diff --git a/www/common/cursor.js b/www/common/cursor.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dfa20099e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/www/common/cursor.js
@@ -0,0 +1,211 @@
+define([
+    '/common/treesome.js'
+], function (Tree) {
+    window.Tree = Tree;
+    // do some function for the start and end of the cursor
+    var startAndStop = function (f) { ['start', 'end'].forEach(f); };
+
+    return function (CK, editor, inner) {
+        var makeCKElement = function (el) { return new CK.dom.node(el); };
+
+        var cursor = {};
+        var Range = cursor.Range = {
+            start: {
+                el: null,
+                offset: 0
+            },
+            end: {
+                el: null,
+                offset:0
+            }
+        };
+        //window.cursor = cursor;
+    
+        cursor.lost = function () {
+            return !(Tree.contains(Range.start.el.$, inner) &&
+                Tree.contains(Range.end.el.$, inner));
+        };
+
+        cursor.update = function () {
+            console.log("Updating cursor position");
+            // get ranges
+            var ranges = editor.getSelection().getRanges();
+            // there should be at least one
+            if (!ranges.length) { 
+                console.error("No ranges");
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var range = ranges[0];
+
+            // get cursor start/end elements and offsets
+            startAndStop(function (pos) {
+                var C = pos + 'Container',
+                    O = pos + 'Offset';
+
+                // if the element has changed
+                if (!Range[pos].el || Range[pos].el.$ !== range[C].$) {
+                    // update it
+                    Range[pos].el = range[C];
+                    Range[pos].tags = Tree.tagsUntilElement(range[C].$, inner);
+                }
+                // update offsets no matter what
+                Range[pos].offset = range[O];
+            });
+        };
+
+        cursor.find = function () {
+            var success = true;
+            startAndStop(function (pos) {
+                var tags = Range[pos].tags;
+                var node = Tree.findSameHierarchy(tags, inner);
+
+                if (node) {
+                    var temp = makeCKElement(node);
+                    if (temp.tagName || temp.nodeName) {
+                        Range[pos].el = temp;
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    success = false;
+                }
+            });
+            if (success) {
+                console.log("Found cursor!");
+            }
+            return success;
+        };
+
+        cursor.shift = function (delta) {
+            Range.start.offset += delta;
+            Range.end.offset += delta;
+        };
+
+        // FIXME remove
+        window.recoverCursor = function () {
+            cursor.update();
+            var success = cursor.find();
+            return success;
+        };
+
+        // TODO under what circumstances will the length of getRanges be zero?
+        var range;
+        cursor.replace = function () {
+            console.log("Attempting to replace cursor");
+
+            cursor.find();
+
+/*          startAndStop(function (pos) {
+                var el = Range[pos].el;
+                //Range[pos].el = makeCKElement(el);
+                Range[pos].el.$.nodeName = el.nodeName || el.tagName;
+            });     */
+
+/*          if (cursor.lost()) {
+                console.log("cursor lost");
+                if (!cursor.find()) {
+                    console.log("Couldn't find cursor!");
+                    return false;
+                } else {
+                }
+            }       */
+
+            var sel = editor.getSelection(); // { rev, document, root, isLocked, _ }
+
+            var ranges = sel.getRanges();
+            if (!ranges.length) {
+                console.log("No cursor range found");
+                if (!range) {
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+
+            // FIXME rename 'range', since it's going to get confusing
+            var range = ranges[0] || range; // {startContainer, startOffset, endContainer, endOffset, collapsed, document, root}
+            range.setStart(Range.start.el, Range.start.offset);
+            range.setEnd(Range.end.el, Range.end.offset);
+            sel.selectRanges([range]);
+        };
+
+        var seekToOffset = function (el, offset) {
+            if (!el) {
+                console.log("No element provided!");
+                return null;
+            }
+            console.log("Seeking to offset");
+            console.log(el, offset);
+            if (!el.textContent) {
+                // FIXME wat
+                var el2 = Tree.previousNode(el, inner);
+                console.log("No text content available!");
+                return null;
+            }
+            if (offset === 0) {
+                return {
+                    el: el,
+                    offset: offset
+                };
+            }
+            if (offset < 0) {
+                // seek backwards
+                var el2 = Tree.previousNode(el, inner);
+                if (!el2) { return null; }
+                var adjusted = el2.textContent.length;
+                // FIXME TypeError: el.textContent is undefined
+                return seekToOffset(el2, (l - 1) - el.textContent.length);
+            } else {
+                var l = el.textContent.length;
+                if (offset > l) {
+                    var el2 = Tree.nextNode(el, inner);
+                    if (!el2) { return null; }
+                    var adjusted = el2.textContent.length;
+                // FIXME TypeError: el.textContent is undefined
+                    return seekToOffset(el2, (l - 1) - el.textContent.length);
+                } else {
+                    return {
+                        el: el,
+                        offset: offset
+                    };
+                }
+            }
+        };
+
+        cursor.delta = function (d) {
+            //d = d === 0? 0 : d < 0? -1: 1;
+            cursor.Range.start.offset += d;
+
+            //var temp = cursor.Range.start.
+            /*  seekToOffset(cursor.Range.start.el.$, d); // might be null
+
+                if seeking backward and result is null, drop them at the start of the document
+                if seeking forward and result is null, drop them at the end */
+
+            var Selected = ['start', 'end'].map(function (pos) {
+                var el = cursor.Range[pos].el,
+                    offset = cursor.Range[pos].offset;
+                return seekToOffset(el, offset + d);
+            });
+
+            /* TODO validate Selected
+
+
+            */
+
+            if (!(Selected[0] && Selected[1])) {
+                // one of the cursor positions is undefined
+                return;
+            } else {
+                startAndStop(function (pos, index) {
+                    cursor.Range[pos].el = makeCKElement(Selected[index].el);
+                    cursor.Range[pos].offset = Selected[index].offset;
+                });
+            }
+
+            var ranges = editor.getSelection().getRanges();
+            ranges[0].setStart(cursor.Range.start.el, cursor.Range.start.offset);
+            var sel = editor.getSelection();
+            sel.selectRanges([ranges[0]]);
+        };
+
+        return cursor;
+    };
+});