diff --git a/examplar.cpp b/examplar.cpp
index 63658ad..d765017 100644
--- a/examplar.cpp
+++ b/examplar.cpp
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ int main( )
     // load the configuration file which contains filepaths to definitions of a plan and definitions of units.
     std::string definitions_file = configuration.get_units_path();
     std::string plan_file = configuration.get_plan_path();
-    // std::cout << definitions_file << std::endl << plan_file << std::endl;
 
     Suite available_definitions;
     available_definitions.load_units_file( definitions_file, verbose );
 
     Plan plan;
+    plan.load_plan_file( plan_file, verbose );
 
 /*    for ( int i = 0; i < plan.num_tasks(); ++i )
     {
diff --git a/src/loaders/Plan.cpp b/src/loaders/Plan.cpp
index aea5b3b..8ffa620 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Plan.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/Plan.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #include "Plan.h"
-
 /// Plan_InvalidTaskIndex - Exception thrown when a Plan tries to access a contained Task's value by index not present
 /// in the Unit.
 class Plan_InvalidTaskIndex: public std::runtime_error { public:
@@ -12,7 +11,6 @@ class Plan_InvalidTaskName: public std::runtime_error { public:
     Plan_InvalidTaskName(): std::runtime_error("Plan: Attempted to access a Task using an invalid name.") {}
 };
 
-
 /// Plan::Plan() - Constructor for Plan class.  A Plan is a managed container for a Task vector.  These tasks reference
 /// Units that are defined in the Units files (Suite).  If Units are definitions, Tasks are selections of those
 /// definitions to execute, and if Units together form a Suite, Tasks together form a Plan.
diff --git a/src/loaders/Plan.h b/src/loaders/Plan.h
index 6a6ab1b..60c995c 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Plan.h
+++ b/src/loaders/Plan.h
@@ -16,13 +16,20 @@ class Plan: public JSON_Loader
     public:
         Plan();
 
+        // append this->tasks from JSON file
         void load_plan_file( std::string filename, bool verbose );
 
+        // fetch a task from this->tasks
         void get_task( Task & result, std::string provided_name, bool verbose );
 
-        void get_task( Task & result, int index. bool verbose );
+        // fetch a task from this->tasks
+        void get_task( Task & result, int index, bool verbose );
 
-        void get_unit_from_task(Unit & result, Task input, bool verbose );
+        // load unit definitions from a provided suite and import them into individual tasks
+        // void load_definitions( Suite unit_definitions );
+
+        // fetch a corresponding Unit to a Task
+        // void get_definition_from_task(Unit & result, Task input, bool verbose );
 };
 
 #endif //FTESTS_PLAN_H
diff --git a/src/loaders/Suite.h b/src/loaders/Suite.h
index 1c1a24b..b02b81e 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Suite.h
+++ b/src/loaders/Suite.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 class Suite: public JSON_Loader
 {
-    private:
+    protected:
         // storage for the definitions we are amassing from the unit definition files
         std::vector<Unit> units;
 
diff --git a/src/loaders/Task.cpp b/src/loaders/Task.cpp
index 47d98a9..65dd153 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Task.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/Task.cpp
@@ -1,17 +1,27 @@
 #include "Task.h"
 
-Task::Task() {}
+/// Task_InvalidDataStructure - Exception thrown when a Task is defined with invalid JSON.
+class Task_InvalidDataStructure: public std::runtime_error { public:
+    Task_InvalidDataStructure(): std::runtime_error("Task: Attempted to access a member of a Task that is not set.") {}
+};
 
-Task::Task( Json::Value loader_root )
-{
-    this->load_root( loader_root );
-}
+/// Task::Task() - Constructor for the Task class.  The Task is the building block of a Plan indicating of which Unit to
+/// execute, and its dependencies on other units to have already been completed successfully.
+Task::Task() {}
 
 int Task::load_root(Json::Value loader_root)
 {
-    this->name = loader_root.get("name", "?").asString();
-    this->dependencies = loader_root.get("depends on", "");
-    this->has_succeeded = false;
+    if ( loader_root.isMember("name") )
+    {
+        this->name = loader_root.get("name", "?").asString();
+    } else {
+        throw Task_InvalidDataStructure();
+    }
+
+
+    // this->dependencies = loader_root.get("depends on", "");
+    //this->has_succeeded = false;
+
 }
 
 std::string Task::get_name()
@@ -19,23 +29,4 @@ std::string Task::get_name()
     return this->name;
 }
 
-bool Task::isDone()
-{
-    return this->has_succeeded;
-}
 
-void Task::finish()
-{
-    this->has_succeeded = true;
-}
-
-// returns Json::Value for dependencies
-Json::Value Task::get_dependencies()
-{
-    return this->dependencies;
-}
-
-Json::Value Task::set_dependencies()
-{
-
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/loaders/Task.h b/src/loaders/Task.h
index 8abd639..9cdd440 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Task.h
+++ b/src/loaders/Task.h
@@ -7,24 +7,38 @@
 
 class Task
 {
-    private:
+    protected:
+        // the name of this task
         std::string name;
-        Json::Value dependencies;
-        bool has_succeeded;
+
+        // names of tasks that must have successfully executed before this task can execute its own unit.
+        std::vector<std::string> dependencies;
+
+        // private member to store the definition of this task once found in a Suite by Plan.
+        // populated by load_definition
+        Unit definition;
+
+        // the status of this task
+        bool complete;
 
     public:
-        Task( Json::Value loader_root );
+        // constructor
         Task();
 
+        // load a json::value into task members (second stage deserialization)
         int load_root( Json::Value loader_root );
 
-        std::string get_name();
-        Json::Value get_dependencies();
-        Json::Value set_dependencies();
+        // register a dependency
+        void add_dependency( std::string dependency_name );
 
-        // appends associated_unit as child member
-        bool isDone();
-        void finish();
+        // appends definition unit as child member
+        void load_definition( Unit definition );
+
+
+        bool is_complete();
+
+        // fetch the name of a task
+        std::string get_name();
 };
 
 #endif //FTESTS_TASK_H