diff --git a/fcore/text-builder.sml b/fcore/text-builder.sml
index 0e2c45d..53fb18b 100644
--- a/fcore/text-builder.sml
+++ b/fcore/text-builder.sml
@@ -59,88 +59,6 @@ struct
       end
   end
 
-  (* gets line start idx, relative to right hd *)
-  fun helpGetLineStartIdx (startLine, curLine, rLnHd) =
-    if startLine > curLine then
-      let val lnPos = startLine - curLine - 1
-      in Vector.sub (rLnHd, lnPos) + 1
-      end
-    else
-      0
-
-  (* gets line start idx, absolute *)
-  fun helpGetLineAbsIdx (curIdx, startLine, curLine, rLnHd) =
-    let
-      val startIdx =
-        if startLine > curLine then
-          let val lnPos = startLine - curLine - 1
-          in Vector.sub (rLnHd, lnPos) + 1
-          end
-        else
-          0
-    in
-      curIdx + startIdx
-    end
-
-  fun getLineAbsIdx (startLine, lineGap: LineGap.t) =
-    let
-      val {rightLines, line = curLine, idx = curIdx, ...} = lineGap
-    in
-      case rightLines of
-        rLnHd :: _ => helpGetLineAbsIdx (curIdx, startLine, curLine, rLnHd)
-      | [] => (* should never happen *) 0
-    end
-
-  fun initEnv
-    ( windowWidth
-    , windowHeight
-    , floatWindowWidth
-    , floatWindowHeight
-    , searchList
-    , searchLen
-    ) =
-    if TC.textLineWidth > windowWidth then
-      { w = windowWidth
-      , h = windowHeight
-      , startX = 5
-      , startY = 5
-      , z = 0.01
-      , fw = floatWindowWidth
-      , fh = floatWindowHeight
-      , r = 0.67
-      , g = 0.51
-      , b = 0.83
-      , hr = 0.211
-      , hg = 0.219
-      , hb = 0.25
-      , msgs = msgs
-      , searchList = searchList
-      , searchLen = searchLen
-      }
-    else
-      let
-        val startX = (windowWidth - TC.textLineWidth) div 2
-        val finishWidth = startX + TC.textLineWidth
-      in
-        { w = finishWidth
-        , h = windowHeight
-        , startX = startX
-        , startY = 5
-        , z = 0.01
-        , fw = floatWindowWidth
-        , fh = floatWindowHeight
-        , r = 0.67
-        , g = 0.51
-        , b = 0.83
-        , hr = 0.211
-        , hg = 0.219
-        , hb = 0.25
-        , msgs = msgs
-        , searchList = searchList
-        , searchLen = searchLen
-        }
-      end
-
   (* todo: add startX and startY parameters, 
    * so we can control where on the * screen the text starts from. 
    * Not worth doing until we have/in preparation of tiling functionality *)
diff --git a/fcore/text-builder/normal-mode-text-builder.sml b/fcore/text-builder/normal-mode-text-builder.sml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2423763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fcore/text-builder/normal-mode-text-builder.sml
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+structure NormalModeTextBuilder =
+struct
+  structure Utils = TextBuilderUtils
+
+  (* Prerequisite to all functions in this structure: 
+   * - Move buffer to startLine before calling any function. *)
+
+  fun startBuild
+    ( startLine
+    , cursorPos
+    , buffer: LineGap.t
+    , windowWidth
+    , windowHeight
+    , floatWindowWidth
+    , floatWindowHeight
+    , searchList
+    , searchString
+    , visualScrollColumn
+    , acc
+    ) =
+    let
+      val {rightStrings, rightLines, line = curLine, idx = curIdx, ...} = buffer
+    in
+      case (rightStrings, rightLines) of
+        (shd :: stl, lhd :: ltl) =>
+          let
+            (* get relative index of line to start building from *)
+            val strPos =
+              Utils.getRelativeLineStartFromRightHead (startLine, curLine, lhd)
+              + 1
+            (* get absolute idx of line *)
+            val absIdx = curIdx + strPos
+            val searchPos = BinSearch.equalOrMore (absIdx, searchList)
+
+            val env = Utils.initEnv
+              ( windowWidth
+              , windowHeight
+              , floatWindowWidth
+              , floatWindowHeight
