diff --git a/fcore/app-update.sml b/fcore/app-update.sml
index d9d05ad..c73ae6f 100644
--- a/fcore/app-update.sml
+++ b/fcore/app-update.sml
@@ -357,17 +357,6 @@ struct
 
   (* text-delete functions *)
   (** equivalent of vi's 'x' command **)
-
-  fun deleteSearchList (cursorIdx, length, searchString, searchList, buffer) =
-    let
-      val searchList =
-        SearchList.delete (cursorIdx, length, searchString, searchList)
-      val searchList = SearchList.mapFrom (cursorIdx, ~length, searchList)
-    in
-      BuildSearchList.fromRange
-        (cursorIdx, length, buffer, searchString, searchList)
-    end
-
   fun helpRemoveChr (app: app_type, buffer, searchList, cursorIdx, count) =
     if count = 0 then
       Finish.buildTextAndClear (app, buffer, cursorIdx, searchList)
@@ -400,11 +389,11 @@ struct
           let
             (* delete char at cursor and then decrement cursorIdx by 1
             * if cursorIdx is not 0 *)
-            val {searchString, ...} = app
+            val searchString = #searchString app
             val buffer = LineGap.delete (cursorIdx, 1, buffer)
 
-            val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-              (cursorIdx, 1, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+            val (buffer, searchList) =
+              SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
 
             val cursorIdx =
               if
@@ -417,11 +406,11 @@ struct
           end
         else
           let
-            val {searchString, ...} = app
+            val searchString = #searchString app
             val buffer = LineGap.delete (cursorIdx, 1, buffer)
 
-            val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-              (cursorIdx, 1, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+            val (buffer, searchList) =
+              SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
           in
             helpRemoveChr (app, buffer, searchList, cursorIdx, count - 1)
           end
@@ -447,9 +436,8 @@ struct
 
         val buffer = LineGap.delete (low, length, buffer)
 
-        val {searchList, searchString, ...} = app
-        val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-          (low, length, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+        val searchString = #searchString app
+        val (buffer, searchList) = SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
 
         (* If we have deleted from the buffer so that cursorIdx
         * is no longer a valid idx,
@@ -474,7 +462,7 @@ struct
 
   fun deleteByDfa (app: app_type, count, fMove) =
     let
-      val {buffer, cursorIdx, searchList, searchString, ...} = app
+      val {buffer, cursorIdx, searchString, ...} = app
 
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (cursorIdx, buffer)
       val otherIdx = fMove (buffer, cursorIdx, count)
@@ -485,8 +473,7 @@ struct
 
       val buffer = LineGap.delete (low, length, buffer)
 
-      val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-        (low, length, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+      val (buffer, searchList) = SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
 
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (low, buffer)
     in
@@ -514,9 +501,8 @@ struct
           val buffer = LineGap.delete (cursorIdx, length, buffer)
 
           (* delete from searchList and map *)
-          val {searchList, searchString, ...} = app
-          val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-            (cursorIdx, length, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+          val searchString = #searchString app
+          val (buffer, searchList) = SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
         in
           helpRemoveChr (app, buffer, searchList, cursorIdx, 1)
         end
@@ -524,7 +510,7 @@ struct
 
   fun deleteLine (app: app_type, count) =
     let
-      val {buffer, cursorIdx, searchList, searchString, ...} = app
+      val {buffer, cursorIdx, searchString, ...} = app
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (cursorIdx, buffer)
 
       val startIdx = Cursor.vi0 (buffer, cursorIdx)
@@ -533,8 +519,7 @@ struct
       val length = finishIdx - startIdx
       val buffer = LineGap.delete (startIdx, length, buffer)
 
-      val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-        (startIdx, length, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+      val (buffer, searchList) = SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
 
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (startIdx, buffer)
     in
@@ -548,9 +533,8 @@ struct
         val length = high - low
         val buffer = LineGap.delete (low, length, buffer)
 
-        val {searchList, searchString, ...} = app
-        val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-          (low, length, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+        val searchString = #searchString app
+        val (buffer, searchList) = SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
 
         val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (low, buffer)
       in
@@ -585,7 +569,6 @@ struct
         , windowHeight
         , startLine
         , searchString
-        , searchList
         , ...
         } = app
 
