diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 62d9f1e07..507ec0c35 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "event_manager.hh"
 #include "color_registry.hh"
 #include "client_manager.hh"
+#include "parameters_parser.hh"
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -38,188 +39,6 @@ struct wrong_argument_count : runtime_error
     wrong_argument_count() : runtime_error("wrong argument count") {}
 };
 
-struct unknown_option : public runtime_error
-{
-    unknown_option(const String& name)
-        : runtime_error("unknown option '" + name + "'") {}
-};
-
-struct missing_option_value: public runtime_error
-{
-    missing_option_value(const String& name)
-        : runtime_error("missing value for option '" + name + "'") {}
-};
-
-// ParameterParser provides tools to parse command parameters.
-// There are 3 types of parameters:
-//  * unnamed options, which are accessed by position (ignoring named ones)
-//  * named boolean options, which are enabled using '-name' syntax
-//  * named string options,  which are defined using '-name value' syntax
-struct ParametersParser
-{
-    // the options defines named options, if they map to true, then
-    // they are understood as string options, else they are understood as
-    // boolean option.
-    ParametersParser(const CommandParameters& params,
-                     std::unordered_map<String, bool> options)
-        : m_params(params), m_positional(params.size(), true), m_options(options)
-    {
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < params.size(); ++i)
-        {
-            if (params[i][0] == '-')
-            {
-                auto it = options.find(params[i].substr(1_byte));
-                if (it == options.end())
-                    throw unknown_option(params[i]);
-
-                if (it->second)
-                {
-                    if (i + 1 == params.size() or params[i+1][0] == '-')
-                       throw missing_option_value(params[i]);
-
-                    m_positional[i+1] = false;
-                }
-                m_positional[i] = false;
-            }
-
-            // all options following -- are positional
-            if (params[i] == "--")
-                break;
-        }
-    }
-
-    // check if a named option (either string or boolean) is specified
-    bool has_option(const String& name) const
-    {
-        assert(m_options.find(name) != m_options.end());
-        for (auto& param : m_params)
-        {
-            if (param[0] == '-' and param.substr(1_byte) == name)
-                return true;
-
-            if (param == "--")
-                break;
-        }
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    // get a string option value, returns an empty string if the option
-    // is not defined
-    const String& option_value(const String& name) const
-    {
-        auto it = m_options.find(name);
-        assert(it != m_options.end());
-        assert(it->second == true);
-
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < m_params.size(); ++i)
-        {
-            if (m_params[i][0] == '-' and m_params[i].substr(1_byte) == name)
-                return m_params[i+1];
-
-            if (m_params[i] == "--")
-                break;
-        }
-        static String empty;
-        return empty;
-    }
-
-    size_t positional_count() const
-    {
-        size_t res = 0;
-        for (bool positional : m_positional)
-        {
-           if (positional)
-               ++res;
-        }
-        return res;
-    }
-
-    struct iterator
-    {
-    public:
-        typedef String            value_type;
-        typedef const value_type* pointer;
-        typedef const value_type& reference;
-        typedef size_t            difference_type;
-        typedef std::forward_iterator_tag iterator_category;
-
-        iterator(const ParametersParser& parser, size_t index)
-            : m_parser(parser), m_index(index) {}
-
-        const String& operator*() const
-        {
-            assert(m_parser.m_positional[m_index]);
-            return m_parser.m_params[m_index];
-        }
-
-        const String* operator->() const
-        {
-            assert(m_parser.m_positional[m_index]);
-            return &m_parser.m_params[m_index];
-        }
-
-        iterator& operator++()
-        {
-           while (m_index < m_parser.m_positional.size() and
-                  not m_parser.m_positional[++m_index]) {}
-           return *this;
-        }
-
-        bool operator==(const iterator& other) const
-        {
-            return &m_parser == &other.m_parser and m_index == other.m_index;
-        }
-
-        bool operator!=(const iterator& other) const
-        {
-            return &m_parser != &other.m_parser or m_index != other.m_index;
-        }
-
-        bool operator<(const iterator& other) const
-        {
-            assert(&m_parser == &other.m_parser);
-            return m_index < other.m_index;
-        }
-
-    private:
-        const ParametersParser& m_parser;
