-- splitting th loading out to a different step

-- making an abstract history class
-- adding a History marshaller to the oldHistory.

bin/bash_history.rb

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ OptionParser.new do |opts|
 end.parse!(ARGV)
 
 bh = Persistent::Shell::OldHistoryStore.new(bh_options)
+bh.load()
 
 if options[:inspect]
   p bh

lib/persistent-shell-history.rb

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 require 'persistent-shell-history/version'
-require 'persistent-shell-history/bash-history'
+require 'persistent-shell-history/history'
 
 module Persistent
   module Shell

lib/persistent-shell-history/history.rb

@@ -3,15 +3,22 @@ require 'persistent-shell-history/command'
 
 module Persistent
   module Shell
+    # Abstract storage for command history
     class History
+      def initialize()
+        @cmds = Array.new
+      end
+      def commands; @cmds; end
+      def commands=(cmds); @cmds = cmds; end
+      def <<(arg); @cmds << arg; end
+    end
+    class BashHistory < History
       def initialize(filename = '~/.bash_history')
         @filename = File.expand_path(filename)
       end
+      def commands; (@cmds.nil? or @cmds.empty?) ? (@cmds = parse) : @cmds; end
       def file; @filename; end
       def file=(filename); @filename = File.expand_path(filename); end
-      def commands
-        @cmds ||= parse
-      end
       def parse(filename = @filename)
         cmds = Array.new
         open(filename) do |f|

lib/persistent-shell-history/old-history-store.rb

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ require 'gdbm'
 require 'yaml'
 
 require 'persistent-shell-history/abstract-history-store'
+require 'persistent-shell-history/history'
+require 'persistent-shell-history/command'
 
 module Persistent
   module Shell
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ module Persistent
       }
       def initialize(opts = {})
         @options = OPTIONS.merge(opts)
-        _load unless db.has_key? "schema_version"
+        #load() unless db.has_key? "schema_version"
       end
       def time_format; @options[:time_format]; end
       def time_format=(tf); @options[:time_format] = tf; end
@@ -52,8 +54,7 @@ module Persistent
         }.flatten
       end
     
-      def _load(filename = @options[:file])
-        #History.new(file).parse
+      def load(filename = @options[:file])
         open(filename) do |f|
           f.each_line do |line|
             if line =~ /^#(.*)$/
@@ -88,6 +89,19 @@ module Persistent
         end
       end
 
+      # returns a Persistent::Shell::History object from the current GDBM database.
+      # intended for marshalling to other history-stores
+      def to_history
+        history = History.new
+        values.each do |value|
+          value[:time].each do |t|
+            history << Command.new(value[:cmd], t.to_i)
+          end
+        end
+        return history
+      end
+
+      # create an output that looks like a regular ~/.bash_history file
       def render(file)
         File.open(file,'w+') do |f|
           values.each do |v|