diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
index c4fc82f8..9d2be93e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -11,13 +11,14 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: set up python  3.8
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with: 
           python-version: 3.8
       - run: pip install . montepy[develop]
       - run: python -m pytest
       
   build-pages:
+    needs: [last-minute-test, build-packages]
     environment:
       name: github-pages
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -27,7 +28,9 @@ jobs:
            TOKEN: ${{ secrets.ACCESS_TOKEN }}
         run: git config --global url."https://${TOKEN}:x-oauth-basic@github.com/".insteadOf "https://github.com/"
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with: 
+          ref: main
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: 3.8
       - run: pip install --user . montepy[doc]
@@ -53,13 +56,28 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
           fetch-tags: true
       - name: set up python  3.8
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with: 
           python-version: 3.8
       - run: pip install . montepy[build]
+      - uses: mathieudutour/github-tag-action@v6.2
+        name: Get next version number (dry)
+        id: version_num
+        with: 
+          dry_run: True
+          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Update changelog version 
+        run: |
+          sed -i "s/#Next Version#/${{steps.version_num.outputs.new_version}}/w changes" doc/source/changelog.rst
+          [[ -s changes ]] || exit 1
+      - name: Commit new changelog
+        uses: actions4git/add-commit-push@v1.0.0
+        with: 
+          add-pathspec: doc/source
+          commit-message: Update Changelog version to ${{steps.version_num.outputs.new_version}}
       - name: GitHub Actions Create Tag
         id: tag_version
-        uses: mathieudutour/github-tag-action@v6.1
+        uses: mathieudutour/github-tag-action@v6.2
         with:
           github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
        # ensure tags are up to date
@@ -85,7 +103,7 @@ jobs:
           gh release upload
           '${{ steps.tag_version.outputs.new_tag }}' dist/**
           --repo '${{ github.repository }}'
-      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.3.1
         with: 
            name: build
            path: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 10507e64..7c339d9e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: set up python  ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with: 
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
       - run: pip install --upgrade pip build
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ jobs:
       - run: pip install --user . montepy[develop]
       - run: pip freeze
       - name: Upload build artifacts
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.3.1
+        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9' }}
         with: 
            name: build
            path: dist/*
@@ -50,35 +51,38 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: set up python  ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with: 
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
       - run: pip install --user . montepy[test]
+      - run: pip install --user . montepy[build]
       - run: coverage run -m pytest --junitxml=test_report.xml
       - run: coverage report
+        if:  ${{ success() || failure() }}
       - run: coverage xml
+        if:  ${{ success() || failure() }}
       - name: Upload test report
-        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9' }}
+        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9' && (success() || failure() )}}
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: test
           path: test_report.xml
       - name: Upload coverage report
-        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9' }}
+        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9' && (success() || failure() )}}
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: coverage
           path: coverage.xml
       - name: Test Reporter
-        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9' }}
+        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9' && (success() || failure() )}}
         uses: dorny/test-reporter@v1.7.0
         with:
           name: CI-test-report
           path: test_report.xml
           reporter: java-junit
       - name: Coveralls GitHub Action
-        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9' }}
-        uses: coverallsapp/github-action@v2.2.3
+        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9' && (success() || failure() )}}
+        uses: coverallsapp/github-action@v2
         with:
           file: coverage.xml
 
@@ -88,17 +92,30 @@ jobs:
     
