diff --git a/gooey/python_bindings/argparse_to_json.py b/gooey/python_bindings/argparse_to_json.py
index 7878979..63e1f85 100644
--- a/gooey/python_bindings/argparse_to_json.py
+++ b/gooey/python_bindings/argparse_to_json.py
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ from argparse import (
   _StoreConstAction,
   _StoreFalseAction,
   _StoreTrueAction,
-  ArgumentParser)
+  ArgumentParser, _SubParsersAction)
 
+from collections import OrderedDict
+from functools import partial
 
 VALID_WIDGETS = (
   'FileChooser',
@@ -29,16 +31,35 @@ VALID_WIDGETS = (
 class UnknownWidgetType(Exception):
   pass
 
+class UnsupportedConfiguration(Exception):
+  pass
+
 
 def convert(parser):
   widget_dict = getattr(parser, 'widgets', {})
+  actions = parser._actions
+
+  if has_subparsers(actions):
+    if has_required(actions):
+      raise UnsupportedConfiguration("Gooey doesn't currently support required arguments when subprocesers are present.")
+    layout_type = 'column'
+    layout_data = {name: process(sub_parser, widget_dict) for name, sub_parser in get_subparser(actions).choices.iteritems()}
+  else:
+    layout_type = 'standard'
+    layout_data = process(parser, widget_dict)
 
+  return {
+    'layout_type': layout_type,
+    'widgets': layout_data
+  }
+
+
+def process(parser, widget_dict):
   mutually_exclusive_group = [
                   mutex_action
                   for group_actions in parser._mutually_exclusive_groups
                   for mutex_action in group_actions._group_actions]
 
-
   base_actions = [action for action in parser._actions
                   if action not in mutually_exclusive_group
                   and action.dest != 'help']
@@ -46,24 +67,24 @@ def convert(parser):
   required_actions = filter(is_required, base_actions)
   optional_actions = filter(is_optional, base_actions)
 
-  return {
-    'required': list(categorize(required_actions, widget_dict)),
-    'optional': list(categorize(optional_actions, widget_dict)) + build_radio_group(mutually_exclusive_group)
-  }
+  return list(categorize(required_actions, widget_dict, required=True)) + \
+         list(categorize(optional_actions, widget_dict)) + \
+         build_radio_group(mutually_exclusive_group)
 
-def categorize(actions, widget_dict):
+def categorize(actions, widget_dict, required=False):
+  _get_widget = partial(get_widget, widgets=widget_dict)
   for action in actions:
     if is_standard(action):
-      yield as_json(action, get_widget(action, widget_dict) or 'TextField')
+      yield as_json(action, _get_widget(action) or 'TextField', required)
     elif is_choice(action):
-      yield as_json(action, get_widget(action, widget_dict) or 'Dropdown')
+      yield as_json(action, _get_widget(action) or 'Dropdown', required)
+    elif is_flag(action):
+      yield as_json(action, _get_widget(action) or 'CheckBox', required)
     elif is_counter(action):
-      _json = as_json(action, get_widget(action, widget_dict) or 'Dropdown')
-      # prefill the 'counter' dropdown
+      _json = as_json(action, _get_widget(action) or 'Dropdown', required)
+      # pre-fill the 'counter' dropdown
       _json['choices'] = range(1, 11)
       yield _json
-    elif is_flag(action):
-      yield as_json(action, get_widget(action, widget_dict) or 'CheckBox')
     else:
       raise UnknownWidgetType(action)
 
@@ -74,7 +95,19 @@ def get_widget(action, widgets):
 
 def is_required(action):
   '''_actions which are positional or possessing the `required` flag '''
-  return not action.option_strings or action.required == True
+  return not action.option_strings and not isinstance(action, _SubParsersAction) or action.required == True
+
+def has_required(actions):
+  return filter(None, filter(is_required, actions))
+
+def is_subparser(action):
+  return isinstance(action,_SubParsersAction)
+
+def has_subparsers(actions):
+    return filter(is_subparser, actions)
+
+def get_subparser(actions):
+    return filter(is_subparser, actions)[0]
 
 def is_optional(action):
   '''_actions not positional or possessing the `required` flag'''
@@ -124,17 +157,18 @@ def build_radio_group(mutex_group):
   return [{
     'type': 'RadioGroup',
     'group_name': 'Choose Option',
+    'required': False,
     'data': options
   }]
 
 
-def as_json(action, widget):
+def as_json(action, widget, required):
   if widget not in VALID_WIDGETS:
     raise UnknownWidgetType('Widget Type {0} is unrecognized'.format(widget))
 
-  option_strings = action.option_strings
   return {
     'type': widget,
+    'required': required,
     'data': {
       'display_name': action.dest,
       'help': action.help,
@@ -146,4 +180,3 @@ def as_json(action, widget):
 
 
 
