diff --git a/src/editor/guidededitorelementview.cpp b/src/editor/guidededitorelementview.cpp
index c2ffffa..4ddfc13 100644
--- a/src/editor/guidededitorelementview.cpp
+++ b/src/editor/guidededitorelementview.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #include <QRegExp>
 #include <QLabel>
 
+#include <iostream>
+
 GuidedEditorElementView::GuidedEditorElementView(QWidget* parent)
     : QWidget(parent)
 {
@@ -19,16 +21,26 @@ GuidedEditorElementView::GuidedEditorElementView(QWidget* parent)
     this->layout->addWidget(example.get());
 }
 
-void GuidedEditorElementView::setElement(GuidedEditorElement& element)
+void GuidedEditorElementView::setElement(std::shared_ptr<GuidedEditorElement> element)
 {
+    std::cout<<"adding element " << element <<std::endl;
+    if(!element) {
+        this->title->setText("testtitle");
+        this->description = std::make_unique<QString>("test description");
+        this->example->setText("test example");
+        this->input = std::make_unique<QLineEdit>(this);
+        this->layout->addWidget(input.get());
+        this->update();
+        return;
+    }
     // set title
-    this->title->setText(element.getTitle());
+    this->title->setText(element->getTitle());
     // put description somewhere
-    this->description = std::make_unique<QString>(element.getDescription());
+    this->description = std::make_unique<QString>(element->getDescription());
     // set example
-    this->example->setText(element.getExample());
+    this->example->setText(element->getExample());
     // set input/static part
-    switch (element.getType()) {
+    switch (element->getType()) {
     case ElementType::CHOOSER:
         this->combobox = std::make_unique<QComboBox>(this);
         //TODO: data for the combobox ?!
@@ -38,12 +50,12 @@ void GuidedEditorElementView::setElement(GuidedEditorElement& element)
         this->input = std::make_unique<QLineEdit>(this);
         this->layout->addWidget(input.get());
 
-        this->input->setValidator(std::make_shared<QRegExpValidator>(QRegExp(element.getSyntaxregex())).get());
+        this->input->setValidator(std::make_shared<QRegExpValidator>(QRegExp(element->getSyntaxregex())).get());
         break;
     case ElementType::STATIC:
         this->staticLabel = std::make_unique<QLabel>(this);
         this->layout->addWidget(staticLabel.get());
-        this->staticLabel->setText(element.getValue());
+        this->staticLabel->setText(element->getValue());
         break;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/editor/guidededitorelementview.h b/src/editor/guidededitorelementview.h
index 3b81410..f99b07a 100644
--- a/src/editor/guidededitorelementview.h
+++ b/src/editor/guidededitorelementview.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class GuidedEditorElementView : public QWidget
 	Q_OBJECT
 public:
     explicit GuidedEditorElementView(QWidget *parent = 0);
-    void setElement(GuidedEditorElement& element);
+    void setElement(std::shared_ptr<GuidedEditorElement> element);
 
 signals:
 	void inputChanged();
diff --git a/src/editor/guidededitorview.cpp b/src/editor/guidededitorview.cpp
index 59ce08d..c347662 100644
--- a/src/editor/guidededitorview.cpp
+++ b/src/editor/guidededitorview.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include <memory>
 
+#include <iostream>
+
 #include "guidededitorview.h"
 #include "guidededitorelementview.h"
 
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@ GuidedEditorView::GuidedEditorView(QWidget* parent) : QWidget(parent) {
       "QLineEdit {border: 2px dashed black;background: dark-gray;"
       "border-radius: 5px;}");
   this->setStyleSheet(style);
+  this->addElement(nullptr);
 }
 
 GuidedEditorView::GuidedEditorView(
@@ -27,3 +30,12 @@ GuidedEditorView::GuidedEditorView(
 }
 
 GuidedEditorView::~GuidedEditorView() {}
+
+void GuidedEditorView::addElement(std::shared_ptr<GuidedEditorElement> element)
+{
+    std::cout << "adding elementview from element " << element <<std::endl;
+    std::shared_ptr<GuidedEditorElementView> elementView = std::make_shared<GuidedEditorElementView>(this);
+    elementView->setElement(element);
+    this->layout()->addWidget(elementView.get());
+    //this->update();
+}
diff --git a/src/editor/guidededitorview.h b/src/editor/guidededitorview.h
index a008a9e..881cdc4 100644
--- a/src/editor/guidededitorview.h
+++ b/src/editor/guidededitorview.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ public:
 signals:
 
 public slots:
+    void addElement(std::shared_ptr<GuidedEditorElement> element);
 
 private:
     std::shared_ptr<FlowLayout> editorLayout;
diff --git a/src/mainwindow.cpp b/src/mainwindow.cpp
index 382e184..bb241a8 100644
--- a/src/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 #include "mainwindow.h"
 #include <QPushButton>
+#include <iostream>
+
+void MainWindow::doSomething()
+{
+    std::cout<<"sending nullptr"<<std::endl;
+    this->editor->addElement(nullptr);
+    std::cout<<"sent nullptr"<<std::endl;
+}
 
 MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent)
 	: QMainWindow(parent)
@@ -15,7 +23,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent)
     QPushButton* button = new QPushButton(dockWidget.get());
 	button->setText("add");
 	dockLayout->addWidget(button);
-    //this->connect(button, &QPushButton::pressed,editor, &GuidedEditorView::addElement);
+    this->connect(button, &QPushButton::pressed,this, &MainWindow::doSomething);
 
 
 }
diff --git a/src/mainwindow.h b/src/mainwindow.h
index 5d0d87d..1c4e134 100644
--- a/src/mainwindow.h
+++ b/src/mainwindow.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ class MainWindow : public QMainWindow
 private:
     std::shared_ptr<GuidedEditorView> editor;
     std::shared_ptr<QDockWidget> dockWidget;
+public slots:
+    void doSomething();
 
 public:
 	MainWindow(QWidget *parent = 0);