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          fetch-tags: true
       - name: set up python 3.8
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with: 
           python-version: 3.8
-      - run: pip install . montepy[doc]
+      - run: pip install . montepy[doc,build]
+      - uses: mathieudutour/github-tag-action@v6.2
+        name: Get next version number
+        id: version_num
+        with: 
+          dry_run: True
+          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Update changelog version 
+        run: |
+          sed -i "s/#Next Version#/${{steps.version_num.outputs.new_version}}/w changes" doc/source/changelog.rst
+          [[ -s changes ]] || exit 1
       - run: sphinx-build doc/source/ doc/build/ -W --keep-going -E
-      - run: sphinx-build -b html doc/source/ doc/build/html
-      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        name: Build site strictly
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: website
-          path: doc/build/html
+          path: doc/build
       - name: Test for missing API documentation  
         run: | 
              cd doc/source
@@ -110,10 +127,27 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: set up python 3.8
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with: 
           python-version: 3.8
       - run: pip install . montepy[format]
       - run: black --check montepy/ tests/
-           
-        
+          
+
+  changelog-test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Check for changes
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        id: changes
+        with:
+          filters: |
+            change:
+              - 'doc/source/changelog.rst'
+      - if: steps.changes.outputs.change == 'false'
+        run: |
+          echo "Changelog not updated"
+          exit 1
+
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..e0e37937
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+doc/source/changelog.rst
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fba47e95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+# Contributing to MontePy
+
+Welcome, and thank you for considering contributing to MontePy! We look forward
+to welcoming new members to the community and will do our best to help you get
+up to speed.
+
+## Code of Conduct
+
+Participants in the MontePy project are expected to follow and uphold the [Code
+of Conduct](CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md). Please report any unacceptable behavior to
+micah.gale@inl.gov.
+
+## Resources
+
+- [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/idaholab/montepy)
+- [Documentation](https://idaholab.github.io/MontePy/)
+- [Developer's Guide](https://idaholab.github.io/MontePy/developing.html)
+
+## How to Report Bugs
+
+MontePy is hosted on GitHub and all bugs are reported and tracked through the
+[Issues](https://github.com/idaholab/MontePy/issues) listed on GitHub.
+
+## How to Suggest Enhancements
+
+If you have suggestions for new features, feel free to suggest one as a new issue.
+Keep in mind that MontePy has a small development team,
+and in some cases MontePy might not be the right home for the feature. 
+Please review the package philosophy to see if the feature would be a good fit. 
+
+## How to Submit Changes
+
+All changes to OpenMC happen through pull requests. For a full overview of the
+process, see the developer's guide section on [Contributing to
+OpenMC](https://docs.openmc.org/en/latest/devguide/contributing.html).
+
+## Code Style
+
+Before you run off to make changes to the code, please review the [design 
+philosophy](https://idaholab.github.io/MontePy/developing.html#design-philosophy),
+and make sure to also use [black](https://black.readthedocs.io/en/stable/index.html).
diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7c325863
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exclude tests/test_version.py
diff --git a/doc/source/_test_for_missing_docs.py b/doc/source/_test_for_missing_docs.py
index f0dbf9a7..c6ad78f1 100644
--- a/doc/source/_test_for_missing_docs.py
+++ b/doc/source/_test_for_missing_docs.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import sys
 import warnings
 
-ignored = {"__pycache__", "_version.py", "__main__.py", "_cell_data_control.py"}
+ignored = {"__pycache__", "_scripts", "_version.py", "__main__.py", "_cell_data_control.py"}
 
 base = os.path.join("..", "..")
 
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ def crawl_path(rel_path):
         f_name = os.path.join(rel_path, f)
         if f in ignored:
             continue
+        if f_name == "montepy/__init__.py":
+            continue
         if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(base, f_name)):
             crawl_path(f_name)
         elif os.path.isfile(os.path.join(base, f_name)) and ".py" in f:
diff --git a/doc/source/api/modules.rst b/doc/source/api/modules.rst
index 7331f9c2..89af6576 100644
--- a/doc/source/api/modules.rst
+++ b/doc/source/api/modules.rst
@@ -1,8 +1,36 @@
-Python API
-============
+MontePy API 
+===========
 
+Submodules
+----------
 
 .. toctree::
-   :maxdepth: 4
+   :maxdepth: 1
+
+   montepy.cell
+   montepy.cells
+   montepy.constants
+   montepy.errors
+   montepy.geometry_operators
+   montepy.materials
+   montepy.mcnp_object
+   montepy.mcnp_problem
+   montepy.numbered_mcnp_object
+   montepy.numbered_object_collection
+   montepy.particle
+   montepy.surface_collection
+   montepy.transforms
+   montepy.universe
+   montepy.universes
+   montepy.utilities
+
+Subpackages
+-----------
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 2
+
+   montepy.data_inputs
+   montepy.input_parser
+   montepy.surfaces
 
-   montepy
diff --git a/doc/source/api/montepy.cell.rst b/doc/source/api/montepy.cell.rst
index f14acb8c..5b34b566 100644
--- a/doc/source/api/montepy.cell.rst
+++ b/doc/source/api/montepy.cell.rst
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ montepy.cell module
 ===================
 
 
-.. automodule:: montepy.cell
+.. autoclass:: montepy.cell.Cell
    :members:
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:
diff --git a/doc/source/api/montepy.data_inputs.rst b/doc/source/api/montepy.data_inputs.rst
index 96bdae1e..3471a48c 100644
--- a/doc/source/api/montepy.data_inputs.rst
+++ b/doc/source/api/montepy.data_inputs.rst
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ montepy.data\_inputs package
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:
 
-Submodules
-----------
 
 .. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 4
diff --git a/doc/source/api/montepy.input_parser.rst b/doc/source/api/montepy.input_parser.rst
index fc837495..3c595b97 100644
--- a/doc/source/api/montepy.input_parser.rst
+++ b/doc/source/api/montepy.input_parser.rst
@@ -7,11 +7,8 @@ montepy.input\_parser package
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:
 
