diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 18afa07a..87257908 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ extern crate clap;
 extern crate lazy_static;
 extern crate num; // cli
 extern crate serde; // serialization deserialization
+extern crate serde_json;
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate serde_derive;
 extern crate bincode;
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ use absy::Prog;
 use parser::parse_program;
 use semantics::Checker;
 use flatten::Flattener;
-use r1cs::r1cs_program;
+use r1cs::{r1cs_program, R1CS};
 use clap::{App, AppSettings, Arg, SubCommand};
 #[cfg(not(feature = "nolibsnark"))]
 use libsnark::{setup, generate_proof};
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ fn main() {
     const VERIFICATION_CONTRACT_DEFAULT_PATH: &str = "verifier.sol";
     const WITNESS_DEFAULT_PATH: &str = "witness";
     const VARIABLES_INFORMATION_KEY_DEFAULT_PATH: &str = "variables.inf";
+    const IMPORT_OUTPUT_DEFAULT_PATH: &str = "import.code";
 
     // cli specification using clap library
     let matches = App::new("ZoKrates")
@@ -195,6 +197,26 @@ fn main() {
             .default_value(VARIABLES_INFORMATION_KEY_DEFAULT_PATH)
         )
     )
+    .subcommand(SubCommand::with_name("import")
+        .about("Imports a standard R1CS file as .code.")
+        .arg(Arg::with_name("input")
+            .short("i")
+            .long("input")
+            .help("path of verifier.")
+            .value_name("FILE")
+            .takes_value(true)
+            .required(true)
+        )
+        .arg(Arg::with_name("output")
+            .short("o")
+            .long("output")
+            .help("output file path.")
+            .value_name("FILE")
+            .takes_value(true)
+            .required(false)
+            .default_value(IMPORT_OUTPUT_DEFAULT_PATH)
+        )
+    )
     .get_matches();
 
     match matches.subcommand() {
@@ -569,6 +591,19 @@ fn main() {
             }
 
         }
+        ("import", Some(sub_matches)) => {
+            let path = Path::new(sub_matches.value_of("input").unwrap());
+            println!("Importing R1CS from {}", sub_matches.value_of("input").unwrap());
+
+            let file = match File::open(&path) {
+                Ok(file) => file,
+                Err(why) => panic!("couldn't open {}: {}", path.display(), why),
+            };
+
+            let r1cs: r1cs::R1CS = serde_json::from_reader(file).unwrap();
+            println!("R1CS: {:?}", r1cs);
+            let prog: Prog<FieldPrime> = r1cs::flattened_program(r1cs);
+        }
         _ => unimplemented!(), // Either no subcommand or one not tested for...
     }
 
diff --git a/src/r1cs.rs b/src/r1cs.rs
index 63640c5b..bd384428 100644
--- a/src/r1cs.rs
+++ b/src/r1cs.rs
@@ -6,10 +6,23 @@
 //! @date 2017
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use absy::*;
 use absy::Expression::*;
 use field::Field;
 
+// for r1cs import, can be moved.
+// r1cs data strucutre reflecting JSON standard format:
+//{variables:["a","b", ... ],
+//constraints:[
+// [{offset_1:value_a1,offset2:value_a2,...},{offset1:value_b1,offset2:value_b2,...},{offset1:value_c1,offset2:value_c2,...}]
+//]}
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
+pub struct R1CS {
+    variables: Vec<String>,
+    constraints: Vec<Vec<BTreeMap<String, isize>>>,
+}
+
 /// Returns a vector of summands of the given `Expression`.
 ///
 /// # Arguments
@@ -338,25 +351,45 @@ pub fn r1cs_program<T: Field>(
 /// * Since the matrices in R1CS are usually sparse, the following encoding is used:
 /// * For each constraint (i.e., row in the R1CS), only non-zero values are supplied and encoded as a tuple (index, value).
 ///
-/// Example for a row of Matrix A: 0 0 1 2 0 -> (2,1),(3,2)
-///
 /// # Arguments
 ///
-/// * `inputs` - Input variables as (Index, Name) name tuples, where index is the column index.
-/// * `outputs` - Output variables as (Index, Name) name tuples, where index is the column index.
-/// * `a` - Matrix A in the R1CS.
-/// * `b` - Matrix B in the R1CS.
-/// * `c` - Matrix C in the R1CS.
+/// * r1cs - R1CS in standard JSON data format
 
 pub fn flattened_program<T: Field>(
-    inputs: Vec<(usize, String)>,
-    outputs: Vec<(usize, String)>,
-    a: Vec<Vec<(usize, T)>>,
-    b: Vec<Vec<(usize, T)>>,
-    c: Vec<Vec<(usize, T)>>,
+    r1cs: R1CS
 ) -> Prog<T> {
-    // initialize variable map with index->name
 
+    // statements that constrains are translated to
+    let mut statements: Vec<Statement<T>> = Vec::new();
+
+    for cons in r1cs.constraints {
+        assert!(cons.len() == 3); // entries for a,b,c
+
+        // right hand side of definition
+        let mut rhs: Expression<T>;
+
+        // Expression: c0+c1+c2...
+        for (c_var_offset, c_val) in cons[2] {
+            let counter = 0;
+            let var = r1cs.variables[c_var_offset.parse::<usize>().unwrap()]; // get variable name
+            if counter ==0{
+                rhs = Expression::Identifier(var);
+            } else {
+                rhs = Expression::Add(box rhs, box Expression::Identifier(var));
+            }
+            println!("rhs: {:?}", rhs);
+        }
+
+
+        let a_entries = cons[0].clone();
+        let b_entries = cons[1].clone();
+        let c_entries = cons[2].clone();
+        println!("a entries: {:?}", a_entries);
+    }
+
+    let mut functs = Vec::new();
+    functs.push(Function{ id: "import".to_owned(), arguments: Vec::new() , statements: statements});
+    Prog{functions: functs}
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]