diff --git a/helix-core/src/state.rs b/helix-core/src/state.rs
index be2b33172..e41ee565a 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/state.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/state.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use anyhow::Error;
 
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
+#[derive(Copy, Clone)]
 pub enum Mode {
     Normal,
     Insert,
@@ -12,10 +13,10 @@ pub enum Mode {
 /// A state represents the current editor state of a single buffer.
 pub struct State {
     /// Path to file on disk.
-    pub path: Option<PathBuf>,
-    pub doc: Rope,
-    pub selection: Selection,
-    pub mode: Mode,
+    pub(crate) path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    pub(crate) doc: Rope,
+    pub(crate) selection: Selection,
+    pub(crate) mode: Mode,
 }
 
 #[derive(Copy, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
@@ -58,6 +59,29 @@ impl State {
 
     // TODO: doc/selection accessors
 
+    // TODO: be able to take either Rope or RopeSlice
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn doc(&self) -> &Rope {
+        &self.doc
+    }
+
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn selection(&self) -> &Selection {
+        &self.selection
+    }
+
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn mode(&self) -> Mode {
+        self.mode
+    }
+
+    // pub fn doc<R>(&self, range: R) -> RopeSlice
+    // where
+    //     R: std::ops::RangeBounds<usize>,
+    // {
+    //     self.doc.slice(range)
+    // }
+
     // update/transact:
     // update(desc) => transaction ?  transaction.doc() for applied doc
     // transaction.apply(doc)
diff --git a/helix-term/src/editor.rs b/helix-term/src/editor.rs
index fc1c836c9..080c05aac 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/editor.rs
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ impl Editor {
                 let mut stdout = stdout();
 
                 // TODO: inefficient, should feed chunks.iter() to tree_sitter.parse_with(|offset, pos|)
-                let source_code = state.doc.to_string();
+                let source_code = state.doc().to_string();
 
                 // TODO: cache highlight results
                 // TODO: only recalculate when state.doc is actually modified
@@ -137,10 +137,10 @@ impl Editor {
                         HighlightEvent::Source { start, end } => {
                             // TODO: filter out spans out of viewport for now..
 
-                            let start = state.doc.byte_to_char(start);
-                            let end = state.doc.byte_to_char(end);
+                            let start = state.doc().byte_to_char(start);
+                            let end = state.doc().byte_to_char(end);
 
-                            let text = state.doc.slice(start..end);
+                            let text = state.doc().slice(start..end);
 
                             use helix_core::graphemes::{grapheme_width, RopeGraphemes};
 
@@ -225,14 +225,14 @@ impl Editor {
                 self.surface = surface;
 
                 // set cursor shape
-                match state.mode {
+                match state.mode() {
                     Mode::Insert => write!(stdout, "\x1B[6 q"),
                     Mode::Normal => write!(stdout, "\x1B[2 q"),
                 };
 
                 // render the cursor
-                let pos = state.selection.cursor();
-                let coords = coords_at_pos(&state.doc.slice(..), pos);
+                let pos = state.selection().cursor();
+                let coords = coords_at_pos(&state.doc().slice(..), pos);
                 execute!(
                     stdout,
                     cursor::MoveTo((coords.1 + 2) as u16, coords.0 as u16)
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ impl Editor {
                 }
                 Some(Ok(Event::Key(event))) => {
                     if let Some(state) = &mut self.state {
-                        match state.mode {
+                        match state.mode() {
                             Mode::Insert => {
                                 match event {
                                     KeyEvent {