@@ -602,8 +585,7 @@ struct
       val length = high - low
 
       val buffer = LineGap.delete (low, length, buffer)
-      val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-        (low, length, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+      val (buffer, searchList) = SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
     in
       Finish.buildTextAndClear (app, buffer, low, searchList)
     end
@@ -617,9 +599,8 @@ struct
         val length = high - low
         val buffer = LineGap.delete (low, length, buffer)
 
-        val {searchString, searchList, ...} = app
-        val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-          (low, length, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+        val searchString = #searchString app
+        val (buffer, searchList) = SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
       in
         buildTextAndClearAfterChr (app, buffer, low, searchList)
       end
@@ -648,19 +629,11 @@ struct
 
   fun deleteToStart (app: app_type) =
     let
-      val
-        { cursorIdx
-        , buffer
-        , windowWidth
-        , windowHeight
-        , searchList
-        , searchString
-        , ...
-        } = app
+      val {cursorIdx, buffer, windowWidth, windowHeight, searchString, ...} =
+        app
 
       val buffer = LineGap.delete (0, cursorIdx, buffer)
-      val (buffer, searchList) = deleteSearchList
-        (0, cursorIdx, searchString, searchList, buffer)
+      val (buffer, searchList) = SearchLineGap.build (buffer, searchString)
 
       val cursorIdx = 0
       val startLine = 0
diff --git a/fcore/build-search-list.sml b/fcore/build-search-list.sml
deleted file mode 100644
index 570594d..0000000
--- a/fcore/build-search-list.sml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-structure BuildSearchList =
-struct
-  fun fromStart (app, cursorIdx, buffer, searchString) =
-    if String.size searchString > 0 then
-      let
-        val buffer = LineGap.goToEnd buffer
-        val searchList = SearchLineGap.search (buffer, searchString)
-        val buffer = LineGap.goToStart buffer
-      in
-        AppWith.searchList (app, searchList, buffer, searchString)
-      end
-    else
-      app
-
-  fun fromRange (startIdx, length, buffer, searchString, searchList) =
-    let
-      val buffer = LineGap.goToEnd buffer
-      val searchList = SearchLineGap.search (buffer, searchString)
-      val buffer = LineGap.goToStart buffer
-    in
-      (buffer, searchList)
-    end
-end
diff --git a/fcore/search-list.sml b/fcore/search-list.sml
index 2f0da00..2291c97 100644
--- a/fcore/search-list.sml
+++ b/fcore/search-list.sml
@@ -15,19 +15,19 @@ sig
   val toString: t -> string
 end
 
-structure SearchList : SEARCH_LIST =
+structure SearchList: SEARCH_LIST =
 struct
-  structure IntSet = MakeGapSet (
-  struct
-    type key = int
+  structure IntSet =
+    MakeGapSet
+      (struct
+         type key = int
 
-    val maxNodeSize = 32
+         val maxNodeSize = 32
 
-    fun l (a: int, b) = a < b
-    fun eq (a: int, b) = a = b
-    fun g (a: int, b) = a > b
-  end
-  )
+         fun l (a: int, b) = a < b
+         fun eq (a: int, b) = a = b
+         fun g (a: int, b) = a > b
+       end)
 
   type t = IntSet.t
 
@@ -43,10 +43,8 @@ struct
   val empty = IntSet.empty
 
   fun insert (num, set) =
-    let
-      val () = print ("adding num: " ^ Int.toString num ^ "\n")
-    in
-      IntSet.add (num, set)
+    let val () = print ("adding num: " ^ Int.toString num ^ "\n")
+    in IntSet.add (num, set)
     end
 
   val append = IntSet.add
@@ -63,10 +61,12 @@ struct
 
         val secondVec = toVector result
 
-        val () = print ("delete start has " ^ Int.toString (Vector.length
-        firstVec) ^ "elements\n")
-        val () = print ("delete result has " ^ Int.toString (Vector.length
-        secondVec) ^ "elements\n")
+        val () = print
+          ("delete start has " ^ Int.toString (Vector.length firstVec)
+           ^ "elements\n")
+        val () = print
+          ("delete result has " ^ Int.toString (Vector.length secondVec)
+           ^ "elements\n")
       in
         result
       end
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ struct
     let
       (* goToNum always places vector where num was found to the right list *)
       val () = print ("mapping by " ^ Int.toString num ^ "\n")
-     val {left, right} = goToNum (0, lst)
+      val {left, right} = goToNum (0, lst)
     in
       moveRightAndMap (num, 0, left, right)
     end
@@ -143,10 +143,11 @@ struct
     let
       val vec = toVector {left = left, right = right}
 