-
diff --git a/gooey/tests/argparse_to_json_unittest.py b/gooey/tests/argparse_to_json_unittest.py
index f50bf52..0cc080d 100644
--- a/gooey/tests/argparse_to_json_unittest.py
+++ b/gooey/tests/argparse_to_json_unittest.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from gooey.python_bindings.argparse_to_json import *
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-def parser():
+def empty_parser():
   return argparse.ArgumentParser(description='description')
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -26,6 +26,27 @@ def complete_parser():
   verbosity.add_argument('-j', '--jj', action="store_true", help="hhh")
   return parser
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def subparser():
+  parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='qidev')
+  parser.add_argument('--verbose', help='be verbose', dest='verbose', action='store_true', default=False)
+  subs = parser.add_subparsers(help='commands', dest='command')
+
+  config_parser = subs.add_parser('config', help='configure defaults for qidev')
+  config_parser.add_argument('field', help='the field to configure', type=str)
+  config_parser.add_argument('value', help='set field to value', type=str)
+
+  # ########################################################
+  connect_parser = subs.add_parser('connect', help='connect to a robot (ip/hostname)')
+  connect_parser.add_argument('hostname', help='hostname or IP address of the robot', type=str)
+
+  # ########################################################
+  install_parser = subs.add_parser('install', help='package and install a project directory on a robot')
+  install_parser.add_argument('path', help='path to the project directory (containing manifest.xml', type=str)
+  install_parser.add_argument('--ip', nargs='*', type=str, dest='ip', help='specify hostname(es)/IP address(es)')
+  return parser
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def exclusive_group():
   parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='description')
@@ -39,6 +60,50 @@ def exclusive_group():
   return mutually_exclusive_group
 
 
+
+
+def test_parser_converts_to_correct_type(empty_parser, complete_parser, subparser):
+  assert convert(subparser)['layout_type'] == 'column'
+  assert convert(empty_parser)['layout_type'] == 'standard'
+  assert convert(complete_parser)['layout_type'] == 'standard'
+
+
+def test_convert_std_parser(complete_parser):
+  result = convert(complete_parser)
+  assert result['layout_type'] == 'standard'
+  assert result['widgets']
+  assert isinstance(result['widgets'], list)
+
+  entry = result['widgets'][0]
+  assert 'type' in entry
+  assert 'required' in entry
+  assert 'data' in entry
+
+  required = filter(lambda x: x['required'], result['widgets'])
+  optional = filter(lambda x: not x['required'], result['widgets'])
+  assert len(required) == 4
+  assert len(optional) == 8
+
+
+def test_convert_sub_parser(subparser):
+  result = convert(subparser)
+  assert result['layout_type'] == 'column'
+  assert result['widgets']
+  assert isinstance(result['widgets'], dict)
+  assert len(result['widgets']) == 3
+
+
+def test_has_required(empty_parser, complete_parser, subparser):
+  assert has_required(complete_parser._actions)
+  assert not has_required(empty_parser._actions)
+  assert not has_required(subparser._actions)
+
+
+def test_has_subparsers(subparser, complete_parser):
+  assert has_subparsers(subparser._actions)
+  assert not has_subparsers(complete_parser._actions)
+
+
 def test_is_required(complete_parser):
   required = filter(is_required, complete_parser._actions)
   assert len(required) == 4
@@ -53,31 +118,32 @@ def test_is_optional(complete_parser):
     assert 'req' not in action.dest
 
 
-def test_is_choice(parser):
-  parser.add_argument('--dropdown', choices=[1,2])
-  assert is_choice(get_action(parser, 'dropdown'))
+def test_is_choice(empty_parser):
+  empty_parser.add_argument('--dropdown', choices=[1,2])
+  assert is_choice(get_action(empty_parser, 'dropdown'))
 
-  parser.add_argument('--storetrue', action='store_true')
-  assert not is_choice(get_action(parser, 'storetrue'))
+  empty_parser.add_argument('--storetrue', action='store_true')
+  assert not is_choice(get_action(empty_parser, 'storetrue'))
 
   # make sure positionals are caught as well (issue #85)
-  parser.add_argument('positional', choices=[1, 2])
-  assert is_choice(get_action(parser, 'positional'))
+  empty_parser.add_argument('positional', choices=[1, 2])
+  assert is_choice(get_action(empty_parser, 'positional'))
+
 
+def test_is_standard(empty_parser):
+  empty_parser.add_argument('--count', action='count')
+  assert not is_standard(get_action(empty_parser, 'count'))
 
-def test_is_standard(parser):
-  parser.add_argument('--count', action='count')
-  assert not is_standard(get_action(parser, 'count'))
+  empty_parser.add_argument('--store', action='store')
+  assert is_standard(get_action(empty_parser, 'store'))
 
-  parser.add_argument('--store', action='store')
-  assert is_standard(get_action(parser, 'store'))
 
-def test_is_counter(parser):
-  parser.add_argument('--count', action='count')
-  assert is_counter(get_action(parser, 'count'))
+def test_is_counter(empty_parser):
+  empty_parser.add_argument('--count', action='count')
+  assert is_counter(get_action(empty_parser, 'count'))
 
-  parser.add_argument('--dropdown', choices=[1,2])
-  assert not is_counter(get_action(parser, 'dropdown'))
+  empty_parser.add_argument('--dropdown', choices=[1,2])
+  assert not is_counter(get_action(empty_parser, 'dropdown'))
 
 
 def test_mutually(exclusive_group):
@@ -97,9 +163,16 @@ def get_action(parser, dest):
     if action.dest == dest:
       return action
 
+
 def find_arg_by_option(group, option_string):
   for arg in group:
     if option_string in arg.option_strings:
       return arg
 
 
+
+
+
+
+
+