diff --git a/buffer.py b/buffer.py
index a70523a..690e772 100644
--- a/buffer.py
+++ b/buffer.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class Buffer(object):
         assert nl in ('\n', '\r', '\r\n'), "Invalid line ending"
         self.nl = nl
         self.modified = False
+        pass
 
     def num_chars(self):
         n = 0
diff --git a/mode_python.py b/mode_python.py
index a66afee..5123eef 100644
--- a/mode_python.py
+++ b/mode_python.py
@@ -1,262 +1,130 @@
-import commands, os.path, sets, string, sys
-
+import commands, os.path, sets, string
 import color, completer, default, mode2, lex2, method, regex, tab2
 import ctag_python
-
 from point2 import Point
-from lex2 import Grammar, ConstantRule, PatternRule, RegionRule, DualRegionRule
+from lex2 import Grammar, PatternRule, RegionRule
 
 class StringGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'octal',
-            pattern=r'\\[0-7]{3}',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'escaped',
-            pattern=r'\\.',
-        ),
-        #PatternRule(
-        #    name=r'format',
-        #    pattern=r'%(?:\([a-zA-Z_]+\))?[-# +]*(?:[0-9]+|\*)?\.?(?:[0-9]+|\*)?[hlL]?[a-zA-Z%]',
-        #),
+        PatternRule(name=r'octal', pattern=r'\\[0-7]{3}'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'escaped', pattern=r'\\.'),
     ]
 
