diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 8dfec44..16046a8 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -414,6 +414,10 @@ pub fn build_exe(
         .root_source_file = b.path("src/bin_path.zig"),
     });
 
+    const snippet_mod = b.createModule(.{
+        .root_source_file = b.path("src/snippet.zig"),
+    });
+
     const Buffer_mod = b.createModule(.{
         .root_source_file = b.path("src/buffer/Buffer.zig"),
         .imports = &.{
@@ -630,6 +634,7 @@ pub fn build_exe(
             .{ .name = "zeit", .module = zeit_mod },
             .{ .name = "VcsStatus", .module = VcsStatus_mod },
             .{ .name = "bin_path", .module = bin_path_mod },
+            .{ .name = "snippet", .module = snippet_mod },
         },
     });
 
diff --git a/src/snippet.zig b/src/snippet.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2bddea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/snippet.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+text: []const u8,
+tabstops: [][]Range,
+
+const Snippet = @This();
+const Range = struct { begin: Position, end: ?Position = null };
+const Position = struct { usize };
+
+const Tabstop = struct {
+    id: usize,
+    range: Range,
+};
+
+pub fn deinit(self: *const Snippet, allocator: std.mem.Allocator) void {
+    for (self.tabstops) |tabstop| allocator.free(tabstop);
+    allocator.free(self.tabstops);
+    allocator.free(self.text);
+}
+
+pub fn parse(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, snippet: []const u8) Error!Snippet {
+    var tabstops: std.ArrayList(struct { id: usize, range: Range }) = .empty;
+    defer tabstops.deinit(allocator);
+    var id: ?usize = null;
+    var content_begin: ?Position = null;
+    var max_id: usize = 0;
+    var text: std.Io.Writer.Allocating = .init(allocator);
+    defer text.deinit();
+
+    var state: enum {
+        initial,
+        escape,
+        tabstop,
+        placeholder,
+        content,
+        content_escape,
+    } = .initial;
+
+    var iter = snippet;
+    while (iter.len > 0) : (iter = iter[1..]) {
+        const c = iter[0];
+        fsm: switch (state) {
+            .initial => switch (c) {
+                '\\' => {
+                    state = .escape;
+                },
+                '$' => {
+                    state = .tabstop;
+                    try text.writer.writeByte(c);
+                },
+                else => try text.writer.writeByte(c),
+            },
+            .escape => {
+                try text.writer.writeByte(c);
+                state = .initial;
+            },
+            .tabstop => switch (c) {
+                '{' => {
+                    state = .placeholder;
+                },
+                '0'...'9' => {
+                    const digit: usize = @intCast(c - '0');
+                    id = if (id) |id_| (id_ * 10) + digit else digit;
+                },
+                else => {
+                    const pos = snippet.len - iter.len;
+                    if (id == null)
+                        return invalid(snippet, pos, error.InvalidIdValue);
+                    (try tabstops.addOne(allocator)).* = .{
+                        .id = id orelse unreachable,
+                        .range = .{ .begin = .{text.written().len} },
+                    };
+                    max_id = @max(id orelse unreachable, max_id);
+                    id = null;
+                    state = .initial;
+                    break :fsm;
+                },
+            },
+            .placeholder => switch (c) {
+                '0'...'9' => {
+                    const digit: usize = @intCast(c - '0');
+                    id = if (id) |id_| (id_ * 10) + digit else digit;
+                },
+                ':' => {
+                    const pos = snippet.len - iter.len;
+                    if (id == null)
+                        return invalid(snippet, pos, error.InvalidIdValue);
+                    content_begin = .{text.written().len};
+                    state = .content;
+                },
+                else => {
+                    const pos = snippet.len - iter.len;
+                    return invalid(snippet, pos, error.InvalidIdValue);
+                },
+            },
+            .content => switch (c) {
+                '\\' => {
+                    state = .content_escape;
+                },
+                '}' => {
+                    const pos = snippet.len - iter.len;
+                    if (id == null)
+                        return invalid(snippet, pos, error.InvalidIdValue);
+                    if (content_begin == null)
+                        return invalid(snippet, pos, error.InvalidPlaceholderValue);
+                    (try tabstops.addOne(allocator)).* = .{
+                        .id = id orelse unreachable,
+                        .range = .{
+                            .begin = content_begin orelse unreachable,
+                            .end = .{text.written().len},
+                        },
+                    };
+                    max_id = @max(id orelse unreachable, max_id);
+                    id = null;
+                    content_begin = null;
+                    state = .initial;
+                },
+                else => try text.writer.writeByte(c),
+            },
+            .content_escape => {
+                try text.writer.writeByte(c);
+                state = .content;
+            },
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (state != .initial) {
+        const pos = snippet.len - iter.len;
+        if (id == null)
+            return invalid(snippet, pos, error.UnexpectedEndOfDocument);
+    }
+
+    var result: std.ArrayList([]Range) = .empty;
+    defer result.deinit(allocator);
+    var n: usize = 1;
+    while (n <= max_id) : (n += 1) {
+        var tabstop: std.ArrayList(Range) = .empty;
+        errdefer tabstop.deinit(allocator);
+        for (tabstops.items) |item| if (item.id == n) {
+            (try tabstop.addOne(allocator)).* = item.range;
+        };
+        (try result.addOne(allocator)).* = try tabstop.toOwnedSlice(allocator);
+    }
+    return .{
+        .text = try text.toOwnedSlice(),
+        .tabstops = try result.toOwnedSlice(allocator),
+    };
+}
+
+fn invalid(snippet: []const u8, pos: usize, e: Error) Error {
+    log.err("invalid snippet: {s}", .{snippet});
+    log.err("{t} at pos {d}", .{ e, pos });
+    return e;
+}
+
+pub const Error = error{
+    WriteFailed,
+    OutOfMemory,
+    InvalidIdValue,
+    InvalidPlaceholderValue,
+    UnexpectedEndOfDocument,
+};
+
+const log = std.log.scoped(.snippet);
+const std = @import("std");