diff --git a/mode/cheetah.py b/mode/cheetah.py
index 8759215..c7bd1b5 100644
--- a/mode/cheetah.py
+++ b/mode/cheetah.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import color, mode
 from lex import Grammar, PatternRule, RegionRule
-#from mode.perl import StringGrammar
 
 class StringGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
@@ -8,6 +7,7 @@ class StringGrammar(Grammar):
         PatternRule(r'cheetah_placeholder', r'\$[a-zA-Z0-9_.\[\]]+'),
         PatternRule(r'octal', r'\\[0-7]{3}'),
         PatternRule(r'escaped', r'\\.'),
+        PatternRule(r'data', r'[^\$\\]+'),
     ]
 
 
diff --git a/mode/css.py b/mode/css.py
index 6e79172..0df1144 100644
--- a/mode/css.py
+++ b/mode/css.py
@@ -2,24 +2,36 @@ import color, mode
 from lex import Grammar, PatternRule, NocasePatternRule, RegionRule, NocaseRegionRule
 from point import Point
 
-class StringGrammar(Grammar):
+class StringGrammar1(Grammar):
     rules = [
         PatternRule(r'octal', r'\\[0-7]{3}'),
         PatternRule(r'escaped', r'\\.'),
+        PatternRule(r'data', r"[^']+"),
     ]
+class StringGrammar2(Grammar):
+    rules = [
+        PatternRule(r'octal', r'\\[0-7]{3}'),
+        PatternRule(r'escaped', r'\\.'),
+        PatternRule(r'data', r'[^"]+'),
+    ]
+
+class CommentGrammar1(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'(?:[^*]|\*(?!/))+')]
+class CommentGrammar2(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'(?:[^-]|-(?!-)|--(?!>))+')]
 
 class KeywordGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
         PatternRule(r'octal', r'\\[0-7]{3}'),
         PatternRule(r'escaped', r'\\.'),
-        RegionRule(r'string', "'", StringGrammar, r"'"),
-        RegionRule(r'string', '"', StringGrammar, r'"'),
+        RegionRule(r'string', "'", StringGrammar1, r"'"),
+        RegionRule(r'string', '"', StringGrammar2, r'"'),
     ]
 
 class CSSGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
-        RegionRule(r'comment', '/\*', Grammar, '\*/'),
-        RegionRule(r'comment', '<!--', Grammar, '-->'),
+        RegionRule(r'comment', '/\*', CommentGrammar1, '\*/'),
+        RegionRule(r'comment', '<!--', CommentGrammar2, '-->'),
         NocasePatternRule(r'css_dimension', r'[+-]?(?:[0-9]+|[0-9]*\.[0-9]+)[-a-z_][-a-z0-9_]*'),
         NocasePatternRule(r'css_percentage', r'[+-]?(?:[0-9]+|[0-9]*\.[0-9]+)%%'),
         NocasePatternRule(r'css_length', r'[+-]?(?:[0-9]+|[0-9]*\.[0-9]+)(?:em|ex|px|in|cm|mm|pt|pc)'),
@@ -33,12 +45,11 @@ class CSSGrammar(Grammar):
         NocaseRegionRule(r'css_keyword', '(?:(?<=url)|(?<=rgb)|(?<=counter))\(', KeywordGrammar, '\)'),
 
         NocasePatternRule(r'css_label', r"\.?[-a-zA-Z0-9_]+(?= *{)"),
-
         NocasePatternRule(r'css_ident', r"-?[a-z_][-a-z0-9_]*"),
         NocasePatternRule(r'css_name', r"[-a-z0-9_]+"),
         NocasePatternRule(r'delimiter', r'[:;,{}()\[\]]|~=|\|=|='),
-        RegionRule(r'string', "'", StringGrammar, r"'"),
-        RegionRule(r'string', '"', StringGrammar, r'"'),
+        RegionRule(r'string', "'", StringGrammar1, r"'"),
+        RegionRule(r'string', '"', StringGrammar2, r'"'),
     ]
 