 class PythonGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'functiondef',
-            pattern=r'(?<=def )[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'classdef',
-            pattern=r'(?<=class )[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'reserved',
-            pattern=r'(?:True|None|False|Exception|self)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'keyword',
-            pattern=r'(?:yield|while|try|return|raise|print|pass|or|not|lambda|is|in|import|if|global|from|for|finally|exec|except|else|elif|del|def|continue|class|break|assert|as|and)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r"builtin",
-            pattern=r'(?<!\.)(?:zip|xrange|vars|unicode|unichr|type|tuple|super|sum|str|staticmethod|sorted|slice|setattr|set|round|repr|reduce|raw_input|range|property|pow|ord|open|oct|object|max|min|map|long|locals|list|len|iter|issubclass|isinstance|int|input|id|hex|hash|hasattr|globals|getattr|frozenset|float|filter|file|execfile|eval|enumerate|divmod|dir|dict|delattr|complex|compile|coerce|cmp|classmethod|chr|callable|bool)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])',
-        ),
-
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'methodcall',
-            pattern=r'(?<=\. )[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*(?= *\()',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'functioncall',
-            pattern=r'[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*(?= *\()',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'system_identifier',
-            pattern=r'__[a-zA-Z0-9_]+__',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'private_identifier',
-            pattern=r'__[a-zA-Z0-9_]*',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'hidden_identifier',
-            pattern=r'_[a-zA-Z0-9_]*',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'identifier',
-            pattern=r'[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'delimiter',
-            pattern=r'\(|\)|\[|\]|{|}|@|,|:|\.|`|=|;|\+=|-=|\*=|/=|//=|%=|&=|\|=|\^=|>>=|<<=|\*\*=',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r"operator",
-            pattern=r"\+|<>|<<|<=|<|-|>>|>=|>|\*\*|&|\*|\||/|\^|==|//|~|!=|%",
-        ),
-
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r"integer",
-            pattern=r"(?<![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])(?:0|[1-9][0-9]*|0[0-7]+|0[xX][0-9a-fA-F]+)[lL]?(?![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])",
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r"float",
-            pattern=r"(?<![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])(?:[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+|(?:[0-9]|[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+)[eE][\+-]?[0-9]+)(?![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])",
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r"imaginary",
-            pattern=r"(?<![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])(?:[0-9]+|(?:[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+|(?:[0-9]|[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+)[eE][\+-]?[0-9]+)[jJ])(?![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])",
-        ),
-
-        RegionRule(
-            name=r'docstring',
-            start=r'^ *(?P<tag>"""|\'\'\')',
-            grammar=Grammar(),
-            end=r'%(tag)s',
-        ),
-        RegionRule(
-            name=r'tq_string',
-            start=r'(?P<tag>"""|\'\'\')',
-            grammar=Grammar(),
-            end=r'%(tag)s',
-        ),
-        RegionRule(
-            name=r'string',
-            start=r'(?P<tag>"|\')',
-            grammar=StringGrammar(),
-            end=r'%(tag)s',
-        ),
-
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'comment',
-            pattern=r'#.*$',
-        ),
-        PatternRule(
-            name=r'continuation',
-            pattern=r'\\$',
-        ),
+        PatternRule(name=r'functionname', pattern=r'(?<=def )[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'classname', pattern=r'(?<=class )[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'reserved', pattern=r'(?:True|None|False|Exception|self)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'keyword', pattern=r'(?:yield|while|try|return|raise|print|pass|or|not|lambda|is|in|import|if|global|from|for|finally|exec|except|else|elif|del|def|continue|class|break|assert|as|and)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])'),
+        PatternRule(name=r"builtin", pattern=r'(?<!\.)(?:zip|xrange|vars|unicode|unichr|type|tuple|super|sum|str|staticmethod|sorted|slice|setattr|set|round|repr|reduce|raw_input|range|property|pow|ord|open|oct|object|max|min|map|long|locals|list|len|iter|issubclass|isinstance|int|input|id|hex|hash|hasattr|globals|getattr|frozenset|float|filter|file|execfile|eval|enumerate|divmod|dir|dict|delattr|complex|compile|coerce|cmp|classmethod|chr|callable|bool)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'methodcall', pattern=r'(?<=\. )[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*(?= *\()'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'functioncall', pattern=r'[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*(?= *\()'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'system_identifier', pattern=r'__[a-zA-Z0-9_]+__'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'private_identifier', pattern=r'__[a-zA-Z0-9_]*'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'hidden_identifier', pattern=r'_[a-zA-Z0-9_]*'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'identifier', pattern=r'[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'delimiter', pattern=r'\(|\)|\[|\]|{|}|@|,|:|\.|`|=|;|\+=|-=|\*=|/=|//=|%=|&=|\|=|\^=|>>=|<<=|\*\*='),
+        PatternRule(name=r"operator", pattern=r"\+|<>|<<|<=|<|-|>>|>=|>|\*\*|&|\*|\||/|\^|==|//|~|!=|%"),
+        PatternRule(name=r"integer", pattern=r"(?<![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])(?:0|[1-9][0-9]*|0[0-7]+|0[xX][0-9a-fA-F]+)[lL]?(?![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])"),
+        PatternRule(name=r"float", pattern=r"(?<![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])(?:[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+|(?:[0-9]|[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+)[eE][\+-]?[0-9]+)(?![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])"),
+        PatternRule(name=r"imaginary", pattern=r"(?<![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])(?:[0-9]+|(?:[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+|(?:[0-9]|[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+)[eE][\+-]?[0-9]+)[jJ])(?![\.0-9a-zA-Z_])"),
+        RegionRule(name=r'docstring', start=r'^ *(?P<tag>"""|\'\'\')', grammar=Grammar(), end=r'%(tag)s'),
+        RegionRule(name=r'string', start=r'(?P<tag>"""|\'\'\')', grammar=StringGrammar(), end=r'%(tag)s'),
+        RegionRule(name=r'string', start=r'(?P<tag>"|\')', grammar=StringGrammar(), end=r'%(tag)s'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'comment', pattern=r'#.*$'),
+        PatternRule(name=r'continuation', pattern=r'\\$'),
     ]
 