-Submodules
-----------
-
 .. toctree::
-   :maxdepth: 4
+   :maxdepth: 2
 
    montepy.input_parser.block_type
    montepy.input_parser.cell_parser
diff --git a/doc/source/api/montepy.rst b/doc/source/api/montepy.rst
deleted file mode 100644
index 7f788814..00000000
--- a/doc/source/api/montepy.rst
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-montepy package
-===============
-
-
-.. automodule:: montepy
-   :members:
-   :undoc-members:
-   :show-inheritance:
-
-Subpackages
------------
-
-.. toctree::
-   :maxdepth: 4
-
-   montepy.data_inputs
-   montepy.input_parser
-   montepy.surfaces
-
-Submodules
-----------
-
-.. toctree::
-   :maxdepth: 4
-
-   montepy.cell
-   montepy.cells
-   montepy.constants
-   montepy.errors
-   montepy.geometry_operators
-   montepy.materials
-   montepy.mcnp_object
-   montepy.mcnp_problem
-   montepy.numbered_mcnp_object
-   montepy.numbered_object_collection
-   montepy.particle
-   montepy.surface_collection
-   montepy.transforms
-   montepy.universe
-   montepy.universes
-   montepy.utilities
diff --git a/doc/source/api/montepy.surfaces.rst b/doc/source/api/montepy.surfaces.rst
index e66b4112..6f07c96e 100644
--- a/doc/source/api/montepy.surfaces.rst
+++ b/doc/source/api/montepy.surfaces.rst
@@ -7,11 +7,9 @@ montepy.surfaces package
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:
 
-Submodules
-----------
 
 .. toctree::
-   :maxdepth: 4
+   :maxdepth: 2
 
    montepy.surfaces.axis_plane
    montepy.surfaces.cylinder_on_axis
diff --git a/doc/source/changelog.rst b/doc/source/changelog.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9ed36f32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/source/changelog.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+MontePy Changelog
+=================
+
+#Next Version#
+-----------------------
+
+**Documentation**
+
+* Added changelog
+* Added code of conduct
+* Added contribution guideline
+* Added pull request template
+
+
+0.2.5
+-------------------
+
+**Added**
+
+* Implemented Github actions
+* Added default github issue templates
+
+**Changed**
+
+* Improved readme and documentation hyperlinks
+
+**Fixed**
+
+* bug with comments in complex geometry.
+
+
+0.2.4
+-------------------
+**Added**
+
+* Public release
+
+0.2.3
+--------------------
+**Added**
+
+* A license
+* A logo
+
+**Changed**
+
+* Explicitly set file encoding for read/write. #159.
+
+**Fixed**
+
+* Bug with not detecting comments with no space e.g., `c\n`. #158.
+
+0.2.2
+--------------------
+**Fixed**
+
+* TODO
+
+0.2.1
+---------------------
+**Fixed**
+
+* A bug with the packaging process
+
+0.2.0
+----------------------
+**Added**
+
+* User formatting is preserved automatically
+* Cell geometry is now stored in `cell.geometry` and can be set with bitwise operators. e.g., `cell.geometry = + inner_sphere & - outer_sphere`. This was heavily influenced by OpenMC.
+* You can now check an input file for errors from the command line. `python -m montepy -c /path/to/inputs/*.imcnp`
+* The error reporting for syntax errors should be much more intuitive now, and easy to read.
+* Dollar sign comments are kept and are available in `obj.comments`
+* All comments are now in a generator `.comments`
+
+**Deprecated**
+
+* `montepy.data_cards` moved to `montepy.data_inputs`
+* `montepy.data_cards.data_card` is now `montepy.data_inputs.data_input`
+* `Montepy.Cell.geometry_logic_string` was completely removed.
+* Much of the internal functions with how objects are written to file were changed and/or deprecated.
+* `montepy.data_cards.data_card.DataCard.class_prefix` was moved to `_class_prefix` as the user usually shouldn't see this. Same goes for `has_classifier` and `has_number`.
+* Most of the data types inside `montepy.input_parser.mcnp_input` were deprecated or changed
+
+0.1.7
+-----------------
+
+**Added**
+
+* License information
+
+0.1.6
+-------------------
+
+**fixed**
+
+* Fixed bug that `+=` didn't work with Numbered object collections
+* Updated the Documentation URL for sphinx
+* Improved (and then removed) guidance on weird gitlab installation workflow.
+
+0.1.5
+--------------------
+
+**Fixed**
+
+* When a `PX` style surface was `1 PZ 0` this would cause a validation error.
+* Empty "cell modifiers" would be printed in the data block even if they had no useful information. E.g., `U 30J`
+* Volumes couldn't start with a jump e.g., `vol j 1.0`
+* "Cell modifiers" were printed both in the cell block and the data block.
+* Running `problem.cells = []` would make the problem impossible to write to file.
+* Support was added for tabs.
+
+0.1.0
+---------------------
+
+
+**Added**
+
+* Added infrastructure to support cell modifier inputs easily
+* Added support for importances, and particle modes: `imp`, `mode`.
+* Added support for cell volumes `vol`.
+* Add support for Universes, lattices, and fills `U`, `fill`, `lat`.
+* Created universal system for parsing parameters
+* If you create an object from scratch and write it out to a file while it is missing, it will gracefully fail with a helpful error message.
+* Added support for detecting metastable isotopes.
+* Improved the experience with densities in `Cell` instead of having `cell.density` now there is `cell.mass_density` and `cell.atom_density`.
+
+
+**Fixed**
+
+* Supported parameters that don't have equal signs. MCNP supports `1 0 -1 u 1`
+* Now doesn't try to expand shortcuts inside of `FC` and `SC` comments.
+
+**Code Quality**
+
+* Removed magic numbers for number of characters in a line.
+* Reduced the usage of regular expressions
+* Made error messages related to invalid user set attributes clearer.
+* Cleaned up documentation and docstrings
+* Improved CI backend
+
+
+0.0.5
+-----------------------
+
+**Added:**
+
+ * `NumberedObjectCollections` which is implemented for `cells`, `surfaces`, and `materials`. This changed these collections from being a list to acting like a dict. Objects are now retrievable by their number e.g., `cells[1005]` will retrieve cell 1005.
+ *  Implemented "pass-through" of the original inputs. If an object is not edited or mutated, the original formatting from the input file will be copied out to the output.
+ * Support was added for most MCNP shortcuts: (`R`, `I`, `M`, `LOG`), `J` still needs some better support. MontePy will expand these shortcuts, but will not "recompress" them.
+ * Added sphinx documentation website. This documents the API, has a starting guide for the users, and a guide for developers.
+
+
+**Changed:**
+
+* Object numbers are now generalized: e.g., `cell.cell_number` has changed to `cell.number`. The `.number` property is standardized across all numbered objects.
+
+**Fixed:**
+
+* Comments in the middle of an input no longer breaks the input into two.
diff --git a/doc/source/dev_tree.rst b/doc/source/dev_tree.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..df91c14d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/source/dev_tree.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Developer's Resources
+=====================
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 1
+   :caption: Contents:
+
+   developing
+   scope
diff --git a/doc/source/developing.rst b/doc/source/developing.rst
index 5d9c2485..6f740325 100644
--- a/doc/source/developing.rst
+++ b/doc/source/developing.rst
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Contributing
 
