diff --git a/scripts/scriptbase.py b/scripts/scriptbase.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8b3178
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/scriptbase.py
@@ -0,0 +1,200 @@
+import os
+import sys
+import requests
+from termcolor import cprint, colored
+from os.path import join as pjoin
+
+
+def p_cookie(cookie):
+    cookie = str(cookie)
+    if len(cookie) > 8:
+        return cookie[:6] + '...'
+    else:
+        return cookie
+
+'''
+    OFPP_NORMAL     = 0x7ffffffa;  /* Forward using non-OpenFlow pipeline. */
+    OFPP_FLOOD      = 0x7ffffffb;  /* Flood using non-OpenFlow pipeline. */
+    OFPP_ALL        = 0x7ffffffc;  /* All standard ports except input port. */
+    OFPP_CONTROLLER = 0x7ffffffd;  /* Send to controller. */
+    OFPP_LOCAL      = 0x7ffffffe;  /* Local openflow "port". */
+    OFPP_ANY        = 0x7fffffff;  /* Special value used in some requests when
+'''
+
+
+def p_port(port):
+    if port & 0x7fffffff == 0x7ffffffa:
+        return 'NORMAL'
+    elif port & 0x7fffffff == 0x7ffffffb:
+        return 'FLOOD'
+    elif port & 0x7fffffff == 0x7ffffffc:
+        return 'ALL'
+    elif port & 0x7fffffff == 0x7ffffffd:
+        return 'CONTROLLER'
+    elif port & 0x7fffffff == 0x7ffffffe:
+        return 'LOCAL'
+    elif port & 0x7fffffff == 0x7fffffff:
+        return 'ANY'
+    else:
+        return str(port)
+
+
+def p_vlan_vid(vlan_vid):
+    if vlan_vid == 0:
+        return 'untagged'
+    assert vlan_vid & 4096 == 4096
+    return str(vlan_vid - 4096)
+
+
+def p_ipv4(x):
+    return '.'.join(str(v) for v in [
+        (x >> 24) & 0xff, (x >> 16) & 0xff, (x >> 8) & 0xff, x & 0xff
+    ])
+
+
+field_printers = {
+    'IN_PORT': lambda f: (100, 'in_port', p_port(f['port'])),
+    'VLAN_VID': lambda f: (101, 'vlan_vid', p_vlan_vid(f['vlan_vid'])),
+    'VLAN_PCP': lambda f: (102, 'vlan_pcp', str(f['vlan_pcp'])),
+    'ETH_TYPE': lambda f: (103, 'eth_type', '%X' % f['eth_type']),
+    'IPV4_DST': lambda f: (104, 'ipv4_dst', p_ipv4(f['ipv4_dst'])),
+    'IP_PROTO': lambda f: (105, 'ip_proto', str(f['ip_proto']))
+}
+
+
+def p_field(field):
+    assert field['oxm_class'].endswith('OPENFLOW_BASIC')
+    ofb = field['ofb_field']
+    assert not ofb['has_mask']
+    type = ofb['type'][len('OFPXMT_OFB_'):]
+    weight, field_name, value = field_printers[type](ofb)
+    return 1000 + weight, 'set_' + field_name, value
+
+
+action_printers = {
+    'SET_FIELD': lambda a: p_field(a['set_field']['field']),
+    'POP_VLAN': lambda a: (2000, 'pop_vlan', 'Yes'),
+    'PUSH_VLAN': lambda a: (2001, 'push_vlan', '%x' % a['push']['ethertype']),
+    'GROUP': lambda a: (3000, 'group', p_port(a['group']['group_id'])),
+    'OUTPUT': lambda a: (4000, 'output', p_port(a['output']['port'])),
+}
+
+
+class ScriptBase(object):
+
+    usage = 'To be filled by derived class'
+    deep_header = {'get-depth': '-1'}
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.voltha_base_url = os.environ.get('VOLTHA_BASE_URL')
+        if self.voltha_base_url is None:
+            self.err(1)
+
+    def err(self, code, msg=None):
+        if msg is None:
+            msg = self.usage
+        print >> sys.stderr, msg
+        sys.exit(code)
+
+    def fetch_logical_device_info(self, base_url, logical_device_id):
+        url = pjoin(base_url, 'logical_devices', logical_device_id)
+        res = requests.get(url, headers=self.deep_header)
+        if res.ok:
+            return res.json()
+        else:
+            self.err('could not fetch logical device at {}: {}'.format(
+                url, res.text))
+
+    def fetch_device_info(self, base_url, device_id):
+        url = pjoin(base_url, 'devices', device_id)
+        res = requests.get(url, headers=self.deep_header)
+        if res.ok:
+            return res.json()
+        else:
+            self.err('could not fetch device at {}: {}'.format(url, res.text))
+
+    def print_flows(self, what, id, type, flows, groups):
+
+        print
+        print ''.join([
+            '{} '.format(what),
+            colored(id, color='green', attrs=['bold']),
+            ' (type: ',
+            colored(type, color='blue'),
+            ')'
+        ])
+        print 'Flows:'
+
+        max_field_lengths = {}
+        field_names = {}
+
+        def update_max_length(field_key, string):
+            length = len(string)
+            if length > max_field_lengths.get(field_key, 0):
+                max_field_lengths[field_key] = length
+
+        def add_field_type(field_key, field_name):
+            if field_key not in field_names:
+                field_names[field_key] = field_name
+                update_max_length(field_key, field_name)
+            else:
+                assert field_names[field_key] == field_name
+
+        cell_values = {}
+
+        # preprocess data
+        for i, flow in enumerate(flows):
+
+            def add_field(field_key, field_name, value):
+                add_field_type(field_key, field_name)
+                row = cell_values.setdefault(i, {})
+                row[field_key] = value
+                update_max_length(field_key, value)
+
+            add_field(0, 'table_id', value=str(flow['table_id']))
+            add_field(1, 'priority', value=str(flow['priority']))
+            add_field(2, 'cookie', p_cookie(flow['cookie']))
+
+            assert flow['match']['type'] == 'OFPMT_OXM'
+            for field in flow['match']['oxm_fields']:
+                assert field['oxm_class'].endswith('OPENFLOW_BASIC')
+                ofb = field['ofb_field']
+                assert not ofb['has_mask'], 'masked match not handled yet'  # TODO
+                type = ofb['type'][len('OFPXMT_OFB_'):]
+                add_field(*field_printers[type](ofb))
+
+            for instruction in flow['instructions']:
+                if instruction['type'] == 4:
+                    for action in instruction['actions']['actions']:
+                        type = action['type'][len('OFPAT_'):]
+                        add_field(*action_printers[type](action))
+
+        # print header
+        field_keys = sorted(field_names.keys())
+        def p_sep():
+            print '+' + '+'.join(
+                [(max_field_lengths[k] + 2) * '-' for k in field_keys]) + '+'
+
+        p_sep()
+        print '| ' + ' | '.join(
+            '%%%ds' % max_field_lengths[k] % field_names[k]
+            for k in field_keys) + ' |'
+        p_sep()
+
+        # print values
+        for i in xrange(len(flows)):
+            row = cell_values[i]
+            cprint('| ' + ' | '.join(
+                '%%%ds' % max_field_lengths[k] % row.get(k, '')
+                for k in field_keys
+            ) + ' |')
+            if not ((i + 1) % 3):
+                p_sep()
+
+        if ((i + 1) % 3):
+            p_sep()
+
+        # TODO groups TBF
+        assert len(groups) == 0
+
+