diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a9f4ed5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+lib
+node_modules
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b8b200
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Makefile to build courtesy of coffee-resque
+# https://github.com/technoweenie/coffee-resque/blob/master/Makefile
+generate-js: deps
+	@find src -name '*.coffee' | xargs coffee -c -o lib
+
+remove-js:
+	@rm -fr lib/
+
+deps:
+	@test `which coffee` || echo 'You need to have CoffeeScript in your PATH.\nPlease install it using `npm install coffee-script`.'
+
+test: deps
+	@find test -name '*_test.coffee' | xargs -n 1 -t echo
+
+dev: generate-js
+	@coffee -wc --no-wrap -o lib src/*.coffee
+
+.PHONY: all
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a495f3c..c27e68a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 q_helpers
 =========
 
-A helper library that works with Q in the Gathr project (and related).
\ No newline at end of file
+A helper library that works with Q in the Gathr project (and related).
+
+Useful list of functions to make working with Q just that little bit
+easier.
+
+*NOTE* that the library should be require-d *after* Q.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfa0b28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+{
+    "name": "q_helpers",
+    "version": "0.0.1",
+    "description": "Helper library to make it easier to use Q.  Note, require AFTER Q.",
+    "homepage": "http://usablehq.com",
+    "author": {
+        "name": "Usablehq Ltd",
+        "url": "http://usablehq.com"
+    },
+    "private" : true
+    ,
+    "dependencies": {
+        "underscore": "1.3.1"
+    },
+    "main": "./lib/q_helpers",
+    "directories": {
+        "lib": "./lib"
+    },
+    "scripts": {
+        "install": "make"
+    },
+    "engines": [
+        "node >= 0.6.0"
+    ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/q_helpers.coffee b/src/q_helpers.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2dd5e51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/q_helpers.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+# q_helpers.coffee
+#
+# helper functions to work with the Q promises library.
+
+Q       = require 'q'
+_       = require 'underscore'
+
+###
+return a function that takes a standard node function and makes it work like a Q promise.
+
+essentialy, this just calls bind.
+###
+exports.QifyFn = _QifyFn = (fn) ->
+  return Q.nbind(fn, fn)
+
+###
+Take a Q promise and convert it into a node style callback function.
+
+Note, that code shouldn't keep switching between the two styles as the
+unIfyFn() looks quite expensive.
+###
+exports.unQifyFn = (args..., promise_fn) ->
+  want_array = false
+  if args.length > 0 and args[0] == 'array' then want_array = true
+  if not _.isFunction promise_fn then throw new Error("to Unqify - promise_fn not defined")
+  return (args..., callback) ->
+    if not(_.isFunction callback) then throw new Error("callback not supplied to Qunified function: " + promise_fn.name)
+    Q.when(Q.apply(promise_fn, promise_fn, args))
+      # promise succeeds
+    .then (results) ->
+      if not results? then results = []
+      if not _.isArray results then results = [ results ]
+      if want_array then results = [ results ]
+      results.unshift null
+      callback.apply callback, results
+    # promise fails.
+    .fail (err) ->
+      callback err
+    .end()
+
+###
+call a node funtion with args and return the promise for it.
+
+This is essentially like ncall(...) BUT doesn't need you to
+specify the function binding, which is bound to the function name being
+called.
+###
+exports.ncall_fn = (fn, args...) ->
+  qfn = _QifyFn fn
+  return qfn.apply qfn, args
+
+
+###
+whilePromise(test_fn, loop_promise_fn)
+
+Execute a while.  Run test_fn() and if true then call the loop_promise_fn().
+After the promise has resolved, then run the test_fn() again and repeat
+until the test_fn() returns false.
+###
+exports.whilePromise = whilePromise = (test_fn, loop_promise_fn) ->
+  _iterator_helper_Promise = ->
+    if test_fn.call()
+      Q.when(loop_promise_fn.call())
+      .then ->
+        _iterator_helper_Promise()
+  return Q.when(_iterator_helper_Promise())
+
+
+###
+map an array of things with a promise function.
+
+The promise function takes one parameter from the array.  The results of calling the
+promise function are then pushed to array.  Returns a promise.
+###
+exports.mapPromise = mapPromise = (array, promiseFn) ->
+  results = []
+  index = 0
+  if not _.isArray array then return Q.reject new Error 'No array passed to q_helpers.mapPromise()'
+  whilePromise(
+    -> index < array.length
+
+    -> Q.when(promiseFn.call(promiseFn, array[index])).then( (result) -> results.push result; index += 1)
+    ).then( -> return results )
+
+
+exports.mapParallelPromise = mapParallelPromise = (array, promiseFn) ->
+  if not _.isArray array then return Q.reject new Error 'No array passed to q_helpers.mapPromise()'
+  if array.length == 0 then return Q.resolve []
+
+  deferred = Q.defer()
+  results = []
+  count = 0
+
+  for item, index in array
+    do (item, index) ->
+      Q.when(promiseFn.call(promiseFn, item))
+      .then (result) -> 
+        results[index] = result
+        count += 1
+        if count == array.length then deferred.resolve results
+      .fail( (err) -> deferred.reject err)
+      .end()
+
+  return deferred.promise
+
+
+exports.mapParallelBatchPromise = mapParallelBatchPromise = (array, batchSize, promiseFn) ->
+  if not _.isArray array then return Q.reject new Error 'No array passed to q_helpers.mapPromise()'
+  if array.length == 0 then return Q.resolve []
+
+  results = []
+  index = 0
+  whilePromise(
+    -> index < array.length
+
+    ->
+      size = if index + batchSize < array.length then batchSize else array.length - index
+      mapParallelPromise(array[index...index+size], promiseFn)
+      .then( (result) -> results.push.apply(results, result); index += size)
+    ).then( -> results)
+
+
+###
+apply the same promise function to an array of values
+In this case, we don't really care what the return value is, just that
+we have waited until all are done in the sequence in the array.
+###
+exports.forEachArrayApplyPromise = forEachArrayApplyPromise = (array, promiseFn, initialValue=undefined) ->
+  if not _.isArray array then throw new Error 'No array passed to q_helpers.forEachArrayApplyPromise()'
+  if array.length == 0 then return Q.resolve initialValue
+
+  result = Q.resolve initialValue
+  for a in array
+    do (a) ->
+      result = result.then( -> promiseFn.call(promiseFn, a))
+  return result
+
+
+###
+_chain_2_promises (f1, f2)
+
+returns a function that takes (args...) and applies it to the two functions such that
+f3(a)  === f1(a).then( (args-for-f2) -> f2(args-for-f2)
+
+i.e. it lets you compose two promiseOrValue functions into a single one.  Note they
+are closures so they can capture other arguments as required.
+###
+_chain_2_promises = (fn1, fn2) ->
+  if not _.isFunction fn1 then throw Error("#{fn1} is not a function")
+  if not _.isFunction fn2 then throw Error("#{fn2} is not a function")
+  return (args1...) ->
+    Q.when(Q.apply fn1, fn1, args1).then( (args2...) -> Q.apply fn2, fn2, args2)
+
+
+###
+chain_n_promises (fns...)
+
+returns a single function that chains the entire array of fns into a single function
+by recursively calling _chain_2_promises
+###
+exports.chain_n_promises = _chain_n_promises = (fns...) ->
+  if fns.length < 2 then throw Error("Programming error: You cant chain one or less promises...")
+  if fns.length == 2 then return _chain_2_promises fns[0], fns[1]
+  return _chain_2_promises fns[0],
+    _chain_n_promises.apply _chain_n_promises, fns[1..]