diff --git a/cfg/config.go b/cfg/config.go
index e54d9cc..6c71299 100644
--- a/cfg/config.go
+++ b/cfg/config.go
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ type RenderConfig struct {
 	Aliased            bool
 	Accelerated        bool
 	Throttle_Cpu_Usage bool
+	Always_Render      bool
 }
 
 // todo make this more extendable...
diff --git a/cfg/linuxconfig.go b/cfg/linuxconfig.go
index 6fe77f0..8e346f3 100644
--- a/cfg/linuxconfig.go
+++ b/cfg/linuxconfig.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ highlight_line = true
 aliased = true
 accelerated = true
 throttle_cpu_usage = true
+always_render = false
 
 [theme]
 background = 0x002649
diff --git a/cfg/macconfig.go b/cfg/macconfig.go
index d847c18..5616ef2 100644
--- a/cfg/macconfig.go
+++ b/cfg/macconfig.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ highlight_line = true
 aliased = true
 accelerated = true
 throttle_cpu_usage = true
+always_render = false
 
 [theme]
 background = 0x002649
diff --git a/cfg/windowsconfig.go b/cfg/windowsconfig.go
index 0632479..7667ad7 100644
--- a/cfg/windowsconfig.go
+++ b/cfg/windowsconfig.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ highlight_line = true
 aliased = true
 accelerated = true
 throttle_cpu_usage = true
+always_render = false
 
 [theme]
 background = 0x002649
diff --git a/gui/buffer.go b/gui/buffer.go
index 780e8d8..2318d85 100644
--- a/gui/buffer.go
+++ b/gui/buffer.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type camera struct {
 
 type Buffer struct {
 	BaseComponent
+	HasFocus bool
 	index    int
 	parent   *View
 	font     *strife.Font
@@ -307,17 +308,39 @@ func (b *Buffer) moveRight() {
 }
 
 func (b *Buffer) moveUp() {
-	if b.curs.x > 0 {
+	if b.curs.y > 0 {
 		b.curs.move(0, -1)
 	}
 }
 
 func (b *Buffer) moveDown() {
-	if b.curs.x < len(b.contents) {
+	if b.curs.y < len(b.contents) {
 		b.curs.move(0, 1)
 	}
 }
 
+func (b *Buffer) swapLineUp() bool {
+	if b.curs.y > 0 {
+		currLine := b.contents[b.curs.y]
+		prevLine := b.contents[b.curs.y-1]
+		b.contents[b.curs.y-1] = currLine
+		b.contents[b.curs.y] = prevLine
+		b.moveUp()
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
+func (b *Buffer) swapLineDown() bool {
+	if b.curs.y < len(b.contents) {
+		currLine := b.contents[b.curs.y]
+		nextLine := b.contents[b.curs.y+1]
+		b.contents[b.curs.y+1] = currLine
+		b.contents[b.curs.y] = nextLine
+		b.moveDown()
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func (b *Buffer) scrollUp() {
 	// TODO move the cursor down 45 lines
 	// IF the buffer exceeds the window size.
@@ -399,6 +422,11 @@ func (b *Buffer) processActionKey(key int) bool {
 	case sdl.K_RIGHT:
 		currLineLength := b.contents[b.curs.y].Len()
 
+		if CONTROL_DOWN && b.parent != nil {
+			b.parent.ChangeFocus(1)
+			return true
+		}
+
 		if SUPER_DOWN {
 			for b.curs.x < currLineLength {
 				b.curs.move(1, 0)
@@ -427,6 +455,11 @@ func (b *Buffer) processActionKey(key int) bool {
 		b.moveRight()
 		return true
 	case sdl.K_LEFT:
+		if CONTROL_DOWN && b.parent != nil {
+			b.parent.ChangeFocus(-1)
+			return true
+		}
+
 		if SUPER_DOWN {
 			// TODO go to the nearest \t
 			// if no \t (i.e. start of line) go to
@@ -459,15 +492,12 @@ func (b *Buffer) processActionKey(key int) bool {
 		b.moveLeft()
 		return true
 	case sdl.K_UP:
-		if SUPER_DOWN {
-			// go to the start of the file
+		if ALT_DOWN {
+			return b.swapLineUp()
 		}
 
-		// as well as normally moving
-		// upwards, this moves the cursor
-		// to the start of the line
-		if ALT_DOWN {
-			b.curs.gotoStart()
+		if SUPER_DOWN {
+			// go to the start of the file
 		}
 
 		if b.curs.y > 0 {
@@ -481,22 +511,14 @@ func (b *Buffer) processActionKey(key int) bool {
 		}
 		return true
 	case sdl.K_DOWN:
+		if ALT_DOWN {
+			return b.swapLineDown()
+		}
+
 		if SUPER_DOWN {
 			// go to the end of the file
 		}
 
-		// FIXME this doesnt work properly
-		if ALT_DOWN {
-			currLineLength := b.contents[b.curs.y].Len()
-			// in sublime this goes to the end
-			// of every line
-			for b.curs.x < currLineLength {
-				b.curs.move(1, 0)
-			}
-		}
-
-		log.Println(b.curs.y, " .. ", b.curs.y-b.cam.y)
-
 		if b.curs.y < len(b.contents)-1 {
 			offs := 0
 			nextLineLen := b.contents[b.curs.y+1].Len()
@@ -589,6 +611,8 @@ func (b *Buffer) makeTab() string {
 }
 
 func (b *Buffer) OnUpdate() bool {
+	b.HasFocus = true
+
 	prev_x := b.curs.x
 	prev_y := b.curs.y
 
