void parse(const char * command){
    // first parse built-ins (ie, not a call to the OS)
    if (strcmp(command, "history") == 0){
        show_history();
        return;
    }
    if (strcmp(command, "exit") == 0){
        exit(0);
    }

    hist_add(command);

    // copy 'command' into arg_string, while ignoring any possible comments
    char * arg_str;
    int num_args = 1;
    arg_str = malloc(strlen(command));
    for (int i = 0; i < strlen(command); i++){
        if (command[i] == '#' || command[i] == '\n') break;
        if (command[i] == ' ') num_args++;
        arg_str[i] = command[i];
    }

    // split arg_str into a string array where each string is an argument
    // to the command
    char ** args = malloc(num_args+1);
    for (int i = 0; i < num_args+1; i++){
        args[i] = malloc(50);
    }
    int tokens = 0;
    const char token = ' ';
    char * next = strtok(arg_str, &token);
    while (next != NULL){
        strcpy(args[tokens++], next);
        next = strtok(NULL, &token);
        if (next == NULL)
            args[tokens] = (char *)NULL;
    }

    exec_command(args);
}