+
+end submodule julienne_file_s
diff --git a/src/julienne_m.f90 b/src/julienne_m.f90
index f9a4845..057ef17 100644
--- a/src/julienne_m.f90
+++ b/src/julienne_m.f90
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 ! Terms of use are as specified in LICENSE.txt
 module julienne_m
   use julienne_command_line_m, only : command_line_t
+  use julienne_file_m, only : file_t
   use julienne_formats_m, only : separated_values
   use julienne_string_m, only : string_t, operator(.cat.)
   use julienne_test_m, only : test_t, test_description_substring
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ module julienne_m
   private
   public :: command_line_t
   public :: operator(.cat.)
+  public :: file_t
   public :: separated_values
   public :: string_t
   public :: test_t