diff --git a/csexp/sexp.go b/csexp/sexp.go
index bb4a2ce..9b40ba3 100644
--- a/csexp/sexp.go
+++ b/csexp/sexp.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 
 	"git.codemonkeysoftware.net/b/gigaparsec"
 	pbytes "git.codemonkeysoftware.net/b/gigaparsec/bytes"
@@ -146,12 +147,20 @@ func parseList(input gigaparsec.State[byte]) (gigaparsec.Result[byte, Sexp], err
 }
 
 func Parse(data []byte) (Sexp, error) {
+	return parse(bytes.NewReader(data))
+}
+
+func ParseString(data string) (Sexp, error) {
+	return parse(strings.NewReader(data))
+}
+
+func parse(r io.ReaderAt) (Sexp, error) {
 	parser := gigaparsec.Seq2(
 		parseSexp,
 		gigaparsec.End[byte](),
 		func(s Sexp, _ struct{}) Sexp { return s },
 	)
-	result, err := gigaparsec.Run(parser, bytes.NewReader(data))
+	result, err := gigaparsec.Run(parser, r)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("csexp.Parse: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index 433b554..ba00026 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
+	"git.codemonkeysoftware.net/b/peachy-go/csexp"
+	"git.codemonkeysoftware.net/b/peachy-go/csexp/match"
 	"zombiezen.com/go/sqlite"
 	"zombiezen.com/go/sqlite/sqlitex"
 )
@@ -29,8 +32,29 @@ func (db *DB) Close() {
 	db.conn.Close()
 }
 
+var fieldTypeMatcher = match.MustCompile("(10:field type%s)")
+
+func parseFieldTypeName(ctx sqlite.Context, args []sqlite.Value) (sqlite.Value, error) {
+	rawName := args[0].Text()
+	sexp, err := csexp.ParseString(rawName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return sqlite.Value{}, nil
+	}
+	var name string
+	err = fieldTypeMatcher.Match(sexp, &name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return sqlite.Value{}, nil
+	}
+	return sqlite.TextValue(name), nil
+}
+
 func setupConn(conn *sqlite.Conn) error {
-	return nil
+	return conn.CreateFunction("parse_field_type_name", &sqlite.FunctionImpl{
+		NArgs:         1,
+		Deterministic: true,
+		AllowIndirect: true,
+		Scalar:        parseFieldTypeName,
+	})
 }
 
 func Open(path string) (db *DB, err error) {
@@ -96,3 +120,46 @@ func Create(path string) (db *DB, err error) {
 	}
 	return &DB{conn: conn}, nil
 }
+
+func quoteName(name string) string {
+	return `"` + strings.ReplaceAll(name, `"`, `""`) + `"`
+}
+
+const addFieldTypeQueryFmt = `CREATE TABLE %s (
+	id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY
+);`
+
+type FieldType struct {
+	Name string
+}
+
+func (db *DB) AddFieldType(name string) error {
+	tableName := csexp.List{csexp.Atom("field type"), csexp.Atom(name)}.String()
+	quotedName := quoteName(tableName)
+	query := fmt.Sprintf(addFieldTypeQueryFmt, quotedName)
+	err := sqlitex.Execute(db.conn, query, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("AddFieldType: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+const getFieldTypesQuery = `SELECT parse_field_type_name(name)
+FROM sqlite_schema
+WHERE parse_field_type_name(name) IS NOT NULL
+ORDER BY parse_field_type_name(name) ASC`
+
+func (db *DB) GetFieldTypes() ([]FieldType, error) {
+	var results []FieldType
+	err := sqlitex.Execute(db.conn, getFieldTypesQuery, &sqlitex.ExecOptions{
+		ResultFunc: func(stmt *sqlite.Stmt) error {
+			name := stmt.ColumnText(0)
+			results = append(results, FieldType{Name: name})
+			return nil
+		},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("GetFieldTypes: %w", err)
+	}
+	return results, nil
+}
diff --git a/db_test.go b/db_test.go
index 3394545..35611a9 100644
--- a/db_test.go
+++ b/db_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"git.codemonkeysoftware.net/b/peachy-go"
+	"github.com/shoenig/test"
 	"github.com/shoenig/test/must"
 	"zombiezen.com/go/sqlite"
 )
@@ -67,3 +68,24 @@ func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
 		must.ErrorIs(t, err, peachy.ErrInvalidDB, must.Sprint(sqlite.ErrCode(err)))
 	})
 }
+
+func TestFieldTypes(t *testing.T) {
+	db, err := peachy.Create(":memory:")
+	must.NoError(t, err)
+	defer db.Close()
+
+	names := []string{"alpha", `"bravo`, " charl!e"}
+	for _, name := range names {
+		err := db.AddFieldType(name)
+		must.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+
+	fieldTypes, err := db.GetFieldTypes()
+	must.NoError(t, err)
+	for _, name := range names {
+		test.SliceContainsFunc(t, fieldTypes, name,
+			func(ft peachy.FieldType, s string) bool {
+				return ft.Name == s
+			})
+	}
+}