-class PythonTabber(tab2.Tabber):
+class PythonTabber(tab2.StackTabber):
+    unanchored_names = ('null', 'string', 'docstring', 'comment')
+    endlevel_names   = ('pass', 'return', 'yield', 'raise', 'break', 'continue')
+    startlevel_names = ('if', 'try', 'class', 'def', 'for', 'while', 'try')
+    def __init__(self, m):
+        tab2.StackTabber.__init__(self, m)
+        self.base_level = 0
+
     def is_base(self, y):
         if y == 0:
             return True
-        highlighter = self.mode.window.buffer.highlights[self.mode.name()]
-        if not highlighter.tokens[y]:
+        tokens = self.get_tokens(y)
+        if not tokens:
             return False
-        t = highlighter.tokens[y][0]
-        return t.name == 'keyword' and t.string == 'def'
-    
-    def __init__(self, m):
-        tab2.Tabber.__init__(self, m)
-
-
-
-    def stack_append(self, item):
-        self.tab_stack.append(item)
-    def stack_pop(self):
-        self.tab_stack.pop(-1)
-
-    def base_indentation_level(self, y):
-        return y == 0
-
-    def calculate_tabs(self, start=0, goal=None):
-        lines = self.mode.window.buffer.lines
-        tokens = self.mode.highlighter.tokens
-        buffer = self.mode.window.buffer
-
-        if self.levels is None:
-            self.levels = [None] * (len(lines))
-
-        self.index = 0
-        self.y = start
-        self.base = 0
-        self.tab_stack = []
-
-        # we want to process every logical line in the file
-        while self.y < len(lines):
-            line = lines[self.y]
-            start_index = self.index
-
-            start_point = point.Point(0, self.y)
-            start_offset = buffer.get_point_offset(start_point)
-            end_point = point.Point(len(line), self.y)
-            end_offset = buffer.get_point_offset(end_point)
-
-            # we want to find all the tokens on the line we are currently processing
-            while self.index < len(tokens):
-                token = tokens[self.index]
-                if token.end > end_offset:
-                    break
-                self.index += 1
-
-            self.handle_line(line,
-                             start_offset, start_index,
-                             end_offset, self.index)
-
-            self.levels[self.y] = self.line_depth
-            self.y += 1
-            if goal is not None and self.y > goal:
-                break
-
-    def get_line_depth(self):
-        if len(self.tab_stack) > 0:
-            return self.tab_stack[-1][1]
+        elif tokens[0].name not in self.unanchored_names:
+            return True
         else:
-            return self.base
+            return False
 
-    def handle_line(self, line, start_offset, start_index, end_offset, end_index):
-        self.line_depth = self.get_line_depth()
-        tokens = self.mode.highlighter.tokens
+    def get_level(self, y):
+        self._calc_level(y)
+        return self.lines.get(y)
 
-        if start_index >= len(tokens):
-            return
-        if regex.whitespace.match(line):
-            return
+    def _calc_level(self, y):
+        target = y
+        while not self.is_base(y) and y > 0:
+            y -= 1
 
-        if len(self.tab_stack) == 0 and tokens[start_index].start >= start_offset:
-            self.base = util.count_leading_whitespace(line)
-
-        for i in range(start_index, end_index):
-            token = tokens[i]
-            s = token.string
-            if s in self.start_tags:
-                if i < end_index - 1:
-                    i = tokens[i+1].start - start_offset
-                elif len(self.tab_stack) > 0:
-                    i = self.tab_stack[-1][1] + 4
+        self.markers = []
+        while y <= target:
+            self.popped = False
+            tokens      = self.get_tokens(y)
+            currlvl     = self.get_curr_level()
+            if y < target and tokens:
+                if self.token_is_whitespace(y, 0):
+                    l = len(tokens[0].string)
                 else:
-                    i = self.base + 4
-                self.stack_append((s, i))
-            elif s in self.close_tags:
-                assert len(self.tab_stack), "Unbalanced closing tag"
-                assert self.tab_stack[-1][0] == self.close_tags[s], "Unmatched closing tag"
-                self.stack_pop()
-                if i == start_index:
-                    self.line_depth = self.get_line_depth()
+                    l = 0
+                while currlvl > l:
+                    self._pop()
+                    currlvl = self.get_curr_level()
+                    self.popped = True
+            for i in range(0, len(tokens)):
+                currlvl = self._handle_token(currlvl, y, i)
+            self.lines[y]  = currlvl
+            self.record[y] = tuple(self.markers)
+            y += 1
 