 Here is a getting started guide to contributing. 
 If you have any questions Micah and Travis are available to give input and answer your questions.
+Before contributing you should review the :ref:`scope` and design philosophy.
 
 Setting up and Typical Development Workflow
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
@@ -154,27 +155,6 @@ All classes need to be children of :class:`~montepy.surfaces.surface.Surface`.
 When possible new surface classes should combine similar planes.
 For example :class:`~montepy.surfaces.axis_plane.AxisPlane` covers ``PX``, ``PY``, and ``PZ``.
 
-Design Philosophy
------------------
-#. **Do Not Repeat Yourself (DRY)**
-#. Use abstraction and inheritance smartly.
-#. Use ``_private`` fields mostly. Use ``__private`` for very private things that should never be touched.
-#. Use ``@property`` getters, and if needed setters. Setters must verify and clean user inputs. For the most part use :func:`~montepy.utilities.make_prop_val_node`, and :func:`~montepy.utilities.make_prop_pointer`.
-#. Fail early and politely. If there's something that might be bad: the user should get a helpful error as
-   soon as the error is apparent. 
-#. Test. test. test. The goal is to achieve 100% test coverage. Unit test first, then do integration testing. A new feature merge request will ideally have around a dozen new test cases.
-#. Do it right the first time. 
-#. Document all functions.
-#. Expect everything to mutate at any time.
-#. Avoid relative imports when possible. Use top level ones instead: e.g., ``import montepy.cell.Cell``.
-#. Defer to vanilla python, and only use the standard library. Currently the only dependencies are `numpy <https://numpy.org/>`_ and `sly <https://github.com/dabeaz/sly>`_. 
-   There must be good justification for breaking from this convention and complicating things for the user.
-
-Style Guide
------------
-#. Use ``black`` to autoformat all code.
-#. Spaces for indentation, tabs for alignment. Use spaces to build python syntax (4 spaces per level), and tabs for aligning text inside of docstrings.
-
 
 Introduction to SLY and Syntax Trees
 ------------------------------------
diff --git a/doc/source/index.rst b/doc/source/index.rst
index 31077195..c5fb49e7 100644
--- a/doc/source/index.rst
+++ b/doc/source/index.rst
@@ -3,26 +3,30 @@
    You can adapt this file completely to your liking, but it should at least
    contain the root `toctree` directive.
 
-Welcome to MontePy's documentation!
-===================================
+MontePy: a Python library for MCNP input files.
+===============================================
 
-.. toctree::
-   :maxdepth: 1
-   :caption: Contents:
+MontePy is a Python library for reading, editing, and writing MCNP input files.
+MontePy provides an object-oriented interface for MCNP input files. 
+This allows for easy automation of many different tasks for working with MCNP input files.
 
