diff --git a/include/cppast/compile_config.hpp b/include/cppast/compile_config.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfc668e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/cppast/compile_config.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2017 Jonathan Müller <jonathanmueller.dev@gmail.com>
+// This file is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file
+// found in the top-level directory of this distribution.
+
+#ifndef CPPAST_COMPILE_CONFIG_HPP_INCLUDED
+#define CPPAST_COMPILE_CONFIG_HPP_INCLUDED
+
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include <type_safe/reference.hpp>
+#include <type_safe/flag_set.hpp>
+
+namespace cppast
+{
+    /// The C++ standard that should be used.
+    enum class cpp_standard
+    {
+        cpp_98,
+        cpp_03,
+        cpp_11,
+        cpp_14,
+
+        cpp_latest = cpp_standard::cpp_14,
+    };
+
+    /// Other special compilation flags.
+    enum class compile_flag
+    {
+        gnu_extensions, //< Enable GCC extensions.
+
+        ms_extensions,    //< Enable MSVC extensions.
+        ms_compatibility, //< Enable MSVC compatibility.
+
+        _count, //< \exclude
+    };
+} // namespace cppast
+
+namespace type_safe
+{
+    /// Specialization of [ts::flag_set_traits]() to use [cppast::compile_flag]() with [ts::flag_set]().
+    template <>
+    struct flag_set_traits<cppast::compile_flag> : std::true_type
+    {
+        static constexpr std::size_t size() noexcept
+        {
+            return static_cast<std::size_t>(cppast::compile_flag::_count);
+        }
+    };
+} // namespace type_safe
+
+namespace cppast
+{
+    /// Base class for the configuration of a [cppast::parser]().
+    class compile_config
+    {
+    public:
+        /// \effects Sets the given C++ standard and compilation flags.
+        void set_standard(cpp_standard standard, type_safe::flag_set<compile_flag> flags)
+        {
+            do_set_flags(standard, flags);
+        }
+
+        /// \effects Adds the given path to the set of include directories.
+        void add_include_dir(std::string path)
+        {
+            do_add_include_dir(std::move(path));
+        }
+
+        /// \effects Defines the given macro.
+        void define_macro(std::string name, std::string definition)
+        {
+            do_add_macro_definition(std::move(name), std::move(definition));
+        }
+
+        /// \effects Undefines the given macro.
+        void undefine_macro(std::string name)
+        {
+            do_remove_macro_definition(std::move(name));
+        }
+
+    protected:
+        compile_config(std::vector<std::string> def_flags) : flags_(std::move(def_flags))
+        {
+        }
+
+        ~compile_config() noexcept = default;
+
+        void add_flag(std::string flag)
+        {
+            flags_.push_back(std::move(flag));
+        }
+
+        const std::vector<std::string>& get_flags() const noexcept
+        {
+            return flags_;
+        }
+
+    private:
+        /// \effects Sets the given C++ standard and compilation flags.
+        virtual void do_set_flags(cpp_standard                      standard,
+                                  type_safe::flag_set<compile_flag> flags) = 0;
+
+        /// \effects Adds the given path to the set of include directories.
+        virtual void do_add_include_dir(std::string path) = 0;
+
+        /// \effects Defines the given macro.
+        virtual void do_add_macro_definition(std::string name, std::string definition) = 0;
+
+        /// \effects Undefines the given macro.
+        virtual void do_remove_macro_definition(std::string name) = 0;
+
+        std::vector<std::string> flags_;
+    };
+} // namespace cppast
+
+#endif // CPPAST_COMPILE_CONFIG_HPP_INCLUDED
diff --git a/include/cppast/parser.hpp b/include/cppast/parser.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c6803d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/cppast/parser.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2017 Jonathan Müller <jonathanmueller.dev@gmail.com>
+// This file is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file
+// found in the top-level directory of this distribution.
+
+#ifndef CPPAST_PARSER_HPP_INCLUDED
+#define CPPAST_PARSER_HPP_INCLUDED
+
+#include <cppast/compile_config.hpp>
+#include <cppast/cpp_file.hpp>
+
+namespace cppast
+{
+    class cpp_entity_index;
+
+    /// Base class for a parser.
+    ///
+    /// It reads a C++ source file and creates the matching [cppast::cpp_file]().
+    class parser
+    {
+    public:
+        parser(const parser&) = delete;
+        parser& operator=(const parser&) = delete;
+
+        virtual ~parser() noexcept = default;
+
+        /// \effects Parses the given file.
+        /// \returns The [cppast::cpp_file]() object describing it.
+        std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx, const std::string& path,
+                                        const compile_config& config) const
+        {
+            return do_parse(idx, path, config);
+        }
+
+    protected:
+        parser() = default;
+
+    private:
+        /// \effects Parses the given file.
+        /// \returns The [cppast::cpp_file]() object describing it.
+        virtual std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> do_parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx,
+                                                   const std::string&      path,
+                                                   const compile_config&   config) const = 0;
+    };
+} // namespace cppast
+
+#endif // CPPAST_PARSER_HPP_INCLUDED