 class CSS(mode.Fundamental):
@@ -50,13 +61,12 @@ class CSS(mode.Fundamental):
     closetokens = ('delimiter',)
     closetags   = {')': '(', ']': '[', '}': '{'}
     colors     = {
-        'css_dimension':  ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'css_percentage': ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'css_length':     ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'css_real':       ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'css_int':        ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'css_color':      ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-
+        'css_dimension':       ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'css_percentage':      ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'css_length':          ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'css_real':            ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'css_int':             ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'css_color':           ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
         'css_hash':            ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
         'css_rule':            ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
         'css_label':           ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
diff --git a/mode/elisp.py b/mode/elisp.py
index 86283cf..d007efc 100644
--- a/mode/elisp.py
+++ b/mode/elisp.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ class StringGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
         PatternRule(r'octal', r'\\[0-7]{3}'),
         PatternRule(r'escaped', r'\\.'),
+        PatternRule(r'escaped', r'[^\\]+'),
     ]
 
 class ELispGrammar(Grammar):
@@ -27,9 +28,6 @@ class ELispGrammar(Grammar):
         PatternRule(r'eol', r'\n$'),
     ]
 
-#class ELispTabber(tab.StackTabber):
-#    pass
-
 class ELisp(mode.Fundamental):
     modename    = 'ELisp'
     tabwidth    = 2
diff --git a/mode/erlang.py b/mode/erlang.py
index 214ea41..b57213b 100644
--- a/mode/erlang.py
+++ b/mode/erlang.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from lex import Grammar, PatternRule, RegionRule, OverridePatternRule, NocasePat
 class StringGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
         NocasePatternRule(r'escaped', r'\\(?:[bdefnrstv\\"\']|\^[a-z]|\d{1,3})'),
+        NocasePatternRule(r'data', r'[^\\]+'),
     ]
 
 class ErlangGrammar(Grammar):
@@ -36,30 +37,6 @@ class ErlangTabber(tab.StackTabber):
         token  = self.get_token(y, i)
         rtoken = self.get_next_right_token(y, i)
         ltoken = self.get_next_left_token(y, i)
-#        if token.name == 'eol':
-#            pass
-#            if ltoken is not None and ltoken.name == 'comment':
-#                ltoken = self.get_next_left_token(y, i - 1)
-#
-#            if ltoken is None:
-#                pass
-#            elif ltoken.name == 'erl_reserved' and ltoken.string in self.enterlvl:
-#                pass
-#            elif ltoken.name == 'delimiter':
-#                if ltoken.string == ';':
-#                    #self._opt_pop('->')
-#                    pass
-#                if ltoken.string == '.':
-#                    #self._opt_pop('->')
-#                    pass
-#                else:
-#                    pass
-#            else:
-#                pass
-#                #self._pop_while('->')
-#                #self._pop_while('->')
-#                #if not self._empty() and self._peek_name() != '->':
-#                #    self._pop()
 
         if token.name == 'eol':
             pass
@@ -108,7 +85,7 @@ class Erlang(mode.Fundamental):
         'erl_reserved':   ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
         'erl_arity':      ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
         'erl_namespace':  ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'erl_function':  ('blue', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'erl_function':   ('blue', 'default', 'bold'),
         'erl_builtin':    ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
         'erl_variable':   ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
         'erl_operator':   ('default', 'default', 'bold'),
diff --git a/mode/fstab.py b/mode/fstab.py
index 5f8a419..44ce7bc 100644
--- a/mode/fstab.py
+++ b/mode/fstab.py
@@ -11,22 +11,21 @@ class FstabGrammar(Grammar):
                          r'fstab_options', r' *(?:[^# \n\t]+|\\.)+',
                          r'fstab_dump', r' *(?:[^# \n\t]+|\\.)+',
                          r'fstab_pass', r' *(?:[^# \n\t]+|\\.)+',
-                         r'fstab_error', r'[^\n]*',
-                         r'fstab_eol', r'\n')
+                         r'fstab_error', r'[^\n]*', r'fstab_eol', r'\n'),
     ]
 
 class Fstab(mode.Fundamental):
-    modename   = 'fstab'
-    basenames   = ['fstab']
-    grammar    = FstabGrammar
-    colors     = {
-        'fstab_device': ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'fstab_point': ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'fstab_type': ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
+    modename  = 'fstab'
+    basenames = ['fstab']
+    grammar   = FstabGrammar
+    colors    = {
+        'fstab_device':  ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'fstab_point':   ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'fstab_type':    ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
         'fstab_options': ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'fstab_dump': ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'fstab_pass': ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'fstab_error': ('default', 'red', 'bold'),
+        'fstab_dump':    ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'fstab_pass':    ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'fstab_error':   ('default', 'red', 'bold'),
     }
 
 install = Fstab.install
diff --git a/mode/haskell.py b/mode/haskell.py
index 89994f3..3d54177 100644
--- a/mode/haskell.py
+++ b/mode/haskell.py
@@ -3,18 +3,17 @@ import color, completer, default, mode, method, regex, tab
 from point import Point
 from lex import Grammar, PatternRule, RegionRule, OverridePatternRule, NocasePatternRule
 
