diff --git a/examples/demo.zig b/examples/demo.zig
index 88f987b..30603c0 100644
--- a/examples/demo.zig
+++ b/examples/demo.zig
@@ -79,54 +79,29 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     }, quit_text.element());
     try container.append(try App.Container.init(allocator, .{}, scrollable.element()));
 
-    var nested_container: App.Container = try .init(allocator, .{
-        .layout = .{
-            .direction = .vertical,
-            .separator = .{
-                .enabled = true,
-            },
-        },
-    }, .{});
-    var inner_container: App.Container = try .init(allocator, .{
-        .layout = .{
-            .direction = .vertical,
+    var environment = try std.process.getEnvMap(allocator);
+    defer environment.deinit();
+
+    var editor: App.Exec = .init(
+        allocator,
+        &.{
+            "tty",
         },
+        &environment,
+        &app.queue,
+    );
+    defer editor.deinit();
+
+    try container.append(try App.Container.init(allocator, .{
         .border = .{
             .color = .light_blue,
             .sides = .all,
         },
-    }, .{});
-    try inner_container.append(try .init(allocator, .{
-        .rectangle = .{
-            .fill = .blue,
-        },
         .size = .{
-            .grow = .horizontal,
-            .dim = .{ .y = 5 },
+            .dim = .{ .x = 100 },
         },
-    }, .{}));
-    try inner_container.append(try .init(allocator, .{
-        .rectangle = .{
-            .fill = .red,
-        },
-        .size = .{
-            .grow = .horizontal,
-            .dim = .{ .y = 5 },
-        },
-    }, .{}));
-    try inner_container.append(try .init(allocator, .{
-        .rectangle = .{
-            .fill = .green,
-        },
-    }, .{}));
-    try nested_container.append(inner_container);
-    try nested_container.append(try .init(allocator, .{
-        .size = .{
-            .grow = .horizontal,
-            .dim = .{ .y = 1 },
-        },
-    }, .{}));
-    try container.append(nested_container);
+    }, editor.element()));
+
     try container.append(try App.Container.init(allocator, .{
         .rectangle = .{ .fill = .blue },
         .size = .{
@@ -138,6 +113,11 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     try app.start();
     defer app.stop() catch |err| log.err("Failed to stop application: {any}", .{err});
 
+    var process_in: std.ArrayListUnmanaged(u8) = .empty;
+    defer process_in.deinit(allocator);
+    var process_out: std.ArrayListUnmanaged(u8) = .empty;
+    defer process_out.deinit(allocator);
+
     // event loop
     while (true) {
         const event = app.nextEvent();
@@ -145,23 +125,7 @@ pub fn main() !void {
 
         // pre event handling
         switch (event) {
-            .key => |key| {
-                if (key.eql(.{ .cp = 'c', .mod = .{ .ctrl = true } })) app.quit();
-
-                if (key.eql(.{ .cp = 'n', .mod = .{ .ctrl = true } })) {
-                    try app.interrupt();
-                    renderer.size = .{}; // reset size, such that next resize will cause a full re-draw!
-                    defer app.start() catch @panic("could not start app event loop");
-                    var child = std.process.Child.init(&.{"hx"}, allocator);
-                    _ = child.spawnAndWait() catch |err| app.postEvent(.{
-                        .err = .{
-                            .err = err,
-                            .msg = "Spawning $EDITOR failed",
-                        },
-                    });
-                    continue;
-                }
-            },
+            .key => |key| if (key.eql(.{ .cp = 'c', .mod = .{ .ctrl = true } })) app.quit(),
             // NOTE errors could be displayed in another container in case one was received, etc. to provide the user with feedback
             .err => |err| log.err("Received {s} with message: {s}", .{ @errorName(err.err), err.msg }),
             else => {},
diff --git a/src/app.zig b/src/app.zig
index e9c000a..efd7656 100644
--- a/src/app.zig
+++ b/src/app.zig
@@ -414,6 +414,7 @@ pub fn App(comptime E: type) type {
         pub const Element = element.Element(Event);
         pub const Alignment = element.Alignment(Event);
         pub const Button = element.Button(Event, Queue);
+        pub const Exec = element.Exec(Event, Queue);
         pub const Input = element.Input(Event, Queue);
         pub const Progress = element.Progress(Event, Queue);
         pub const Scrollable = element.Scrollable(Event);
diff --git a/src/element.zig b/src/element.zig
index b575d97..f224480 100644
--- a/src/element.zig
+++ b/src/element.zig
@@ -747,6 +747,240 @@ pub fn Progress(Event: type, Queue: type) fn (meta.FieldEnum(Event)) type {
     return progress_struct.progress_fn;
 }
 