-        if tokens[start_index].start < start_offset:
-            self.line_depth = -1
-
-        prebase = self.base
-        s = tokens[start_index].string
-        e = tokens[end_index-1].string
-
-        if s == "except" or s == "elif" or s == "else":
-            if self.y > 0 and self.line_depth == self.levels[self.y - 1]:
-                self.line_depth = max(0, self.line_depth - 4)
-        elif (s == "return" or s == "raise" or s == "yield" or s == "break" or
-              s == "pass" or s == 'continue'):
-            self.base = max(0, self.base - 4)
-
-        if e == "\\":
-            if len(self.tab_stack) and self.tab_stack[-1][0] == "\\":
+    def _handle_other_token(self, currlvl, y, i):
+        token  = self.get_token(y, i)
+        fqname = token.fqname()
+        if fqname == 'string.start':
+            self._opt_append('string', None)
+        elif fqname == 'string.end':
+            self._opt_pop('string')
+        elif fqname == 'docstring.start':
+            self._opt_append('docstring', None)
+        elif fqname == 'docstring.end':
+            self._opt_pop('docstring')
+        elif fqname == 'delimiter':
+            if token.string == ':' and self.markers and self.markers[-1].name in ('[', '{'):
+                # we are in a list range [:] or dictionary key/value {:}
+                pass
+            elif self.is_rightmost_token(y, i):
+                # we are at the end of a block
                 pass
             else:
-                self.stack_append(("\\", prebase + 4))
-                return
-        elif e == ":":
-            self.base += 4
-        elif len(self.tab_stack) and self.tab_stack[-1][0] == "\\":
-            self.stack_pop()
-
-    def get_indentation_level(self, y):
-        if self.levels is not None and self.levels[y] is not None:
-            result = self.levels[y]
-        else:
-            i = max(0, y - 1)
-            while i > 0:
-                if self.base_indentation_level(i):
-                    break
-                i -= 1
-            self.calculate_tabs(i, y)
-            result = self.levels[y]
-        if result == -1:
-            return None
-        return result
+                # we are doing a one-liner
+                self._pop()
+        elif fqname == 'keyword':
+            if token.string in self.endlevel_names:
+                self._pop()
+            elif token.string in self.startlevel_names and self.is_leftmost_token(y, i):
+                self._append(token.string, currlvl + 4)
+            elif token.string in ('elif', 'else') and self.is_leftmost_token(y, i):
+                if not self.popped:
+                    self._pop_until('if', 'elif')
+                    currlvl = self.get_curr_level()
+                self._append(token.string, currlvl + 4)
+            elif token.string == 'except' and self.is_leftmost_token(y, i):
+                if not self.popped:
+                    self._pop_until('try')
+                    currlvl = self.get_curr_level()
+                self._append(token.string, currlvl + 4)
+            elif token.string == 'finally' and self.is_leftmost_token(y, i):
+                if not self.popped:
+                    self._pop_until('try', 'except')
+                    currlvl = self.get_curr_level()
+                self._append(token.string, currlvl + 4)
+        return currlvl
 
 class Python(mode2.Fundamental):
     tabbercls = PythonTabber
@@ -283,8 +151,8 @@ class Python(mode2.Fundamental):
             'keyword':     color.build('cyan', 'default'),
             'reserved':    color.build('cyan', 'default'),
             'builtin':     color.build('cyan', 'default'),
-            'functiondef': color.build('blue', 'default'),
-            'classdef':    color.build('green', 'default'),
+            'functionname': color.build('blue', 'default'),
+            'classname':    color.build('green', 'default'),
     
             'string.start':   color.build('green', 'default'),
             'string.null':    color.build('green', 'default'),
@@ -297,10 +165,6 @@ class Python(mode2.Fundamental):
             'float':     color.build('default', 'default'),
             'imaginary': color.build('default', 'default'),
     
-            'tq_string.start': color.build('green', 'default'),
-            'tq_string.null':  color.build('green', 'default'),
-            'tq_string.end':   color.build('green', 'default'),
-    
             'docstring.start': color.build('green', 'default'),
             'docstring.null':  color.build('green', 'default'),
             'docstring.end':   color.build('green', 'default'),
diff --git a/tab2.py b/tab2.py
index 9cdb96c..99af1d7 100644
--- a/tab2.py
+++ b/tab2.py
@@ -9,24 +9,33 @@ class Marker:
         return '<Marker(%r, %r)>' % (self.name, self.level)
 
 class Tabber:
+    wsre = regex.whitespace
+    wst  = 'null'
     def __init__(self, m):
         self.mode  = m
         self.lines = {}
 