@@ -645,13 +669,13 @@ func (b *Buffer) renderAt(ctx *strife.Renderer, rx int, ry int) {
 	ctx.SetColor(strife.HexRGB(b.cfg.Theme.Background))
 	ctx.Rect(b.x, b.y, b.w, b.h, strife.Fill)
 
-	if b.cfg.Editor.Highlight_Line {
+	if b.cfg.Editor.Highlight_Line && b.HasFocus {
 		ctx.SetColor(strife.Black) // highlight_line_col?
 		ctx.Rect(rx, (ry + b.curs.ry*last_h), b.w, last_h, strife.Fill)
 	}
 
 	// render the ol' cursor
-	if should_draw && b.cfg.Cursor.Draw {
+	if should_draw && b.cfg.Cursor.Draw && b.HasFocus {
 		cursorWidth := b.cfg.Cursor.GetCaretWidth()
 		if cursorWidth == -1 {
 			cursorWidth = last_w
@@ -711,7 +735,8 @@ func (b *Buffer) renderAt(ctx *strife.Renderer, rx int, ry int) {
 
 			// if we're currently over a character then set
 			// the font colour to something else
-			if b.curs.x+1 == x_col && b.curs.y == y_col && should_draw {
+			// ONLY SET THE COLOUR IF WE HAVE FOCUS ALSO!
+			if b.HasFocus && b.curs.x+1 == x_col && b.curs.y == y_col && should_draw {
 				ctx.SetColor(strife.HexRGB(b.cfg.Theme.Cursor_Invert))
 			}
 
diff --git a/gui/close_buffer.go b/gui/close_buffer.go
index da7b28c..15b7d0e 100644
--- a/gui/close_buffer.go
+++ b/gui/close_buffer.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ func CloseBuffer(b *Buffer) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
+	// remove focus
+	b.HasFocus = false
 	b.parent.DeleteComponent(b.index)
 
 	// we need to re-calculate the sizes of everything
@@ -25,8 +27,16 @@ func CloseBuffer(b *Buffer) bool {
 		bufferWidth = b.parent.w
 	}
 
+	// TODO track buffer visit history on a stack
+	// when we remove a buffer we pop it from the stack
+	// then we can focus on the top of the stack instead.
+	// for now let's just focus on the most recently
+	// added buffer
+
 	// translate all the components accordingly.
 	i := 0
+
+	var lastBuffer *Buffer
 	for _, p := range b.parent.components {
 		if p == nil {
 			continue
@@ -36,7 +46,9 @@ func CloseBuffer(b *Buffer) bool {
 		p.SetPosition(bufferWidth*i, 0)
 
 		i = i + 1
+		lastBuffer = p.(*Buffer)
 	}
+	lastBuffer.HasFocus = true
 
 	return true
 }
diff --git a/gui/component.go b/gui/component.go
index 42886b5..20ad83c 100644
--- a/gui/component.go
+++ b/gui/component.go
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ func Update(c Component) bool {
 		if child == nil {
 			continue
 		}
-
 		dirty := Update(child)
 		if dirty {
 			needsRender = true
diff --git a/gui/view.go b/gui/view.go
index cd2151b..13ae0b6 100644
--- a/gui/view.go
+++ b/gui/view.go
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import (
 
 type View struct {
 	BaseComponent
-	conf *cfg.TomlConfig
+	conf        *cfg.TomlConfig
+	focusedBuff int
 }
 
 func NewView(width, height int, conf *cfg.TomlConfig) *View {
@@ -17,10 +18,40 @@ func NewView(width, height int, conf *cfg.TomlConfig) *View {
 	return view
 }
 
+func sign(dir int) int {
+	if dir > 0 {
+		return 1
+	} else if dir < 0 {
+		return -1
+	}
+	return 0
+}
+
+func (n *View) ChangeFocus(dir int) {
+	// remove focus from the curr buffer.
+	if buf := n.components[n.focusedBuff].(*Buffer); buf != nil {
+		buf.HasFocus = false
+	}
+
+	newIndex := n.focusedBuff + sign(dir)
+	if newIndex >= n.NumComponents() {
+		newIndex = 0
+	} else if newIndex < 0 {
+		newIndex = n.NumComponents() - 1
+	}
+
+	if buff := n.components[newIndex]; buff != nil {
+		n.focusedBuff = newIndex
+	}
+}
+
 func (n *View) OnInit() {
 }
 
 func (n *View) OnUpdate() bool {
+	if buff := n.components[n.focusedBuff]; buff != nil {
+		return Update(buff)
+	}
 	return false
 }
 
@@ -47,12 +78,8 @@ func (n *View) AddBuffer() *Buffer {
 		bufferWidth = n.w
 	}
 
-	// setup and add the panel for the buffer
-	panel := NewPanel(n.inputHandler)
-	c.SetInputHandler(n.inputHandler)
-
-	panel.AddComponent(c)
-	n.AddComponent(panel)
+	n.AddComponent(c)
+	n.focusedBuff = c.index
 
 	// translate all the components accordingly.
 	for i, p := range n.components {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 02cdf31..223058b 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func (n *PhiEditor) dispose() {
 func (n *PhiEditor) update() bool {
 	needsRender := false
 	for _, comp := range n.GetComponents() {
-		dirty := gui.Update(comp)
+		dirty := comp.OnUpdate()
 		if dirty {
 			needsRender = true
 		}
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func main() {
 			break
 		}
 
-		if editor.update() {
+		if editor.update() || config.Render.Always_Render {
 			ctx.Clear()
 			editor.render(ctx)
 
diff --git a/phi-editor b/phi-editor
index 043997f..b14fae0 100755
Binary files a/phi-editor and b/phi-editor differ