diff --git a/src/core/Buffer.cc b/src/core/Buffer.cc
index 4978062..1d493fc 100644
--- a/src/core/Buffer.cc
+++ b/src/core/Buffer.cc
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ bool Buffer::load_from_file(const char * filename)
         next++;
         bool eol = next != text_loader.end();
         /* TODO: correctly calculate n_chars based on current file encoding. */
-        piece_table->append_initial_line_piece(it->first, it->second, it->second, eol);
+        piece_table->append_initial_line_piece(it->start, it->length, it->length, eol);
     }
 
     m_eol_at_eof = text_loader.get_eol_at_eof();
diff --git a/src/core/Span.h b/src/core/Span.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..586d600
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/Span.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#ifndef SPAN_H
+#define SPAN_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+struct Span
+{
+    uint8_t * start;
+    uint32_t length;
+
+    Span(uint8_t * _start, uint32_t _length)
+        : start(_start),
+          length(_length)
+    {
+    }
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/core/TextLoader.cc b/src/core/TextLoader.cc
index b45b9b5..25934ce 100644
--- a/src/core/TextLoader.cc
+++ b/src/core/TextLoader.cc
@@ -17,27 +17,27 @@ TextLoader::TextLoader()
  */
 void TextLoader::load_buffer(uint8_t * buffer, size_t size)
 {
-    LineIndexPairListRef lines[LINE_ENDING_COUNT];
+    std::shared_ptr<std::list<Span>> lines[LINE_ENDING_COUNT];
     size_t line_start[LINE_ENDING_COUNT] = {0};
     unsigned int n_cr = 0;
     unsigned int n_lf = 0;
     bool crlf = true;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < LINE_ENDING_COUNT; i++)
     {
-        lines[i] = std::make_shared<LineIndexPairList>();
+        lines[i] = std::make_shared<std::list<Span>>();
     }
     for (size_t i = 0; i < size; i++)
     {
         if (buffer[i] == '\r')
         {
-            lines[LINE_ENDING_CR]->push_back(LineIndexPair(&buffer[line_start[LINE_ENDING_CR]], i - line_start[LINE_ENDING_CR]));
+            lines[LINE_ENDING_CR]->push_back(Span(&buffer[line_start[LINE_ENDING_CR]], i - line_start[LINE_ENDING_CR]));
             n_cr++;
             line_start[LINE_ENDING_CR] = i + 1;
             if (crlf)
             {
                 if ((i < (size - 1)) && (buffer[i + 1] == '\n'))
                 {
-                    lines[LINE_ENDING_CRLF]->push_back(LineIndexPair(&buffer[line_start[LINE_ENDING_CRLF]], i - line_start[LINE_ENDING_CRLF]));
+                    lines[LINE_ENDING_CRLF]->push_back(Span(&buffer[line_start[LINE_ENDING_CRLF]], i - line_start[LINE_ENDING_CRLF]));
                     n_lf++;
                     i++;
                     line_start[LINE_ENDING_CRLF] = i + 1;
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void TextLoader::load_buffer(uint8_t * buffer, size_t size)
         }
         else if (buffer[i] == '\n')
         {
-            lines[LINE_ENDING_LF]->push_back(LineIndexPair(&buffer[line_start[LINE_ENDING_LF]], i - line_start[LINE_ENDING_LF]));
+            lines[LINE_ENDING_LF]->push_back(Span(&buffer[line_start[LINE_ENDING_LF]], i - line_start[LINE_ENDING_LF]));
             crlf = false;
             n_lf++;
             line_start[LINE_ENDING_LF] = i + 1;
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ void TextLoader::load_buffer(uint8_t * buffer, size_t size)
      * the end of the file. */
     if (line_start[m_line_endings] < size)
     {
-        m_lines->push_back(LineIndexPair(&buffer[line_start[m_line_endings]], size - line_start[m_line_endings]));
+        m_lines->push_back(Span(&buffer[line_start[m_line_endings]], size - line_start[m_line_endings]));
         m_eol_at_eof = false;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/core/TextLoader.h b/src/core/TextLoader.h
index 7da57b3..241623b 100644
--- a/src/core/TextLoader.h
+++ b/src/core/TextLoader.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <list>
 #include <memory>
+#include "Span.h"
 
 class TextLoader
 {
@@ -34,14 +35,10 @@ public:
     auto end() { return m_lines->end(); }
     bool get_eol_at_eof() { return m_eol_at_eof; }
 
-    typedef std::pair<uint8_t *, uint32_t> LineIndexPair;
-    typedef std::list<LineIndexPair> LineIndexPairList;
-    typedef std::shared_ptr<LineIndexPairList> LineIndexPairListRef;
-
 protected:
     int m_line_endings;
     bool m_eol_at_eof;
-    LineIndexPairListRef m_lines;
+    std::shared_ptr<std::list<Span>> m_lines;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/test/src/test_TextLoader.cc b/test/src/test_TextLoader.cc
index 9f9866d..20d1bec 100644
--- a/test/src/test_TextLoader.cc
+++ b/test/src/test_TextLoader.cc
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
-static string line_to_string(const TextLoader::LineIndexPairList::iterator & it)
+static string line_to_string(const std::list<Span>::iterator & it)
 {
-    return string((char *)it->first, it->second);
+    return string((char *)it->start, it->length);
 }
 
 TEST(TextLoaderTest, num_lines_defaults_to_0)