diff --git a/src/util/compat/endian.h b/src/util/compat/endian.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8857dbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/compat/endian.h
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025 Quinn
+// Licensed under the MIT Licence. See LICENSE for details
+#pragma once
+
+#include <byteswap.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#include "../atrb.h"
+
+/* little endian */
+atrb_const static inline uint16_t le16ton(uint16_t); // converts little-endian (LE) encoding to native for a 16 bit integer. (NOOP if native is LE)
+atrb_const static inline uint32_t le32ton(uint32_t); // converts little-endian (LE) encoding to native for a 32 bit integer. (NOOP if native is LE)
+atrb_const static inline uint64_t le64ton(uint64_t); // converts little-endian (LE) encoding to native for a 64 bit integer. (NOOP if native is LE)
+atrb_const static inline uint16_t ntole16(uint16_t); // converts native encoding to little-endian (LE) for a 16 bit integer. (NOOP if native is LE)
+atrb_const static inline uint32_t ntole32(uint32_t); // converts native encoding to little-endian (LE) for a 32 bit integer. (NOOP if native is LE)
+atrb_const static inline uint64_t ntole64(uint64_t); // converts native encoding to little-endian (LE) for a 64 bit integer. (NOOP if native is LE)
+
+/* big endian */
+atrb_const static inline uint16_t be16ton(uint16_t); // converts big-endian (BE) encoding to native for a 16 bit integer. (NOOP if native is BE)
+atrb_const static inline uint32_t be32ton(uint32_t); // converts big-endian (BE) encoding to native for a 32 bit integer. (NOOP if native is BE)
+atrb_const static inline uint64_t be64ton(uint64_t); // converts big-endian (BE) encoding to native for a 64 bit integer. (NOOP if native is BE)
+atrb_const static inline uint16_t ntobe16(uint16_t); // converts native encoding to big-endian (BE) for a 16 bit integer. (NOOP if native is BE)
+atrb_const static inline uint32_t ntobe32(uint32_t); // converts native encoding to big-endian (BE) for a 32 bit integer. (NOOP if native is BE)
+atrb_const static inline uint64_t ntobe64(uint64_t); // converts native encoding to big-endian (BE) for a 64 bit integer. (NOOP if native is BE)
+
+#if __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_LITTLE_ENDIAN__
+uint16_t le16ton(uint16_t x) { return x; }
+uint32_t le32ton(uint32_t x) { return x; }
+uint64_t le64ton(uint64_t x) { return x; }
+uint16_t ntole16(uint16_t x) { return x; }
+uint32_t ntole32(uint32_t x) { return x; }
+uint64_t ntole64(uint64_t x) { return x; }
+uint16_t be16ton(uint16_t x) { return bswap_16(x); }
+uint32_t be32ton(uint32_t x) { return bswap_32(x); }
+uint64_t be64ton(uint64_t x) { return bswap_64(x); }
+uint16_t ntobe16(uint16_t x) { return bswap_16(x); }
+uint32_t ntobe32(uint32_t x) { return bswap_32(x); }
+uint64_t ntobe64(uint64_t x) { return bswap_64(x); }
+#elif __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__
+uint16_t le16ton(uint16_t x) { bswap_16(x); }
+uint32_t le32ton(uint32_t x) { bswap_32(x); }
+uint64_t le64ton(uint64_t x) { bswap_64(x); }
+uint16_t ntole16(uint16_t x) { bswap_16(x); }
+uint32_t ntole32(uint32_t x) { bswap_32(x); }
+uint64_t ntole64(uint64_t x) { bswap_64(x); }
+uint16_t be16ton(uint16_t x) { return x; }
+uint32_t be32ton(uint32_t x) { return x; }
+uint64_t be64ton(uint64_t x) { return x; }
+uint16_t ntobe16(uint16_t x) { return x; }
+uint32_t ntobe32(uint32_t x) { return x; }
+uint64_t ntobe64(uint64_t x) { return x; }
+#else
+#error machine architecture unsupported! Expected either big-endian or little-endian, make sure to use a compiler which defines __BYTE_ORDER__ (like clang or gcc)
+#endif
diff --git a/src/util/compat/io.h b/src/util/compat/io.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3853570
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/compat/io.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025 Quinn
+// Licensed under the MIT Licence. See LICENSE for details
+#pragma once
+
+#if defined __unix__
+#include <features.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#elif defined _WIN32
+#include <io.h>
+#else
+#error platform not supported!
+#endif
+
+/* tests a files access with F_OK, X_OK, R_OK, W_OK OR'd together
+   returns 0 upon success. -1 when errno is set and anything else when one or more of the permissions isn't set */
+static inline int faccess(char const* restrict fname, int perms);
+
+// define the constants if they haven't been
+#ifndef F_OK
+#define F_OK 0
+#endif
+#ifndef X_OK
+#define X_OK 1
+#endif
+#ifndef W_OK
+#define W_OK 2
+#endif
+#ifndef R_OK
+#define R_OK 4
+#endif
+
+#if defined __unix__ && _POSIX_C_SOURCE >= 200809L
+#define PATH_SEP     '/' // contains the path separator as a character. Yes it is extremely annoying that this has to exist.
+#define PATH_SEP_STR "/" // contains the path separator as a string, useful for concatenation. Yes it is extremely annoying that this has to exist.
+
+int faccess(char const* restrict fname, int perms) {
+	return access(fname, perms);
+}
+#elif defined(_WIN32)
+#define PATH_SEP     '\\' // contains the path separator as a character. Yes it is extremely annoying that this has to exist.
+#define PATH_SEP_STR "\\" // contains the path separator as a string, useful for concatenation. Yes it is extremely annoying that this has to exist.
+
+int faccess(char const* restrict fname, int perms) {
+	return _access(fname, perms);
+}
+#else
+#error platform unsupported!
+#endif
diff --git a/src/util/compat/os.h b/src/util/compat/os.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..860cbb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/compat/os.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025 Quinn
+// Licensed under the MIT Licence. See LICENSE for details
+#pragma once
+
+#if defined(__unix__)
+#define unixonly(_exec) _exec // executes inline code when __unix__ is defined, otherwise is no-op
+#define winonly(_exec)        // (no-op) executes inline code when _WIN32 is defined, otherwise is no-op
+#elif defined(_WIN32)
+#define unixonly(_exec)       // (no-op) executes inline code when __unix__ is defined, otherwise is no-op
+#define winonly(_exec)  _exec // executes inline code when _WIN32 is defined, otherwise is no-op
+#else
+#error platform unsupported!!
+#endif