-   starting
+Installing
+----------
 
-   utilities
+MontePy can be installed with pip:
 
-   tricks
+.. code-block:: shell
 
-   faq
+   pip install montepy
 
-   developing
 
-   api/modules
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 2
+   :caption: Table of Contents:
 
-   publications
+   api/modules
+   users
+   dev_tree
 
 See Also
 ========
diff --git a/doc/source/scope.rst b/doc/source/scope.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..acbc964a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/source/scope.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+.. _scope:
+
+MontePy Scope
+=============
+
+This document defines the scope of MontePy so it easier to decide if a feature should live in MontePy or possibly another repository.
+This isn't meant to be fully static and is subject to change.
+This is less focused on defining a strict scope and more-so on providing guidelines.
+
+Mission
+-------
+
+MontePy's mission is to improve the user experience for working with MCNP input files through the power of python automation?
+
+Principles 
+----------
+
+Here are the guiding principles of what MontePy should be, and what it aspires to be.
+
+MontePy should be:
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+#. Easy to install. 
+
+   #. It should be on PyPi.
+   #. Install with ``pip`` for most conceivable platforms. 
+
+#. Lightweight. It should only include the code that all users need, and only the bare essentials for dependencies. 
+#. Well documented. All public functions must have documentation.
+#. `Pythonic <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_of_Python>`_.
+#. Idiomatic.
+#. Consistently designed.
+#. General. New features shouldn't be only useful for a specific problem, or class of problems.
+#. Quick to fail and do so in a verbose helpful manner.
+#. Reliable. 
+#. Thorough in its validation. If it MontePy finds more issues than MCNP does, that's ok. 
+#. Easy to contribute to.
+#. Able to support the full (public) MCNP manual, except when it doesn't.
+
+   #. For features that aren't supported yet an UnsuportedFeature error should be raised.
+   #. The developers reserve the right to decide a feature is not worth ever supporting.
+
+
+MontePy shouldn't be:
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+#. A collection of scripts for every use case.
+#. A linking code to other software.
+#. Written in other languages*
+
+Design Philosophy
+-----------------
+
+#. **Do Not Repeat Yourself (DRY)**
+#. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well.
+#. Use abstraction and inheritance smartly.
+#. Use ``_private`` fields mostly. Use ``__private`` for very private things that should never be touched.
+#. Use ``@property`` getters, and if needed setters. Setters must verify and clean user inputs. For the most part use :func:`~montepy.utilities.make_prop_val_node`, and :func:`~montepy.utilities.make_prop_pointer`.
+#. Fail early and politely. If there's something that might be bad: the user should get a helpful error as
+   soon as the error is apparent. 
+#. Test. test. test. The goal is to achieve 100% test coverage. Unit test first, then do integration testing. A new feature merge request will ideally have around a dozen new test cases.
+#. Do it right the first time. 
+#. Document all functions.
+#. Expect everything to mutate at any time.
+#. Avoid relative imports when possible. Use top level ones instead: e.g., ``import montepy.cell.Cell``.
+#. Defer to vanilla python, and only use the standard library. Currently the only dependencies are `numpy <https://numpy.org/>`_ and `sly <https://github.com/dabeaz/sly>`_. 
+   There must be good justification for breaking from this convention and complicating things for the user.
+
+Style Guide
+-----------
+#. Use ``black`` to autoformat all code.
+#. Spaces for indentation, tabs for alignment. Use spaces to build python syntax (4 spaces per level), and tabs for aligning text inside of docstrings.
+#. Follow `PEP 8 <https://peps.python.org/pep-0008/>`_.
+
+
+Support of MCNP Output Files
+----------------------------
+This is a common question: "Will MontePy support MCNP output files?"
+The short answer is no.
+This is due to a few reasons:
+
+#. MCNP is export controlled, and none of the public manuals document the formatting of the output files.
+   So out of an abundance of caution we treat the format of MCNP output files as being export controlled.
+#. The output format is not documented. This makes it hard to robustly handle, and also means that the format may
+   change.
+#. `MCNPtools <https://github.com/lanl/mcnptools>`_ exists and may be a better tool than what we can implement.  
+
+
+Note on use of other languages
+------------------------------
+
+The use of another language in the code base goes against the principle that it should be easy to contribute.
+However, there could be cases where the advantages of another language could justify this violation.
+Here are guidelines for when it could be appropriate:
+
+#. There needs to be a clear and significant benefit.
+#. The rewrite needs to be limited in scope to a module that few developers will modify.
+    
+  #. Only the input parser seems to meet this criteria.
+
+#. There must be a dependable build system that allows deployment to PyPI.
diff --git a/doc/source/users.rst b/doc/source/users.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7a572473
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/source/users.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+User Guide
+==========
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 2
+   :caption: Contents:
+
+   starting
+   utilities
+   tricks
+   faq
+   changelog
+   publications
diff --git a/montepy/__init__.py b/montepy/__init__.py
index 93cf0e4f..c33e7e2c 100644
--- a/montepy/__init__.py
+++ b/montepy/__init__.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
         from setuptools_scm import get_version
 