+pub fn Exec(Event: type, Queue: type) type {
+    // TODO
+    // - wrap own process into command structure
+    //   https://github.com/rockorager/libvaxis/blob/main/src/widgets/terminal/Command.zig
+    // - create tty / pty and setup process to use that tty / pty
+    //   https://github.com/rockorager/libvaxis/blob/main/src/tty.zig
+    //   https://github.com/rockorager/libvaxis/blob/main/src/widgets/terminal/Pty.zig
+    // - read & write contents from & to tty / pty for outputs & inputs
+    return struct {
+        allocator: std.mem.Allocator,
+        command: Command,
+        pty: Pty,
+        queue: *Queue,
+
+        pub const Pty = struct {
+            pty: std.posix.fd_t,
+            tty: std.posix.fd_t,
+
+            pub fn init() !@This() {
+                const p = try std.posix.open("/dev/ptmx", .{ .ACCMODE = .RDWR, .NOCTTY = true }, 0);
+                errdefer std.posix.close(p);
+
+                // unlockpt
+                var n: c_uint = 0;
+                if (std.posix.system.ioctl(p, std.posix.T.IOCSPTLCK, @intFromPtr(&n)) != 0) return error.IoctlError;
+
+                // ptsname
+                if (std.posix.system.ioctl(p, std.posix.T.IOCGPTN, @intFromPtr(&n)) != 0) return error.IoctlError;
+                var buf: [16]u8 = undefined;
+                const sname = try std.fmt.bufPrint(&buf, "/dev/pts/{d}", .{n});
+                std.log.debug("pts: {s}", .{sname});
+
+                const t = try std.posix.open(sname, .{ .ACCMODE = .RDWR, .NOCTTY = true }, 0);
+
+                return .{
+                    .pty = p,
+                    .tty = t,
+                };
+            }
+
+            pub fn deinit(this: *@This()) void {
+                std.posix.close(this.pty);
+                std.posix.close(this.tty);
+            }
+
+            pub fn resize(this: *@This(), size: Point) !void {
+                const ws: std.posix.winsize = .{
+                    .col = size.x,
+                    .row = size.y,
+                    .xpixel = 0,
+                    .ypixel = 0,
+                };
+                if (std.posix.system.ioctl(this.pty, std.posix.T.IOCSWINSZ, @intFromPtr(&ws)) != 0) return error.SetWinsizeError;
+            }
+        };
+
+        pub const Command = struct {
+            argv: []const []const u8,
+            working_directory: ?[]const u8,
+            pid: ?std.posix.pid_t = null,
+            environment: *const std.process.EnvMap,
+            pty: Pty,
+            queue: *Queue,
+            handler: bool = false,
+
+            const SignalHandler = struct {
+                context: *anyopaque,
+                callback: *const fn (ctx: *anyopaque, pid: std.posix.pid_t) void,
+            };
+
+            pub fn spawn(this: *@This(), allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !void {
+                const argv = try allocator.allocSentinel(?[*:0]const u8, this.argv.len, null);
+                for (this.argv, 0..) |arg, i| argv[i] = (try allocator.dupeZ(u8, arg)).ptr;
+
+                // FIX environment is leaking memory
+                const environment = blk: {
+                    const count: usize = this.environment.count();
+                    const buffer = try allocator.allocSentinel(?[*:0]u8, count, null);
+                    var i: usize = 0;
+                    var it = this.environment.iterator();
+                    while (it.next()) |pair| {
+                        buffer[i] = try std.fmt.allocPrintZ(allocator, "{s}={s}", .{ pair.key_ptr.*, pair.value_ptr.* });
+                        i += 1;
+                    }
+                    std.debug.assert(i == count);
+                    break :blk buffer;
+                };
+                const pid = try std.posix.fork();
+
+                if (pid == 0) {
+                    // child
+                    _ = std.os.linux.setsid();
+                    // if (std.posix.system.ioctl(this.pty.tty, std.posix.T.IOCSCTTY, std.posix.STDIN_FILENO) != 0) return error.IoctlError;
+
+                    // TODO user input / output should not be stdin / stdout, but instead a different abstraction in between, allowing
+                    // for simultan input handling of inner commands and `Container`'s and `Element`'s
+
+                    // set up io
+                    try std.posix.dup2(this.pty.tty, std.posix.STDIN_FILENO);
+                    try std.posix.dup2(this.pty.tty, std.posix.STDOUT_FILENO);
+                    try std.posix.dup2(this.pty.tty, std.posix.STDERR_FILENO);
+
+                    std.posix.close(this.pty.tty);
+                    if (this.pty.pty > 2) std.posix.close(this.pty.pty);
+
+                    if (this.working_directory) |wd| try std.posix.chdir(wd);
+
+                    const err = std.posix.execvpeZ(argv.ptr[0].?, argv.ptr, environment);
+                    _ = err catch {};
+                    // free resources (no longer required)
+                    allocator.free(environment);
+                }
+
+                // parent
+                this.pid = @intCast(pid);
+