-#class CommentGrammar(Grammar):
-#    rules = [
-#        RegionRule(r'comment', r'{-', None, r'-}'),
-#    ]
 class CommentGrammar(Grammar):
-    pass
-CommentGrammar.rules.append(RegionRule(r'comment', r'{-', None, r'-}'))
+    rules = [
+        RegionRule(r'comment', r'{-', None, r'-}'),
+        PatternRule(r'data', r'(?:[^{]|{(?!-))+'),
+    ]
 
 class StringGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
         RegionRule(r'gap', r'\\ *\n$', Grammar, r'^ *[^ \n]'),
         NocasePatternRule(r'escaped', r'\\(?:NUL|SOH|STX|ETX|EOT|ENQ|ACK|BEL|BS|HT|LF|VT|FF|CR|SO|SI|DLE|DC1|DC2|DC3|DC4|NAK|SYN|ETB|CAN|EM|SUB|ESC|FS|GS|RS|US|SP|DEL|[&abfnrtv\\"\']|\^[a-z]|\d{1,3}|o[0-7]{0,3}|x(?:[0-9a-f]){0,2})'),
+        PatternRule(r'data', r'[^\\]+'),
     ]
 
 class HaskellGrammar(Grammar):
@@ -26,7 +25,6 @@ class HaskellGrammar(Grammar):
         PatternRule(r'hs_declaration', r"^[a-z_][a-zA-Z0-9_']*"),
         PatternRule(r'hs_variable', r"[a-z_][a-zA-Z0-9_']*"),
         PatternRule(r'hs_constructor', r"[A-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_']*"),
-        #PatternRule(r'hs_operator', r'(?:=>|=|::|\||->|==|=)'),
         PatternRule(r'hs_operator', r'@|!|>@>|>>=|>>|=>|::|->|;|<-|\\\\|\.\.|!!|:|\+\+|\||\.|\\|>=|>|/=|==|<=|<|\|\||&&|\^\^|\*\*|\^|/|\*|-|\+|='),
     ]
 
diff --git a/mode/html.py b/mode/html.py
index 30d9079..94a2e07 100644
--- a/mode/html.py
+++ b/mode/html.py
@@ -5,13 +5,16 @@ from mode.xml import TagGrammar
 from mode.javascript import JavascriptGrammar
 from mode.css import CSSGrammar
 
+class CommentGrammar(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'(?:[^-]|-(?!-)|--(?!>))+')]
+
 class HTMLGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
         # TODO: how does cdata work again?
-        RegionRule(r'comment', r'<!--', Grammar, r'-->'),
-        # BUG: not all scripts are javascript and not all styles are CSS
-        # but, dynamically choosing a grammar based on the 'type' attribute
-        # (which may be on a different line) is impractical.
+        RegionRule(r'comment', r'<!--', CommentGrammar, r'-->'),
+        # BUG: not all scripts are javascript and not all styles are CSS but
+        # dynamically choosing a grammar based on the 'type' attribute (which
+        # may be on a different line) is impractical.
         RegionRule(r'script', r'<(?=script[^a-zA-Z0-9_])', TagGrammar, r'>', JavascriptGrammar, r'</(?=script>)', TagGrammar, r'>'),
         RegionRule(r'style', r'<(?=style[^a-zA-Z0-9_])', TagGrammar, r'>', CSSGrammar, r'</(?=style>)', TagGrammar, r'>'),
         RegionRule(r'tag', r'</?', TagGrammar, r'/?>'),
@@ -37,8 +40,7 @@ class HtmlViewPage(method.Method):
 
 class HtmlValidatePage(method.Method):
     '''View the HTML data in a browser (curses or external)'''
-    args = [method.arg('url', dv=default.build_mode_var('url'), ld=True,
-                       h='')]
+    args = [method.arg('url', dv=default.build_mode_var('url'), ld=True, h='')]
     base = 'http://validator.w3.org/check?'
     def _execute(self, w, **vargs):
         w.mode.url = vargs['url']
diff --git a/mode/java.py b/mode/java.py
index 53e5db9..99f45f3 100644
--- a/mode/java.py
+++ b/mode/java.py
@@ -3,15 +3,20 @@ from lex import Grammar, PatternRule, RegionRule
 from mode.python import StringGrammar2
 from mode.c import CTabber2
 
