diff --git a/src_code/go_src/cmd/cmd_test.go b/src_code/go_src/cmd/cmd_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..790e46b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src_code/go_src/cmd/cmd_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/Slug-Boi/cocommit/src_code/go_src/cmd/utils"
+)
+
+const author_data = `syntax for the test file
+te|testing|TestUser|test@test.test|ex
+ti|testtest|UserName2|testing@user.io;;gr1`
+
+var envVar = utils.Find_authorfile()
+
+func setup() {
+	// setup test data
+	err := os.WriteFile("author_file_test", []byte(author_data), 0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	os.Setenv("author_file", "author_file_test")
+	envVar = os.Getenv("author_file")
+}
+
+func teardown() {
+	// remove test data
+	os.Remove("author_file_test")
+	os.Setenv("author_file", envVar)
+}
+
+func StdoutReader() (chan string, *os.File, *os.File, *os.File) {
+	old := os.Stdout
+	r, w, _ := os.Pipe()
+	os.Stdout = w
+
+	outC := make(chan string)
+	return outC, r, w, old
+}
+
+// users CMD TEST BEGIN
+func Test_UsersCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	setup()
+	defer teardown()
+
+	//stdout reader
+	outC, r, w, old := StdoutReader()
+
+	go func() {
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		io.Copy(&buf, r)
+		outC <- buf.String()
+	}()
+
+	cmd := UsersCmd()
+	authorfile = "author_file_test"
+	b := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	cmd.SetErr(b)
+	cmd.Execute()
+
+	out, err := io.ReadAll(b)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	w.Close()
+	os.Stdout = old
+	outStr := <-outC
+	if outStr == "" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected output but got nothing")
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(outStr, author_data) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected to find 'syntax for the test file' in output but got %s", outStr)
+	}
+
+	if string(out) != "" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected empty output but got %s", string(out))
+	}
+
+}
+
+// users CMD TEST END
+
+// root CMD TEST BEGIN
+func Test_CommitCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	setup()
+	defer teardown()
+
+	//stdout reader
+	outC, r, w, old := StdoutReader()
+
+	go func() {
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		io.Copy(&buf, r)
+		outC <- buf.String()
+	}()
+
+	cmd := rootCmD
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"-t", "Test commit message"})
+	cmd.Execute()
+
+	w.Close()
+	os.Stdout = old
+	outStr := <-outC
+	if outStr == "" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected output but got nothing")
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(outStr, "Test commit message\n") {
+		t.Errorf("Expected to find 'Test commit message' in output but got %s", outStr)
+	}
+
+}
+
+func Test_CommitCmdWithM(t *testing.T) {
+	setup()
+	defer teardown()
+
+	//stdout reader
+	outC, r, w, old := StdoutReader()
+
+	go func() {
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		io.Copy(&buf, r)
+		outC <- buf.String()
+	}()
+
+	cmd := rootCmD
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"-m", "-t", "Test commit message"})
+	cmd.Execute()
+
+	w.Close()
+	os.Stdout = old
+	outStr := <-outC
+	if outStr == "" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected output but got nothing")
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(outStr, "Test commit message\n") {
+		t.Errorf("Expected to find 'Test commit message' in output but got %s", outStr)
+	}
+
+
+}
+// root CMD TEST END
diff --git a/src_code/go_src/cmd/root.go b/src_code/go_src/cmd/root.go
index 68fa459..6b335ca 100644
--- a/src_code/go_src/cmd/root.go
+++ b/src_code/go_src/cmd/root.go
@@ -2,16 +2,18 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
 	"github.com/Slug-Boi/cocommit/src_code/go_src/cmd/tui"
 	"github.com/Slug-Boi/cocommit/src_code/go_src/cmd/utils"
-	"os"
 
 	"github.com/inancgumus/screen"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
 // rootCmd represents the base command when called without any subcommands
-var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
+// func RootCmd() *cobra.Command {
+var rootCmD = &cobra.Command{
 	Use: `cocommit <commit message> <co-author1> [co-author2] ... ||
   cocommit <commit message> <co-author1:email> [co-author2:email] ... ||
   cocommit <commit message> all ||
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		// check if the print flag is set
 		pflag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("print")
+		tflag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("test_print")
 		// run execute commands again as root run will not call this part
 		// redundant check for now but will be useful later when we add tui
 	wrap_around:
@@ -42,6 +45,11 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			goto tui
 		case 1:
 			if len(args) == 1 {
+				if tflag {
+					fmt.Println(args[0])
+					return
+				}
+
 				utils.GitWrapper(args[0])
 				if pflag {
 					fmt.Println(args[0])
@@ -77,12 +85,15 @@ func Execute() {
 	// define users
 	utils.Define_users(author_file)
 
-	err := rootCmd.Execute()
+	err := rootCmD.Execute()
 	if err != nil {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
 
 func init() {
-	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("print", "p", false, "Prints the commit message to the console")
+	//rootCmD := RootCmd()
+	rootCmD.Flags().BoolP("print", "p", false, "Prints the commit message to the console")
+	rootCmD.Flags().BoolP("test_print", "t", false, "Prints the commit message to the console without running the git commit command")
+	rootCmD.Flags().BoolP("message", "m", false, "Does nothing but allows for -m to be used in the command")
 }
diff --git a/src_code/go_src/cmd/users.go b/src_code/go_src/cmd/users.go
index 264a49f..112238e 100644
--- a/src_code/go_src/cmd/users.go
+++ b/src_code/go_src/cmd/users.go
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ import (
 var authorfile = utils.Find_authorfile()
 
 // usersCmd represents the users command
-var usersCmd = &cobra.Command{
+func UsersCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	return &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "users",
 	Short: "Displays all users from the author file located at: " + authorfile,
 	Long:  `Displays all users from the author file located at: ` + authorfile,
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ var usersCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			}
 			sort.Strings(user_sb)
 			println(strings.Join(user_sb, ""))
-			os.Exit(1)
+			os.Exit(0)
 		}
 		bat_check := exec.Command("which", "bat")
 		out, _ := bat_check.CombinedOutput()
@@ -49,8 +50,10 @@ var usersCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		bat.Run()
 	},
 }
+}
 
 func init() {
-	rootCmd.AddCommand(usersCmd)
+	usersCmd := UsersCmd()
+	rootCmD.AddCommand(usersCmd)
 	usersCmd.Flags().BoolP("np", "n", false, "No pretty print of the users")
 }