+              , searchList
+              , String.size searchString
+              , visualScrollColumn
+              , startLine
+              )
+            val {startX, startY, ...} = env
+          in
+            TextBuilderWithHighlight.build
+              ( strPos
+              , shd
+              , stl
+              , lhd
+              , ltl
+              , startX
+              , startY
+              , 0
+              , startLine
+              , absIdx
+              , cursorPos
+              , env
+              , acc
+              , searchPos
+              )
+          end
+      | (_, _) => acc
+    end
+
+  fun buildWithExisting
+    ( startLine
+    , cursorPos
+    , buffer: LineGap.t
+    , windowWidth
+    , windowHeight
+    , searchList: SearchList.t
+    , searchString
+    , visualScrollColumn
+    , acc
+    ) =
+    startBuild
+      ( startLine
+      , cursorPos
+      , buffer
+      , windowWidth
+      , windowHeight
+      , Real32.fromInt windowWidth
+      , Real32.fromInt windowHeight
+      , searchList
+      , searchString
+      , visualScrollColumn
+      , []
+      )
+
+  fun build
+    ( startLine
+    , cursorPos
+    , buffer: LineGap.t
+    , windowWidth
+    , windowHeight
+    , searchList: SearchList.t
+    , searchString
+    , visualScrollColumn
+    ) =
+    startBuild
+      ( startLine
+      , cursorPos
+      , buffer
+      , windowWidth
+      , windowHeight
+      , Real32.fromInt windowWidth
+      , Real32.fromInt windowHeight
+      , searchList
+      , searchString
+      , visualScrollColumn
+      , []
+      )
+end
diff --git a/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml b/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml
index ffa4944..8299d53 100644
--- a/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml
+++ b/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml
@@ -235,4 +235,40 @@ struct
   fun advanceSearchPos (absIdx, searchPos, env) =
     if isAfterSearchRange (absIdx, searchPos, env) then searchPos + 1
     else searchPos
+
+  (* gets line start idx, relative to right hd *)
+  fun getRelativeLineStartFromRightHead (startLine, curLine, rLnHd) =
+    if startLine > curLine then
+      let val lnPos = startLine - curLine - 1
+      in Vector.sub (rLnHd, lnPos) + 1
+      end
+    else
+      0
+
+  (* gets line start idx, absolute *)
+  fun getAbsoluteLineStartFromRightHead (curIdx, startLine, curLine, rLnHd) =
+    let
+      val startIdx =
+        if startLine > curLine then
+          let val lnPos = startLine - curLine - 1
+          in Vector.sub (rLnHd, lnPos) + 1
+          end
+        else
+          0
+    in
+      curIdx + startIdx
+    end
+
+  fun getLineAbsIdxFromBuffer (startLine, buffer: LineGap.t) =
+    let
+      val {rightLines, line = curLine, idx = curIdx, ...} = buffer
+    in
+      case rightLines of
+        rLnHd :: _ =>
+          getAbsoluteLineStartFromRightHead (curIdx, startLine, curLine, rLnHd)
+      | [] =>
+          raise Fail
+            "text-builder-utils.sml 268:\ 
+            \should never call function when at end of buffer"
+    end
 end
diff --git a/shf.mlb b/shf.mlb
index c9bfe2d..305766c 100644
--- a/shf.mlb
+++ b/shf.mlb
@@ -32,15 +32,12 @@ ann
 in
   fcore/rect.sml
   fcore/pipe-cursor.sml
-  fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml
-  fcore/text-builder/text-builder-with-cursor.sml
-  fcore/text-builder/text-builder-with-highlight.sml
-  fcore/text-builder.sml
-  fcore/cursor-dfa/make-dfa-loop.sml
-  fcore/cursor-dfa/vi-word-dfa.sml
-  fcore/cursor-dfa/vi-caps-word-dfa.sml
-  fcore/cursor-dfa/vi-dlr-dfa.sml
 end
+fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml
+fcore/text-builder/text-builder-with-cursor.sml
+fcore/text-builder/text-builder-with-highlight.sml
+fcore/text-builder/normal-mode-text-builder.sml
+
 fcore/cursor.sml
 fcore/text-window.sml
 fcore/text-scroll.sml