diff --git a/columnar/columnar-cli/Cargo.toml b/columnar/columnar-cli/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0c1fd9b67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/columnar/columnar-cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+[package]
+name = "tantivy-columnar-cli"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+license = "MIT"
+
+[dependencies]
+columnar = {path="../", package="tantivy-columnar"}
+serde_json = "1"
+serde_json_borrow = {git="https://github.com/PSeitz/serde_json_borrow/"}
+serde = "1"
+
+[workspace]
+members = []
+
+[profile.release]
+debug = true
diff --git a/columnar/columnar-cli/src/main.rs b/columnar/columnar-cli/src/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82fc65f3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/columnar/columnar-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+use columnar::ColumnarWriter;
+use columnar::NumericalValue;
+use serde_json_borrow;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io;
+use std::io::BufRead;
+use std::io::BufReader;
+use std::time::Instant;
+
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct JsonStack {
+    path: String,
+    stack: Vec<usize>,
+}
+
+impl JsonStack {
+    fn push(&mut self, seg: &str) {
+        let len = self.path.len();
+        self.stack.push(len);
+        self.path.push('.');
+        self.path.push_str(seg);
+    }
+
+    fn pop(&mut self) {
+        if let Some(len) = self.stack.pop() {
+            self.path.truncate(len);
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn path(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.path[1..]
+    }
+}
+
+fn append_json_to_columnar(
+    doc: u32,
+    json_value: &serde_json_borrow::Value,
+    columnar: &mut ColumnarWriter,
+    stack: &mut JsonStack,
+) -> usize {
+    let mut count = 0;
+    match json_value {
+        serde_json_borrow::Value::Null => {}
+        serde_json_borrow::Value::Bool(val) => {
+            columnar.record_numerical(
+                doc,
+                stack.path(),
+                NumericalValue::from(if *val { 1u64 } else { 0u64 }),
+            );
+            count += 1;
+        }
+        serde_json_borrow::Value::Number(num) => {
+            let numerical_value: NumericalValue = if let Some(num_i64) = num.as_i64() {
+                num_i64.into()
+            } else if let Some(num_u64) = num.as_u64() {
+                num_u64.into()
+            } else if let Some(num_f64) = num.as_f64() {
+                num_f64.into()
+            } else {
+                panic!();
+            };
+            count += 1;
+            columnar.record_numerical(
+                doc,
+                stack.path(),
+                numerical_value,
+            );
+        }
+        serde_json_borrow::Value::Str(msg) => {
+            columnar.record_str(
+                doc,
+                stack.path(),
+                msg,
+            );
+            count += 1;
+        },
+        serde_json_borrow::Value::Array(vals) => {
+            for val in vals {
+                count += append_json_to_columnar(doc, val, columnar, stack);
+            }
+        },
+        serde_json_borrow::Value::Object(json_map) => {
+            for (child_key, child_val) in json_map {
+                stack.push(child_key);
+                count += append_json_to_columnar(doc, child_val, columnar, stack);
+                stack.pop();
+            }
+        },
+    }
+    count
+}
+
+fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
+    let file = File::open("gh_small.json")?;
+    let mut reader = BufReader::new(file);
+    let mut line = String::with_capacity(100);
+    let mut columnar = columnar::ColumnarWriter::default();
+    let mut doc = 0;
+    let start = Instant::now();
+    let mut stack = JsonStack::default();
+    let mut total_count = 0;
+
+    let start_build = Instant::now();
+    loop {
+        line.clear();
+        let len = reader.read_line(&mut line)?;
+        if len == 0 {
+            break;
+        }
+        let Ok(json_value) = serde_json::from_str::<serde_json_borrow::Value>(&line) else { continue; };
+        total_count += append_json_to_columnar(doc, &json_value, &mut columnar, &mut stack);
+        doc += 1;
+    }
+    println!("Build in {:?}", start_build.elapsed());
+
+    println!("value count {total_count}");
+
+    let mut buffer = Vec::new();
+    let start_serialize = Instant::now();
+    columnar.serialize(doc, None, &mut buffer)?;
+    println!("Serialized in {:?}", start_serialize.elapsed());
+    println!("num docs: {doc}, {:?}", start.elapsed());
+    println!("buffer len {} MB", buffer.len() / 1_000_000);
+    let columnar = columnar::ColumnarReader::open(buffer)?;
+    for (column_name, dynamic_column) in columnar.list_columns()? {
+        let num_bytes = dynamic_column.num_bytes();
+        let typ = dynamic_column.column_type();
+        if num_bytes > 1_000_000 {
+            println!("{column_name} {typ:?}  {} KB", num_bytes / 1_000);
+        }
+    }
+    println!("{} columns", columnar.num_columns());
+    Ok(())
+}