diff --git a/src/keys.cc b/src/keys.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf6a4cdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/keys.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#include "keys.hh"
+
+#include <unordered_map>
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+static std::unordered_map<std::string, Key> keynamemap = {
+    { "ret", { Key::Modifiers::None, '\n' } }
+};
+
+KeyList parse_keys(const std::string& str)
+{
+    KeyList result;
+    for (size_t pos = 0; pos < str.length(); ++pos)
+    {
+        if (str[pos] == '<')
+        {
+            size_t end_pos = pos;
+            while (end_pos < str.length() and str[end_pos] != '>')
+                ++end_pos;
+
+            if (end_pos < str.length())
+            {
+                std::string keyname = str.substr(pos+1, end_pos - pos - 1);
+                auto it = keynamemap.find(keyname);
+                if (it != keynamemap.end())
+                {
+                    result.push_back(it->second);
+                    pos = end_pos;
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        result.push_back({Key::Modifiers::None, str[pos]});
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/keys.hh b/src/keys.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f28dc031
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/keys.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#ifndef keys_hh_INCLUDED
+#define keys_hh_INCLUDED
+
+#include <vector>
+#include <string>
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+struct Key
+{
+    enum class Modifiers
+    {
+        None    = 0,
+        Control = 1,
+        Alt     = 2,
+        ControlAlt = 3
+    };
+
+    Modifiers modifiers;
+    char      key;
+
+    Key(Modifiers modifiers, char key)
+        : modifiers(modifiers), key(key) {}
+};
+
+typedef std::vector<Key> KeyList;
+
+KeyList parse_keys(const std::string& str);
+
+}
+
+#endif // keys_hh_INCLUDED