+class CommentGrammar(Grammar):
+    rules = [
+        PatternRule(r"javadoc", r"@[a-z]+"),
+        PatternRule(r"data", r"(?:[^@*]|\*(?!/))+"),
+    ]
+
 class JavaGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
         PatternRule(r"spaces", r" +"),
         PatternRule(r'import', r'(?<=import ) *[a-zA-Z0-9_.*]+'),
         PatternRule(r'package', r'(?<=package ) *[a-zA-Z0-9_.*]+'),
 
-        RegionRule(r'doccomment', '/\*\*', Grammar, '\*/'),
-        RegionRule(r'comment', '/\*', Grammar, '\*/'),
-        PatternRule(r'comment', r'//.*$'),
+        RegionRule(r'java_comment', '/\*', CommentGrammar, '\*/'),
+        PatternRule(r'java_comment', r'//.*$'),
 
         PatternRule(r'keyword', r"(?:abstract|assert|boolean|break|byte|case|catch|char|class|continue|default|double|do|else|extends|finally|final|float|for|if|implements|import|instanceof|interface|int|long|native|new|package|private|protected|public|return|short|static|switch|super|synchronized|threadsafe|throws|throw|transient|try|void|while)(?![a-zA-Z_])"),
         PatternRule(r'java_label', r'[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*(?=:)'),
@@ -145,7 +150,7 @@ class JavaTabber(CTabber2):
             if self._has_markers() and self._peek_name() == 'cond':
                 pass
             elif(not fqname.startswith('string') and
-                 not fqname.startswith('comment') and
+                 not fqname.startswith('java-comment') and
                  not fqname.startswith('macro') and
                  not fqname == 'delimiter' and
                  not fqname == 'header' and
@@ -165,15 +170,17 @@ class Java(mode.Fundamental):
     closetokens = ('delimiter',)
     closetags   = {')': '(', ']': '[', '}': '{'}
     colors      = {
-        'doccomment.start': ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'doccomment.end':   ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'doccomment.null':  ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'import':           ('blue', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'java_label':       ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'java_builtin':     ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'java_char':        ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'java_integer':     ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'java_float':       ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_comment.start':   ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_comment.end':     ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_comment.javadoc': ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_comment.data':    ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_comment.null':    ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'import':               ('blue', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_label':           ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_builtin':         ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_char':            ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_integer':         ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'java_float':           ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
     }
     def __init__(self, w):
         mode.Fundamental.__init__(self, w)
diff --git a/mode/latex.py b/mode/latex.py
index 306505c..c716544 100644
--- a/mode/latex.py
+++ b/mode/latex.py
@@ -3,16 +3,24 @@ import color, method, mode
 from lex import Grammar, PatternRule, RegionRule
 from mode.text import TextInsertSpace
 
+class ArgumentGrammar(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'[^}]+')]
+class StringGrammar1(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r"[^']+")]
+class StringGrammar2(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r"(?:[^']|'(?!'))+")]
+
 class LatexGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
         PatternRule(r'comment', r'\%.*$'),
         PatternRule(r'latex_wrapper', r'\\(?:begin|end)'),
         PatternRule(r'latex_control', r'\\[a-zA-Z]+'),
-        RegionRule(r'latex_argument', r'{', None, r'}'),
-        RegionRule(r'latex_string', r"``", None, r"''"),
-        RegionRule(r'latex_string', r"`", None, r"'"),
+        RegionRule(r'latex_argument', r'{', ArgumentGrammar, r'}'),
+        RegionRule(r'latex_string', r"``", StringGrammar2, r"''"),
+        RegionRule(r'latex_string', r"`", StringGrammar1, r"'"),
         PatternRule(r'latex_escaped', r'\\.'),
         PatternRule(r'latex_special', r'[{}$^_%~#&]'),
+        PatternRule(r'data', r'[^{}$^_%~#&%\\`]+'),
     ]
 
 class LatexBuild(method.Method):
@@ -113,8 +121,10 @@ class Latex(mode.Fundamental):
         'latex_wrapper':       ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
         'latex_control':       ('blue', 'default', 'bold'),
         'latex_argument.null': ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'latex_argument.data': ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
         'latex_string.start':  ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
         'latex_string.null':   ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'latex_string.data':   ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
         'latex_string.end':    ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
         'latex_escaped':       ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
     }