         __version__ = get_version()
-    except ImportError:
+    except (ImportError, LookupError):
         __version__ = "Undefined"
 
 
diff --git a/montepy/data_inputs/isotope.py b/montepy/data_inputs/isotope.py
index 5a5272a5..4303198d 100644
--- a/montepy/data_inputs/isotope.py
+++ b/montepy/data_inputs/isotope.py
@@ -20,20 +20,22 @@ class Isotope:
 
     def __init__(self, ZAID="", node=None):
         if node is not None and isinstance(node, ValueNode):
+            if node.type == float:
+                node = ValueNode(node.token, str, node.padding)
             self._tree = node
             ZAID = node.value
-        if "." in ZAID:
-            parts = ZAID.split(".")
-            try:
-                assert len(parts) == 2
-                int(parts[0])
-            except (AssertionError, ValueError) as e:
-                raise ValueError(f"ZAID: {ZAID} could not be parsed as a valid isotope")
-            self._ZAID = parts[0]
-            self.__parse_zaid()
+        parts = ZAID.split(".")
+        try:
+            assert len(parts) <= 2
+            int(parts[0])
+        except (AssertionError, ValueError) as e:
+            raise ValueError(f"ZAID: {ZAID} could not be parsed as a valid isotope")
+        self._ZAID = parts[0]
+        self.__parse_zaid()
+        if len(parts) == 2:
             self._library = parts[1]
         else:
-            raise ValueError(f"ZAID: {ZAID} could not be parsed as a valid isotope")
+            self._library = ""
 
     def __parse_zaid(self):
         """
diff --git a/montepy/data_inputs/material.py b/montepy/data_inputs/material.py
index 44516538..75cd3413 100644
--- a/montepy/data_inputs/material.py
+++ b/montepy/data_inputs/material.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 from montepy.data_inputs import data_input, thermal_scattering
 from montepy.data_inputs.isotope import Isotope
 from montepy.data_inputs.material_component import MaterialComponent
+from montepy.input_parser import syntax_node
+from montepy.input_parser.material_parser import MaterialParser
 from montepy import mcnp_object
 from montepy.numbered_mcnp_object import Numbered_MCNP_Object
 from montepy.errors import *
@@ -26,6 +28,8 @@ class Material(data_input.DataInputAbstract, Numbered_MCNP_Object):
     :type input: Input
     """
 
+    _parser = MaterialParser()
+
     def __init__(self, input=None):
         self._material_components = {}
         self._thermal_scattering = None
@@ -37,7 +41,24 @@ def __init__(self, input=None):
             self._number = num
             set_atom_frac = False
             isotope_fractions = self._tree["data"]
-            for isotope_node, fraction in isotope_fractions:
+            if isinstance(isotope_fractions, syntax_node.ListNode):
+                # in python 3.12 this can be replaced with itertools.batched
+                def batch_gen():
+                    it = iter(isotope_fractions)
+                    while batch := tuple(itertools.islice(it, 2)):
+                        yield batch
+
+                iterator = batch_gen()
+            elif isinstance(isotope_fractions, syntax_node.IsotopesNode):
+                iterator = iter(isotope_fractions)
+            else:  # pragma: no cover
+                # this is a fall through error, that should never be raised,
+                # but is here just in case
+                raise MalformedInputError(
+                    input,
+                    f"Material definitions for material: {self.number} is not valid.",
+                )
+            for isotope_node, fraction in iterator:
                 isotope = Isotope(node=isotope_node)
                 fraction.is_negatable_float = True
                 if not set_atom_frac:
diff --git a/montepy/input_parser/__init__.py b/montepy/input_parser/__init__.py
index 487d3fcb..a80864bb 100644
--- a/montepy/input_parser/__init__.py
+++ b/montepy/input_parser/__init__.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from . import cell_parser
 from . import data_parser
 from . import input_reader
+from . import material_parser
 from . import mcnp_input
 from . import parser_base
 from . import read_parser
diff --git a/montepy/input_parser/input_syntax_reader.py b/montepy/input_parser/input_syntax_reader.py
index e6cf1b9e..ac202831 100644
--- a/montepy/input_parser/input_syntax_reader.py
+++ b/montepy/input_parser/input_syntax_reader.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from montepy.input_parser.input_file import MCNP_InputFile
 from montepy.input_parser.mcnp_input import Input, Message, ReadInput, Title
 from montepy.input_parser.read_parser import ReadParser
+from montepy.utilities import is_comment
 import os
 import warnings
 
