diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index c2334ba..e6b7659 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 # load local module rather than system installed version
 import sys
 
-project_root = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+project_root = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent)
 sys.path.insert(0, project_root)
 
 # module to test
diff --git a/tests/test_toc.py b/tests/test_toc.py
index f4f4d06..3009961 100644
--- a/tests/test_toc.py
+++ b/tests/test_toc.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 # load local module rather than system installed version
 import sys
 
-project_root = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+project_root = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent)
 sys.path.insert(0, project_root)
 
 # module to test
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def test_set_extension(self):
             ("file.c", "c"),
             ("file.ini", "ini"),
             (".", ""),
-            ("./../", "/"),
+            ("./../", ""),
             ("file.unknown", "unknown"),
             ("file.", ""),
         ]
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def test_set_extension(self):
             with self.subTest(
                 input_file=input_file, expected_extension=expected_extension
             ):
-                t = Toc(input_file)
+                t = Toc(Path(input_file))
                 actual_extension = t.extension
                 self.assertEqual(
                     actual_extension,
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def test_set_character(self):
             with self.subTest(
                 input_file=input_file, expected_character=expected_character
             ):
-                t = Toc(input_file)
+                t = Toc(Path(input_file))
                 actual_character = t.set_character()
                 self.assertEqual(
                     actual_character,
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ def test_toc_prefix_suffix(self):
             "": ([], []),
         }
         for extension, (expected_prefix, expected_suffix) in test_cases.items():
-            t = Toc("mock.txt")
+            input_file = Path("mock.txt")
+            t = Toc(input_file)
             t.extension = extension
             actual_prefix, actual_suffix = t._toc_prefix_suffix()
             comparison = (
@@ -107,7 +108,8 @@ def test_toc_prefix_suffix(self):
                 )
 
     def test_process_generic_1(self):
-        t = Toc("mock.txt")
+        input_file = Path("mock.txt")
+        t = Toc(input_file)
         lines = [
             "# ################################################################ Heading 1"
         ]
@@ -116,7 +118,8 @@ def test_process_generic_1(self):
         self.assertEqual(result, expected)
 
     def test_process_generic_2n(self):
-        t = Toc("mock.beancount")
+        input_file = Path("mock.beancount")
+        t = Toc(input_file)
         t.set_character()
         lines = ["*** Transactions"]
         expected = ["; │     └── Transactions"]
@@ -124,7 +127,8 @@ def test_process_generic_2n(self):
         self.assertEqual(result, expected)
 
     def test_prettify_connectors(self):
-        t = Toc("mock.txt")
+        input_file = Path("mock.txt")
+        t = Toc(input_file)
         input_list = [
             "# ├── MODULES",
             "# ├── CLASS",
@@ -179,7 +183,8 @@ def test_read_file(self):
             "builtins.open",
             side_effect=UnicodeDecodeError("utf-8", b"", 1, 2, "mock reason"),
         ):
-            t = Toc("mock.txt")
+            input_file = Path("mock.txt")
+            t = Toc(input_file)
             data = t._read_file()
             self.assertEqual(data, "")
             self.assertEqual(t.err, "binary")
diff --git a/toc/cli.py b/toc/cli.py
index 508fcbd..89e1c5d 100755
--- a/toc/cli.py
+++ b/toc/cli.py
@@ -27,11 +27,14 @@
 import sys
 
 # glob expansion
-import glob
+# import glob
 
 # version
 from importlib_metadata import version
 
+# robust file handling
+from pathlib import Path
+
 # toc library
 from toc.toc import Toc
 
@@ -65,6 +68,7 @@ def parse_args():
     parser.add_argument(
         "files",
         nargs="*",
+        type=Path,
         help="files or lists of files to process. use '-' to read from stdin",
     )
     parser.add_argument(
@@ -74,7 +78,7 @@ def parse_args():
         type=str,
         help="set an arbitrary comment character (e.g. //)",
     )
-    group.add_argument("-d", "--depth", type=int, help="maximum toc depth")
+    parser.add_argument("-d", "--depth", type=int, help="maximum toc depth")
     parser.add_argument(
         "-e",
         action="store",
@@ -101,7 +105,7 @@ def parse_args():
         "-o",
         action="store",
         dest="output_file",
-        type=str,
+        type=Path,
         help="print output to an arbitrary file",
     )
     parser.add_argument(
@@ -115,23 +119,26 @@ def parse_args():
     return args
 
