diff --git a/lib_src/misc/blocks.js b/lib_src/misc/blocks.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..46417203
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib_src/misc/blocks.js
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+'use babel'
+// TODO: docstrings
+
+import { forLines } from './scopes'
+
+export function getLine (ed, l) {
+  return {
+    scope: ed.scopeDescriptorForBufferPosition([l, 0]).scopes,
+    line: ed.getTextInBufferRange([[l, 0], [l, Infinity]])
+  }
+}
+
+function isBlank ({line, scope}, allowDocstrings = false) {
+  for (const s of scope) {
+    if (/\bcomment\b/.test(s) || (!allowDocstrings && /\bdocstring\b/.test(s))) {
+      return true
+    }
+  }
+  return /^\s*(#.*)?$/.test(line)
+}
+function isEnd ({ line, scope }) {
+  if (isStringEnd({ line, scope })) {
+    return true
+  }
+  return /^(end\b|\)|\]|\})/.test(line)
+}
+function isStringEnd ({ line, scope }) {
+  scope = scope.join(' ')
+  return /\bstring\.multiline\.end\b/.test(scope) ||
+        (/\bstring\.end\b/.test(scope) && /\bbacktick\b/.test(scope))
+}
+function isCont ({ line, scope }) {
+  scope = scope.join(' ')
+  if (/\bstring\b/.test(scope) && !(/\bpunctuation\.definition\.string\b/.test(scope))) {
+    return true
+  }
+
+  return line.match(/^(else|elseif|catch|finally)\b/)
+}
+function isStart (lineInfo) {
+  return !(/^\s/.test(lineInfo.line) || isBlank(lineInfo) || isEnd(lineInfo) || isCont(lineInfo))
+}
+
+function walkBack(ed, row) {
+  while ((row > 0) && !isStart(getLine(ed, row))) {
+    row--
+  }
+  return row
+}
+
+function walkForward (ed, start) {
+  let end = start
+  let mark = start
+  while (mark < ed.getLastBufferRow()) {
+    mark++
+    const lineInfo = getLine(ed, mark)
+
+    if (isStart(lineInfo)) {
+      break
+    }
+    if (isEnd(lineInfo)) {
+      // An `end` only counts when  there still are unclosed blocks (indicated by `forLines`
+      // returning a non-empty array).
+      // If the line closes a multiline string we also take that as ending the block.
+      if (
+            !(forLines(ed, start, mark-1).length === 0) ||
+            isStringEnd(lineInfo)
+         ) {
+        end = mark
+      }
+    } else if (!(isBlank(lineInfo) || isStart(lineInfo))) {
+      end = mark
+    }
+  }
+  return end
+}
+
+function getRange (ed, row) {
+  const start = walkBack(ed, row)
+  const end = walkForward(ed, start)
+  if (start <= row && row <= end) {
+    return [[start, 0], [end, Infinity]]
+  }
+}
+
+function getSelection (ed, sel) {
+  const {start, end} = sel.getBufferRange()
+  const range = [[start.row, start.column], [end.row, end.column]]
+  while (isBlank(getLine(ed, range[0][0]), true) && (range[0][0] <= range[1][0])) {
+    range[0][0]++
+    range[0][1] = 0
+  }
+  while (isBlank(getLine(ed, range[1][0]), true) && (range[1][0] >= range[0][0])) {
+    range[1][0]--
+    range[1][1] = Infinity
+  }
+  return range
+}
+
+export function moveNext (ed, sel, range) {
+  // Ensure enough room at the end of the buffer
+  const row = range[1][0]
+  let last
+  while ((last = ed.getLastBufferRow()) < (row+2)) {
+    if ((last !== row) && !isBlank(getLine(ed, last))) {
+      break
+    }
+    sel.setBufferRange([[last, Infinity], [last, Infinity]])
+    sel.insertText('\n')
+  }
+  // Move the cursor
+  let to = row + 1
+  while ((to < ed.getLastBufferRow()) && isBlank(getLine(ed, to))) {
+    to++
+  }
+  to = walkForward(ed, to)
+  return sel.setBufferRange([[to, Infinity], [to, Infinity]])
+}
+
+function getRanges (ed) {
+  const ranges = ed.getSelections().map(sel => {
+    return {
+      selection: sel,
+      range: sel.isEmpty() ?
+        getRange(ed, sel.getHeadBufferPosition().row) :
+        getSelection(ed, sel)
+    }
+  })
+  return ranges.filter(({ range }) => {
+    return range && ed.getTextInBufferRange(range).trim()
+  })
+}
+
+export function get (ed) {
+  return getRanges(ed).map(({ range, selection }) => {
+    return {
+      range,
+      selection,
+      line: range[0][0],
+      text: ed.getTextInBufferRange(range)
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+export function getLocalContext (editor, row) {
+  const range = getRange(editor, row)
+  const context = range ? editor.getTextInBufferRange(range) : ''
+  // NOTE:
+  // backend code expects startRow to be number for most cases, e.g.: `row = row - startRow`
+  // so let's just return `0` when there is no local context
+  // to check there is a context or not, just check `isempty(context)`
+  const startRow = range ? range[0][0] : 0
+  return {
+    context,
+    startRow
+  }
+}
+
+export function select (ed = atom.workspace.getActiveTextEditor()) {
+  if (!ed) return
+  return ed.mutateSelectedText(selection => {
+    const range = getRange(ed, selection.getHeadBufferPosition().row)
+    if (range) {
+      selection.setBufferRange(range)
+    }
+  })
+}