@@ -88,20 +89,6 @@ def read_front_matters(fh, mcnp_version):
             break
 
 
-def is_comment(line):
-    """"""
-    upper_start = line[0 : BLANK_SPACE_CONTINUE + 1].upper()
-    non_blank_comment = upper_start and line.lstrip().upper().startswith("C ")
-    if non_blank_comment:
-        return True
-    blank_comment = (
-        "C\n" == upper_start.lstrip()
-        or "C\r\n" == upper_start.lstrip()
-        or ("C" == upper_start and "\n" not in line)
-    )
-    return blank_comment or non_blank_comment
-
-
 def read_data(fh, mcnp_version, block_type=None, recursion=False):
     """
     Reads the bulk of an MCNP file for all of the MCNP data.
diff --git a/montepy/input_parser/material_parser.py b/montepy/input_parser/material_parser.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f53e1b4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/montepy/input_parser/material_parser.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Copyright 2024, Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC All Rights Reserved.
+from montepy.input_parser.data_parser import DataParser
+from montepy.input_parser import syntax_node
+
+
+class MaterialParser(DataParser):
+    debugfile = None
+
+    @_(
+        "introduction isotopes",
+        "introduction isotopes parameters",
+    )
+    def material(self, p):
+        ret = {}
+        for key, node in p.introduction.nodes.items():
+            ret[key] = node
+        ret["data"] = p.isotopes
+        if hasattr(p, "parameters"):
+            ret["parameters"] = p.parameters
+        return syntax_node.SyntaxNode("data", ret)
+
+    @_("isotope_fractions", "number_sequence", "isotope_hybrid_fractions")
+    def isotopes(self, p):
+        return p[0]
+
+    @_("number_sequence isotope_fraction", "isotope_hybrid_fractions isotope_fraction")
+    def isotope_hybrid_fractions(self, p):
+        ret = p[0]
+        for node in p.isotope_fraction[1:]:
+            ret.append(node)
+        return ret
diff --git a/montepy/input_parser/mcnp_input.py b/montepy/input_parser/mcnp_input.py
index fd533892..700c034e 100644
--- a/montepy/input_parser/mcnp_input.py
+++ b/montepy/input_parser/mcnp_input.py
@@ -295,16 +295,28 @@ class ReadInput(Input):
 
     def __init__(self, input_lines, block_type, input_file=None, lineno=None):
         super().__init__(input_lines, block_type, input_file, lineno)
+        if not self.is_read_input(input_lines):
+            raise ValueError("Not a valid Read Input")
         parse_result = self._parser.parse(self.tokenize(), self)
-        first_word = input_lines[0].split()[0].lower()
         if not parse_result:
-            if first_word != "read":
-                raise ValueError("Not a valid Read Input")
-            else:
-                raise ParsingError(self, "", self._parser.log.clear_queue())
+            raise ParsingError(self, "", self._parser.log.clear_queue())
         self._tree = parse_result
         self._parameters = self._tree["parameters"]
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def is_read_input(input_lines):
+        first_non_comment = ""
+        for line in input_lines:
+            if not is_comment(line):
+                first_non_comment = line
+                break
+        words = first_non_comment.split()
+        if len(words) > 0:
+            first_word = words[0].lower()
+            return first_word == "read"
+        # this is a fall through catch that only happens for a blank input
+        return False  # pragma: no cover
+
     @property
     def file_name(self):
         """
diff --git a/montepy/input_parser/parser_base.py b/montepy/input_parser/parser_base.py
index 900062f6..dcd844ce 100644
--- a/montepy/input_parser/parser_base.py
+++ b/montepy/input_parser/parser_base.py
@@ -374,6 +374,7 @@ def file_name(self, p):
         "SURFACE_TYPE",
         "THERMAL_LAW",
         "ZAID",
+        "NUMBER_WORD",
     )
     def file_atom(self, p):
         return p[0]
diff --git a/montepy/utilities.py b/montepy/utilities.py
index feb1a3db..e167dfef 100644
--- a/montepy/utilities.py
+++ b/montepy/utilities.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # Copyright 2024, Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC All Rights Reserved.
+from montepy.constants import BLANK_SPACE_CONTINUE
 import functools
 import re
 
@@ -31,6 +32,25 @@ def fortran_float(number_string):
             raise ValueError(f"Value Not parsable as float: {number_string}") from e
 
 
+def is_comment(line):
+    """
+    Determines if the line is a ``C comment`` style comment.
+
+    :param line: the line to analyze
+    :type line: str
+    :returns: True if the line is a comment
+    :rtype: bool
+    """
+    upper_start = line[0 : BLANK_SPACE_CONTINUE + 1].upper()
+    non_blank_comment = upper_start and line.lstrip().upper().startswith("C ")
+    if non_blank_comment:
+        return True
+    blank_comment = ("C" == upper_start.strip() and "\n" in line) or (
+        "C" == upper_start and "\n" not in line
+    )
+    return blank_comment
+
+
 def make_prop_val_node(
     hidden_param, types=None, base_type=None, validator=None, deletable=False
 ):
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 9fab1856..c2b13e9e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ version_file = "montepy/_version.py"
 include = ["montepy*"]
 
 [tool.coverage.run]
-omit = ["montepy/_version.py","tests/*"]
+omit = ["tests/*"]
 