+    def get_highlighter(self):
+        return self.mode.window.buffer.highlights[self.mode.name()]
+    def get_tokens(self, y):
+        return self.mode.window.buffer.highlights[self.mode.name()].tokens[y]
+    def get_token(self, y, i):
+        return self.mode.window.buffer.highlights[self.mode.name()].tokens[y][i]
+    def token_is_whitespace(self, y, i):
+        token = self.get_token(y, i)
+        return token.name == self.wst and self.wsre.match(token.string)
     def get_next_left_token(self, y, i):
         tokens = self.get_tokens(y)
         assert i >= 0 and i < len(tokens)
         for j in range(1, i):
-            m = regex.whitespace.match(tokens[i - j].string)
-            if not m:
+            if not self.token_is_whitespace(y, i - j):
                 return tokens[i - j]
         return None
     def get_next_right_token(self, y, i):
         tokens = self.get_tokens(y)
         assert i >= 0 and i < len(tokens)
         for j in range(i + 1, len(tokens)):
-            m = regex.whitespace.match(tokens[j].string)
-            if not m:
+            if not self.token_is_whitespace(y, j):
                 return tokens[j]
         return None
     def is_leftmost_token(self, y, i):
@@ -36,6 +45,20 @@ class Tabber:
     def is_only_token(self, y, i):
         return self.is_leftmost_token(y, i) and self.is_rightmost_token(y, i)
 
+    def get_leftmost_token(self, y):
+        tokens = self.get_tokens(y)
+        for i in range(0, len(tokens)):
+            if not self.token_is_whitespace(y, i):
+                return tokens[i]
+        return None
+    def get_rightmost_token(self, y):
+        tokens = self.get_tokens(y)
+        i = len(tokens) - 1
+        for j in range(0, len(tokens)):
+            if not self.token_is_whitespace(y, i - j):
+                return tokens[i - j]
+        return None
+
     def region_added(self, p, newlines):
         self.lines = {}
     def region_removed(self, p1, p2):
@@ -52,12 +75,6 @@ class Tabber:
     def _calc_level(self, y):
         pass
 
-def get_level(markers):
-    if markers:
-        return markers[-1].level
-    else:
-        return 0
-
 class StackTabber(Tabber):
     def __init__(self, m):
         self.mode    = m
@@ -70,10 +87,6 @@ class StackTabber(Tabber):
             return self.markers[-1].level
         else:
             return 0
-    def get_tokens(self, y):
-        return self.mode.window.buffer.highlights[self.mode.name()].tokens[y]
-    def get_token(self, y, i):
-        return self.mode.window.buffer.highlights[self.mode.name()].tokens[y][i]
 
     def region_added(self, p, newlines):
         self.lines   = {}
@@ -87,9 +100,6 @@ class StackTabber(Tabber):
     def is_base(self, y):
         return y == 0
     def _calc_level(self, y):
-        highlighter = self.mode.window.buffer.highlights[self.mode.name()]
-        target = y
-
         # first we need to step back to find the last place where we have tab
         # stops figured out, or a suitable place to start
         while not self.is_base(y) and y > 0:
@@ -97,13 +107,14 @@ class StackTabber(Tabber):
 
         # ok now, let's do this shit
         self.markers = []
-        currlvl = 0
+        currlvl      = 0
+        target       = y
         while y <= target:
             currlvl = self.get_curr_level()
             tokens = self.get_tokens(y)
             for i in range(0, len(tokens)):
                 currlvl = self._handle_token(currlvl, y, i)
-            self.lines[y]   = currlvl
+            self.lines[y]  = currlvl
             self.record[y] = tuple(self.markers)
             y += 1
 
@@ -150,6 +161,13 @@ class StackTabber(Tabber):
         self.markers.append(Marker(name, level))
     def _pop(self):
         self.markers.pop(-1)
+    def _pop_until(self, *names):
+        while self.markers:
+            if self.markers[-1].name in names:
+                self.markers.pop(-1)
+                return
+            else:
+                self.markers.pop(-1)
     def _opt_append(self, name, level):
         if self.markers and self.markers[-1].name == name:
             pass