 
-def get_files(args) -> list:
+def get_files(args) -> list[Path]:
     # consider all files as lists
     if args.from_list:
         files = []
         for fileList in args.files:
-            try:
+            # try:
+            if True:
                 with open(fileList, "r") as list_content:
                     for line in list_content.read().splitlines():
-                        if not line.startswith("#"):
+                        if not line.startswith("#") and line != "":
                             # glob expansion
                             files += [
+                                # globMatch for globMatch in glob.glob(line, recursive=True)
                                 globMatch
-                                for globMatch in glob.glob(line, recursive=True)
+                                for globMatch in Path.cwd().glob(line)
+                                if globMatch.exists() and globMatch.is_file()
                             ]
             # cannot open that list
-            except BaseException:
-                print(f'Skipping list "{fileList}"', file=sys.stderr)
+            # except BaseException:
+            #    print(f'Skipping list "{fileList}"', file=sys.stderr)
     # only consider the first file
     elif args.output_file:
         files = [args.files[0]]
@@ -144,7 +151,7 @@ def get_files(args) -> list:
 # ################################ PROCESS FILE
 
 
-def process_file(inputFile: str, args):
+def process_file(inputFile: Path, args):
     # initialize instance
     t = Toc(inputFile)
     # set comment character and line numbers
diff --git a/toc/toc.py b/toc/toc.py
index 5456553..f18b054 100644
--- a/toc/toc.py
+++ b/toc/toc.py
@@ -40,33 +40,29 @@
 # stderr
 import sys
 
+# files
+from pathlib import Path
+
 
 # ################################################################ CLASSES
 
 
 class Toc:
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        inputFile: str = "",
-        outputFile: str | None = None,
-        lineNumbers: bool = False,
-        character: str = "#",
-    ):
-        self.inputFile = "stdin" if str(inputFile) == "-" else str(inputFile)
-        self.outputFile = outputFile
-        self.extension = (
-            self.inputFile.split(".")[-1].lower() if "." in self.inputFile else ""
-        )
-        self.lineNumbers = lineNumbers
-        self.character = character
-        self.depth = 0
+    def __init__(self, inputFile: Path):
+        print(f"inputFile: {inputFile}", file=sys.stderr)
+        self.inputFile: Path = inputFile
+        self.outputFile: Path | None = None
+        self.extension: str = self.inputFile.suffix.lower().replace(".", "")
+        self.lineNumbers: bool = False
+        self.updated: bool = False
+        self.character: str = "#"
+        self.depth: int = 0
         self.err: str | None = None
-        self.updated = False
         self.innerTocBegin: str | None = None
         self.innerTocTitle: str | None = None
         self.innerTocEnd: str | None = None
         # n=2**(7−l), l=7−math.log(n,2)
-        self.levels = {64: 1, 32: 2, 16: 3, 8: 4, 4: 5, 2: 6}
+        self.levels: dict[int, int] = {64: 1, 32: 2, 16: 3, 8: 4, 4: 5, 2: 6}
 
     # ################################ PUBLIC METHODS
 
@@ -131,11 +127,11 @@ def to_stdout(self) -> None:
 
     # ######## FILE
 
-    def to_file(self, output: str | None = None) -> None:
+    def to_file(self, output: Path | None = None) -> None:
         # if file has been specified, print there instead of the original file (useful for testing)
         if self.outputFile is None:
             self.outputFile = output if output else self.inputFile
-        if self.inputFile == "stdin":
+        if self.inputFile == Path("-"):
             print(
                 "Cannot write to stdin", file=sys.stderr
             ) if self.err is None else None
@@ -342,8 +338,8 @@ def _toc_prefix_suffix(self) -> tuple[list, list]:
 
     def _toc_header(self) -> list:
         # begin the toc with the file name, truncating it if necessary
-        _filename = self.inputFile.split("/")[-1]
-        if self.inputFile == "stdin":
+        _filename = self.inputFile.name
+        if self.inputFile == Path("-"):
             _truncated_filename = (
                 f"stdin.{self.extension}" if self.extension != "" else "stdin"
             )
@@ -653,7 +649,7 @@ def _read_file(self) -> str:
         # display alert for common errors
         _data = ""
         try:
-            if self.inputFile == "stdin":
+            if self.inputFile == Path("-"):
                 _data = sys.stdin.read()
             else:
                 with open(self.inputFile, "r") as f: