diff --git a/scripts/python/Makefile.in b/scripts/python/Makefile.in
index 55c17a7..4776246 100644
--- a/scripts/python/Makefile.in
+++ b/scripts/python/Makefile.in
@@ -11,8 +11,13 @@ CXX_SRCS := $(wildcard *.cpp)
 CXX_LINT := ${CXX_SRCS:.cpp=.lint}
 
 .PHONY: cpplint-all
+<<<<<<< HEAD
 cpplint-all: $(CXX_LINT)
 
 %.lint: %.cpp
 	@python ../../python/cpplint.py --verbose=0 --linelength=100 --filter=-legal/copyright,-build/include_order,-build/namespaces,-build/include,-build/include_subdir,-readability/inheritance,-readability/casting,-readability/namespace,-readability/alt_tokens,-readability/braces,-readability/fn_size,-whitespace/comments,-whitespace/braces,-whitespace/empty_loop_body,-whitespace/indent,-whitespace/newline,-runtime/explicit,-runtime/arrays,-runtime/int,-runtime/references,-runtime/string,-runtime/operator $< || (cat $< | nl -ba | grep -v 'md-split' && false)
+=======
+cpplint-all:
+	@python  ../../python/cpplint_wrap.py  *.cpp
+>>>>>>> 084eb29d426688617b6e19846f508b6d1cb3a564
 
diff --git a/scripts/python/cpplint_wrap.py b/scripts/python/cpplint_wrap.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd7a9f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/python/cpplint_wrap.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+## wraps local cpplint to produce verbose output without code harness
+import cpplint
+import sys
+
+def main():
+    FILTERS='cpplint --verbose=0 --linelength=100 --filter=-legal/copyright,-build/include_order,-build/c++11,-build/namespaces,-build/class,-build/include,-build/include_subdir,-readability/inheritance,-readability/function,-readability/casting,-readability/namespace,-readability/alt_tokens,-readability/braces,-readability/fn_size,-whitespace/comments,-whitespace/braces,-whitespace/empty_loop_body,-whitespace/indent,-whitespace/newline,-runtime/explicit,-runtime/arrays,-runtime/int,-runtime/references,-runtime/string,-runtime/operator'.split(' ')
+
+    result = False
+    files = sys.argv[1:]
+    for loopfile in files:
+        newargs = FILTERS + [loopfile]
+        sys.argv = newargs
+
+        try:
+            cpplint.main()
+        except SystemExit as e:
+            last_result = e.args[0]
+            result = result or last_result
+            if (last_result):
+                write_code_lines(loopfile)
+    sys.exit(result)
+
+def write_code_lines(filename):
+    with open(filename, 'r') as f:
+        linenum = 1
+        for line in f:
+            if (not '// by md-split' in line):
+                sys.stdout.write('%3d  %s' % (linenum, line))
+            linenum += 1
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+  main()
diff --git a/scripts/python/md-split.py b/scripts/python/md-split.py
index 2e8e063..befc7b8 100755
--- a/scripts/python/md-split.py
+++ b/scripts/python/md-split.py
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ def process_code(read_filehandle, text_filehandle, line, linenum, sourcefile, co
         if (not line.strip() == '```'):
             if ('???' == no_comment_line or '...' == no_comment_line):
                 has_question_marks = True
-            linebuffer.append(dedent(line) if not fenced else line)
+            linebuffer.append(dedent(line, indent_depth) if not fenced else line)
         try:
             line = read_filehandle.next()
             linenum += 1
@@ -118,10 +118,33 @@ def process_code(read_filehandle, text_filehandle, line, linenum, sourcefile, co
     codefile = os.path.join(codedir, '%s%s.cpp' % (name, index))
     if fenced:
         text_filehandle.write('\n')
+
     if (has_actual_code and not has_question_marks):
-        # add commonly used headers, so that lines can compile
-        with io.open(codefile, 'w') as code_filehandle:
-            code_filehandle.write('''\
+        linebuffer = clean_trailing_newlines(linebuffer)
+        write_with_harness(codefile, sourcefile, start_linenum, linebuffer)
+    return (line, linenum)
+
+
+def clean_trailing_newlines(linebuffer):
+    result = []
+    code_started = False
+    linebuffer.reverse()
+    for line in linebuffer:
+        if not code_started and line == '\n':
+            continue
+        code_started = True
+        result.append(line)
+    result.reverse()
+    return result
+
+
+def write_with_harness(codefile, sourcefile, start_linenum, linebuffer):
+    '''write output with additional lines to make code likely compilable'''
+    # add commonly used headers, so that lines can likely compile.
+    # This is work in progress, the main issue remains handling class
+    # declarations in in-function code differently
+    with io.open(codefile, 'w') as code_filehandle:
+        code_filehandle.write('''\
 #include<stdio.h>      // by md-split
 #include<stdlib.h>     // by md-split
 #include<tuple>        // by md-split
@@ -137,10 +160,9 @@ def process_code(read_filehandle, text_filehandle, line, linenum, sourcefile, co
 using namespace std;   // by md-split
 // %s : %s
 ''' % (sourcefile, start_linenum))
-            # TODO: if not toplevel code, wrap inside class
-            for codeline in linebuffer:
-                code_filehandle.write(codeline)
-    return (line, linenum)
+        # TODO: if not toplevel code, wrap inside class
+        for codeline in linebuffer:
+            code_filehandle.write(codeline)
 
 
 def is_code(line, indent_depth = 4):
@@ -150,7 +172,7 @@ def is_code(line, indent_depth = 4):
     return 0
 
 def is_inside_code(line, indent_depth):
-    return is_code(line, indent_depth) or line.strip() == ''
+    return is_code(line, indent_depth) > 0 or line.strip() == ''
 
 def stripped(line):
     # Remove well-formed html tags, fixing mistakes by legitimate users
@@ -158,9 +180,9 @@ def stripped(line):
     sline = re.sub('[()\[\]#*]', ' ', line)
     return sline
 
-def dedent(line):
-    if line.startswith('    '):
-        return line[4:]
+def dedent(line, indent_depth):
+    if line.startswith(' ' * indent_depth):
+        return line[indent_depth:]
     if line.startswith('\t'):
         return line[1:]
     return line