diff --git a/TokenDefinition.cc b/TokenDefinition.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70fe29e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TokenDefinition.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+
+#include <pcre.h>
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+
+#include "TokenDefinition.h"
+
+using namespace std;
+
+TokenDefinition::TokenDefinition()
+    : m_re(NULL)
+{
+}
+
+TokenDefinition::~TokenDefinition()
+{
+    if (m_re != NULL)
+    {
+        pcre_free(m_re);
+    }
+}
+
+bool TokenDefinition::create(const string & name,
+        const string & definition, const string & flags)
+{
+    const char * errptr;
+    int erroffset;
+    m_re = pcre_compile(definition.c_str(), 0, &errptr, &erroffset, NULL);
+    if (m_re == NULL)
+    {
+        cerr << "Error compiling regular expression '" << definition
+            << "' at position " << erroffset << ": " << errptr << endl;
+        return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
diff --git a/TokenDefinition.h b/TokenDefinition.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11bf8e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TokenDefinition.h
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+
+#ifndef TOKENDEFINITION_H
+#define TOKENDEFINITION_H
+
+#include <pcre.h>
+
+#include <string>
+
+class TokenDefinition
+{
+    public:
+        TokenDefinition();
+        ~TokenDefinition();
+        bool create(const std::string & name,
+                const std::string & definition, const std::string & flags);
+
+    protected:
+        pcre * m_re;
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/parse-input.cc b/parse-input.cc
index 17ce936..a6c4eff 100644
--- a/parse-input.cc
+++ b/parse-input.cc
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <pcre.h>
 
 #include "parse-input.h"
+#include "TokenDefinition.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -126,7 +127,17 @@ bool parse_input(char * buff, int size)
                             flags = string(line,
                                     ovector[6], ovector[7] - ovector[6]);
                         }
-                        /* TODO: process token */
+                        refptr<TokenDefinition> td = new TokenDefinition();
+                        if (td->create(name, definition, flags))
+                        {
+                            /* TODO: do something with td */
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            cerr << "Error in token definition ending on line "
+                                << lineno << endl;
+                            return false;
+                        }
                     }
                     else
                     {
@@ -155,5 +166,10 @@ bool parse_input(char * buff, int size)
         lineno++;
     }
 
+    pcre_free(empty);
+    pcre_free(comment);
+    pcre_free(section_name);
+    pcre_free(token);
+    pcre_free(rule);
     return true;
 }