diff --git a/src/GraphTheory.cpp b/src/GraphTheory.cpp
index 228b23c..20f5a39 100644
--- a/src/GraphTheory.cpp
+++ b/src/GraphTheory.cpp
@@ -644,9 +644,8 @@ namespace raven
             return path;
         }
 
-        void components(
+        std::vector<path_t> components(
             const cGraph &g,
-            std::string &results,
             bool fclique)
         {
             // working copy on input graph
@@ -744,19 +743,21 @@ namespace raven
                 vclique.push_back(clique);
             }
 
-            // Display results
-            std::stringstream ss;
-            std::string comp_clique = "component  ";
-            if( fclique )
-                comp_clique = "clique ";
-            for (auto &c : vclique)
-            {
-                ss << comp_clique;
-                for (int n : c)
-                    ss << g.userName(n) << " ";
-                ss << "\n";
-            }
-            results = ss.str();
+            return vclique;
+
+            // // Display results
+            // std::stringstream ss;
+            // std::string comp_clique = "component  ";
+            // if( fclique )
+            //     comp_clique = "clique ";
+            // for (auto &c : vclique)
+            // {
+            //     ss << comp_clique;
+            //     for (int n : c)
+            //         ss << g.userName(n) << " ";
+            //     ss << "\n";
+            // }
+            // results = ss.str();
         }
 
         double
diff --git a/src/GraphTheory.h b/src/GraphTheory.h
index cae8e07..10e57c6 100644
--- a/src/GraphTheory.h
+++ b/src/GraphTheory.h
@@ -303,14 +303,14 @@ namespace raven
 
         /// @brief find components or cliques
         /// @param g 
-        /// @param[out] results 
         /// @param clique true for cliques, default false
+        /// @return vector of vectors of vertex indices in each component
+        ///
         /// the vertices in a component are all reachable from each other
         /// the vertices in a clique are all adjacent
 
-        void components(
+        std::vector<path_t> components(
             const cGraph &g,
-            std::string &results,
             bool clique = false);
 
 
diff --git a/src/cPathFinderGUI.cpp b/src/cPathFinderGUI.cpp
index 2451c22..1a1ce86 100644
--- a/src/cPathFinderGUI.cpp
+++ b/src/cPathFinderGUI.cpp
@@ -311,16 +311,34 @@ void cGUI::calcSales()
 
 void cGUI::calcComponents()
 {
-    components(
-        myGraphData.g,
-        myResultText);
+    auto vclique = components(
+        myGraphData.g);
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    std::string comp_clique = "component  ";
+    for (auto &c : vclique)
+    {
+        ss << comp_clique;
+        for (int n : c)
+            ss << myGraphData.g.userName(n) << " ";
+        ss << "\n";
+    }
+    myResultText = ss.str();
 }
 void cGUI::calcCliques()
 {
-    components(
+    auto vclique = components(
         myGraphData.g,
-        myResultText,
         true);
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    std::string comp_clique = "clique ";
+    for (auto &c : vclique)
+    {
+        ss << comp_clique;
+        for (int n : c)
+            ss << myGraphData.g.userName(n) << " ";
+        ss << "\n";
+    }
+    myResultText = ss.str();
 }
 
 void cGUI::calcFlows()
diff --git a/src/test.cpp b/src/test.cpp
index cab2697..5e47d7a 100644
--- a/src/test.cpp
+++ b/src/test.cpp
@@ -328,10 +328,23 @@ TEST(cliques)
     raven::graph::sGraphData gd;
     gd.fname = "../dat/cliques.txt";
     readfile(gd);
-    std::string results;
-    cliques(gd.g, results,false);
-    std::string expected("clique: 1 5 3 7 \nclique: 2 8 6 4 \n");
-    CHECK_EQUAL(expected, results);
+    auto vclique = components(gd.g, false);
+    CHECK_EQUAL(2, vclique.size());
+    std::vector<std::vector<std::string>> exp{
+        {"1", "5", "3", "7"},
+        {"2", "8", "6", "4"}};
+    auto svclique = gd.g.userName( vclique[0] );
+    CHECK(std::equal(
+        exp[0].begin(),
+        exp[0].end(),
+        svclique.begin()));
+     svclique = gd.g.userName( vclique[1] );
+     CHECK(std::equal(
+        exp[1].begin(),
+        exp[1].end(),
+        svclique.begin()));
+    // std::string expected("clique: 1 5 3 7 \nclique: 2 8 6 4 \n");
+    // CHECK_EQUAL(expected, results);
 }
 
 // TEST(dfs_allpaths)