 [tool.coverage.report]
 precision = 2
diff --git a/tests/constants.py b/tests/constants.py
index 7398f7e4..87ec8663 100644
--- a/tests/constants.py
+++ b/tests/constants.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     "testReadTarget.imcnp",
     "bad_encoding.imcnp",
     "unicode.imcnp",
+    "file2read.imcnp",
 }
 
 BAD_ENCODING_FILES = {
diff --git a/tests/inputs/file2read.imcnp b/tests/inputs/file2read.imcnp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a2c2b33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/inputs/file2read.imcnp
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+1 0 -1
+c
diff --git a/tests/inputs/readEdgeCase.imcnp b/tests/inputs/readEdgeCase.imcnp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f06c3224
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/inputs/readEdgeCase.imcnp
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Testing read card
+C this is a comment
+read file=file2read.imcnp
+
+1 so 0.5 
+
+mode n
diff --git a/tests/test_edge_cases.py b/tests/test_edge_cases.py
index fabcf147..ef6ac566 100644
--- a/tests/test_edge_cases.py
+++ b/tests/test_edge_cases.py
@@ -177,3 +177,8 @@ def test_geometry_comments(self):
         # this step caused an error for #163
         cell.comments
         cell._tree.format()
+
+    def test_bad_read(self):
+        problem = montepy.read_input(
+            os.path.join("tests", "inputs", "readEdgeCase.imcnp")
+        )
diff --git a/tests/test_material.py b/tests/test_material.py
index 56adfed9..aec22336 100644
--- a/tests/test_material.py
+++ b/tests/test_material.py
@@ -32,6 +32,22 @@ def test_material_init(self):
         for component in material.material_components:
             self.assertEqual(material.material_components[component].fraction, 0.5)
 
+        # test implicit library with syntax tree errors
+        in_str = """m1 1001 0.33
+    8016 0.666667"""
+        input_card = Input(in_str.split("\n"), BlockType.DATA)
+        material = Material(input_card)
+        # test implicit library
+        in_str = "M20 1001 0.5 2001 0.5 8016.710nc 0.5"
+        input_card = Input([in_str], BlockType.DATA)
+        material = Material(input_card)
+        self.assertEqual(material.number, 20)
+        self.assertEqual(material.old_number, 20)
+        self.assertTrue(material.is_atom_fraction)
+        for component in material.material_components:
+            self.assertEqual(material.material_components[component].fraction, 0.5)
+
+        # test weight fraction
         in_str = "M20 1001.80c -0.5 8016.80c -0.5"
         input_card = Input([in_str], BlockType.DATA)
         material = Material(input_card)
@@ -164,8 +180,6 @@ def test_isotope_init(self):
             Isotope("1001.80c.5")
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             Isotope("hi.80c")
-        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-            Isotope("1001")
 
     def test_isotope_metastable_init(self):
         isotope = Isotope("13426.02c")
diff --git a/tests/test_syntax_parsing.py b/tests/test_syntax_parsing.py
index 73b6f34c..a59a4e05 100644
--- a/tests/test_syntax_parsing.py
+++ b/tests/test_syntax_parsing.py
@@ -1101,6 +1101,10 @@ def testReadCardConfusions(self):
             input = ReadInput([f"Read FILE={file}"], BlockType.CELL)
             self.assertEqual(input.file_name, file)
 
+    def testReadCardBadSyntax(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(ParsingError):
+            card = ReadInput(["Read 1"], BlockType.CELL)
+
     def testTitleFinder(self):
         test_title = "Richard Stallman writes GNU"
         test_string = f"""{test_title}
diff --git a/tests/test_version.py b/tests/test_version.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..19d8114d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import importlib
+import os
+import sys
+from unittest import TestCase
+
+
+class TestVersion(TestCase):
+    def test_version(self):
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join("montepy", "_version.py")))
+        # Test without version.py
+        try:
+            # try without setuptools_scm
+            old_file = os.path.join("montepy", "_version.py")
+            new_file = os.path.join("montepy", "_version.bak")
+            os.rename(old_file, new_file)
+            # clear out previous imports
+            to_delete = set()
+            for mod in sys.modules:
+                for bad_mod in ["setuptools_scm", "montepy"]:
+                    if bad_mod in mod:
+                        to_delete.add(mod)
+            for mod in to_delete:
+                del sys.modules[mod]
+            sys.modules["setuptools_scm"] = None
+            import montepy
+
+            self.assertEqual(montepy.__version__, "Undefined")
+            # try with setuptools_scm
+            del sys.modules["setuptools_scm"]
+            importlib.reload(montepy)
+            print(f"From setuptools_scm: {montepy.__version__}")
+            self.assertTrue(len(montepy.__version__.split(".")) >= 3)
+        finally:
+            os.rename(new_file, old_file)
+        # do base with _version
+        importlib.reload(montepy)
+        print(f"From _version.py: {montepy.__version__}")
+        self.assertTrue(len(montepy.__version__.split(".")) >= 3)