+                // register handler for sig child
+                if (!this.handler) {
+                    defer this.handler = true;
+
+                    var winch_act = std.posix.Sigaction{
+                        .handler = .{ .handler = @This().handleSigChild },
+                        .mask = std.posix.sigemptyset(),
+                        .flags = 0,
+                    };
+                    std.posix.sigaction(std.posix.SIG.CHLD, &winch_act, null);
+
+                    try registerSigChild(.{
+                        .context = this,
+                        .callback = @This().exitCallback,
+                    });
+                }
+            }
+
+            var chld_handler: ?SignalHandler = null;
+
+            fn registerSigChild(handler: SignalHandler) !void {
+                if (chld_handler) |_| @panic("Cannot register another CHLD handler.");
+                chld_handler = handler;
+            }
+
+            fn handleSigChild(_: c_int) callconv(.C) void {
+                const result = std.posix.waitpid(-1, 0);
+                if (chld_handler) |handler| handler.callback(handler.context, result.pid);
+            }
+
+            fn exitCallback(ctx: *anyopaque, pid: std.posix.pid_t) void {
+                const this: *@This() = @ptrCast(@alignCast(ctx));
+                // fire exited event with corresponding pid to free
+                if (this.pid) |command_pid| if (pid == command_pid) this.queue.push(.{ .exited = pid });
+            }
+
+            pub fn kill(this: *@This()) void {
+                if (this.pid) |pid| {
+                    std.posix.kill(pid, std.posix.SIG.TERM) catch {};
+                    this.pid = null;
+                }
+            }
+        };
+
+        pub fn init(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, argv: []const []const u8, environment: *const std.process.EnvMap, queue: *Queue) @This() {
+            const pty = Pty.init() catch @panic("failed to initialize PTY");
+            return .{
+                .allocator = allocator,
+                .command = .{
+                    .argv = argv,
+                    .pty = pty,
+                    .environment = environment,
+                    .queue = queue,
+                    .working_directory = null,
+                },
+                .pty = pty,
+                .queue = queue,
+            };
+        }
+
+        pub fn deinit(this: *@This()) void {
+            this.command.kill();
+            this.pty.deinit();
+        }
+
+        pub fn element(this: *@This()) Element(Event) {
+            return .{
+                .ptr = this,
+                .vtable = &.{
+                    .resize = resize,
+                    .handle = handle,
+                    .content = content,
+                },
+            };
+        }
+
+        fn resize(ctx: *anyopaque, size: Point) void {
+            const this: *@This() = @ptrCast(@alignCast(ctx));
+            this.pty.resize(size) catch {};
+        }
+
+        fn handle(ctx: *anyopaque, event: Event) !void {
+            const this: *@This() = @ptrCast(@alignCast(ctx));
+
+            // TODO pass through inputs accordingly
+            // - key events
+            // - mouse events
+            switch (event) {
+                .init => try this.command.spawn(this.allocator),
+                .exited => |pid| if (this.command.pid) |command_pid| {
+                    if (command_pid == pid) {
+                        // this command has completed!
+                        std.log.debug("command finished: {any}", .{pid});
+                    }
+                },
+                else => {},
+            }
+        }
+
+        fn content(ctx: *anyopaque, cells: []Cell, size: Point) !void {
+            const this: *@This() = @ptrCast(@alignCast(ctx));
+            std.debug.assert(cells.len == @as(usize, size.x) * @as(usize, size.y));
+
+            var buf: [8 * 1024]u8 = undefined;
+            const length = try std.posix.read(this.pty.pty, &buf);
+            for (1.., buf[0..length]) |idx, c| cells[idx + size.x].cp = c;
+
+            // TODO support tui applications which render raw!
+            // -> directly apply the raw ansi codes
+            // -> or translate them into the `Cell` structure
+
+            // TODO map contents of tty / pty to cells
+            // - content (Cell.cp)
+            // - style (Cell.style)
+        }
+    };
+}
+
 const std = @import("std");
 const assert = std.debug.assert;
 const meta = std.meta;
diff --git a/src/event.zig b/src/event.zig
index 05fd6dd..b29b230 100644
--- a/src/event.zig
+++ b/src/event.zig
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ pub const SystemEvent = union(enum) {
     /// Focus event for mouse interaction
     /// TODO this should instead be a union with a `Size` to derive which container / element the focus meant for
     focus: bool,
+    /// Exit event for a completed `Exec` with the associated pid. Fired and handled by `Exec` `Element`s.
+    exited: std.posix.pid_t,
 };
 
 pub fn mergeTaggedUnions(comptime A: type, comptime B: type) type {