-      val () = print ("toString has " ^ Int.toString (Vector.length vec) ^
-      "elements\n")
+      val () = print
+        ("toString has " ^ Int.toString (Vector.length vec) ^ "elements\n")
 
-      val strList = Vector.foldr (fn (num, acc) => Int.toString num :: acc) [] vec
+      val strList =
+        Vector.foldr (fn (num, acc) => Int.toString num :: acc) [] vec
     in
       ""
     end
diff --git a/fcore/search/search-line-gap.sml b/fcore/search/search-line-gap.sml
index c817881..fa9e357 100644
--- a/fcore/search/search-line-gap.sml
+++ b/fcore/search/search-line-gap.sml
@@ -76,16 +76,4 @@ struct
       end
     else
       (buffer, SearchList.empty)
-
-  fun buildIntoApp (app, buffer, searchString) =
-    if String.size searchString > 0 then
-      let
-        val buffer = LineGap.goToEnd buffer
-        val searchList = search (buffer, searchString)
-        val buffer = LineGap.goToStart buffer
-      in
-        AppWith.searchList (app, searchList, buffer, searchString)
-      end
-    else
-      app
 end
diff --git a/shell/shell.sml b/shell/shell.sml
index c5a9c3b..6433a3c 100644
--- a/shell/shell.sml
+++ b/shell/shell.sml
@@ -65,7 +65,15 @@ struct
       val app = AppType.init (lineGap, 1920, 1080)
 
       (* todo: remove temp line below which tests search list *)
-      val app = BuildSearchList.fromStart (app, 0, lineGap, "val ")
+      val app =
+        let
+          val searchString = "val "
+          val (buffer, searchList) =
+            SearchLineGap.build (#buffer app, searchString)
+          val buffer = LineGap.goToStart buffer
+        in
+          AppWith.searchList (app, searchList, buffer, searchString)
+        end
 
       val () = registerCallbacks window
 
diff --git a/shell/update-thread.sml b/shell/update-thread.sml
index 63838bd..4358524 100644
--- a/shell/update-thread.sml
+++ b/shell/update-thread.sml
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ struct
 
       val () = ExceptionLogger.addCommand inputMsg
 
-      val app = AppUpdate.update (app, inputMsg) handle e => ExceptionLogger.log e
+      val app = AppUpdate.update (app, inputMsg)
+                handle e => ExceptionLogger.log e
 
       val searchList = #searchList app
       val searchList = SearchList.toString searchList ^ "\n"
diff --git a/shf-tests.mlb b/shf-tests.mlb
index 32f8e2e..5a6af1e 100644
--- a/shf-tests.mlb
+++ b/shf-tests.mlb
@@ -12,12 +12,11 @@ message-types/mailbox-type.sml
 
 fcore/bin-search.sml
 fcore/search-list.sml
+fcore/search/search-line-gap.sml
 
 fcore/app-type.sml
 fcore/app-with.sml
 
-fcore/search/search-line-gap.sml
-fcore/build-search-list.sml
 fcore/text-constants.sml
 ann
   "allowVectorExps true"
diff --git a/shf.mlb b/shf.mlb
index fdf4c90..3be7291 100644
--- a/shf.mlb
+++ b/shf.mlb
@@ -12,12 +12,11 @@ message-types/mailbox-type.sml
 
 fcore/bin-search.sml
 fcore/search-list.sml
+fcore/search/search-line-gap.sml
 
 fcore/app-type.sml
 fcore/app-with.sml
 
-fcore/search/search-line-gap.sml
-fcore/build-search-list.sml
 fcore/text-constants.sml
 ann
   "allowVectorExps true"