-        size_t                  m_index;
-    };
-
-    // positional parameter begin
-    iterator begin() const
-    {
-        int index = 0;
-        while (index < m_positional.size() and not m_positional[index])
-            ++index;
-        return iterator(*this, index);
-    }
-
-    // positional parameter end
-    iterator end() const
-    {
-        return iterator(*this, m_params.size());
-    }
-
-    // access positional parameter by index
-    const String& operator[] (size_t index) const
-    {
-        assert(index < positional_count());
-        iterator it = begin();
-        while (index)
-        {
-            ++it;
-            --index;
-        }
-        return *it;
-    }
-
-private:
-    const CommandParameters& m_params;
-    std::vector<bool>        m_positional;
-    std::unordered_map<String, bool> m_options;
-};
-
 Buffer* open_or_create(const String& filename, Context& context)
 {
     Buffer* buffer = create_buffer_from_file(filename);
diff --git a/src/parameters_parser.cc b/src/parameters_parser.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cdcfb0c11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/parameters_parser.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#include "parameters_parser.hh"
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+ParametersParser::ParametersParser(const ParameterList& params,
+                                   std::unordered_map<String, bool> options)
+    : m_params(params), m_positional(params.size(), true),
+      m_options(std::move(options))
+{
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < params.size(); ++i)
+    {
+        if (params[i][0] == '-')
+        {
+            auto it = m_options.find(params[i].substr(1_byte));
+            if (it == m_options.end())
+                throw unknown_option(params[i]);
+
+            if (it->second)
+            {
+                if (i + 1 == params.size() or params[i+1][0] == '-')
+                   throw missing_option_value(params[i]);
+
+                m_positional[i+1] = false;
+            }
+            m_positional[i] = false;
+        }
+
+        // all options following -- are positional
+        if (params[i] == "--")
+            break;
+    }
+}
+
+bool ParametersParser::has_option(const String& name) const
+{
+    assert(m_options.find(name) != m_options.end());
+    for (auto& param : m_params)
+    {
+        if (param[0] == '-' and param.substr(1_byte) == name)
+            return true;
+
+        if (param == "--")
+            break;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
+const String& ParametersParser::option_value(const String& name) const
+{
+    auto it = m_options.find(name);
+    assert(it != m_options.end());
+    assert(it->second == true);
+
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < m_params.size(); ++i)
+    {
+        if (m_params[i][0] == '-' and m_params[i].substr(1_byte) == name)
+            return m_params[i+1];
+
+        if (m_params[i] == "--")
+            break;
+    }
+    static String empty;
+    return empty;
+}
+
+size_t ParametersParser::positional_count() const
+{
+    size_t res = 0;
+    for (bool positional : m_positional)
+    {
+       if (positional)
+           ++res;
+    }
+    return res;
+}
+
+const String& ParametersParser::operator[] (size_t index) const
+{
+    assert(index < positional_count());
+    iterator it = begin();
+    while (index)
+    {
+        ++it;
+        --index;
+    }
+    return *it;
+}
+
+ParametersParser::iterator ParametersParser::begin() const
+{
+    int index = 0;
+    while (index < m_positional.size() and not m_positional[index])
+        ++index;
+    return iterator(*this, index);
+}
+
+ParametersParser::iterator ParametersParser::end() const
+{
+    return iterator(*this, m_params.size());
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/parameters_parser.hh b/src/parameters_parser.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2ba77c76f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/parameters_parser.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+#ifndef parameters_parser_hh_INCLUDED
+#define parameters_parser_hh_INCLUDED
+
+#include "string.hh"
+#include "memoryview.hh"
+#include "exception.hh"
+
+#include <unordered_map>
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+using ParameterList = memoryview<String>;
+
+struct unknown_option : public runtime_error
+{
+    unknown_option(const String& name)
+        : runtime_error("unknown option '" + name + "'") {}
+};
+
+struct missing_option_value: public runtime_error
+{
+    missing_option_value(const String& name)
+        : runtime_error("missing value for option '" + name + "'") {}
+};
+
+// ParameterParser provides tools to parse command parameters.
+// There are 3 types of parameters:
+//  * unnamed options, which are accessed by position (ignoring named ones)
+//  * named boolean options, which are enabled using '-name' syntax
+//  * named string options,  which are defined using '-name value' syntax
+struct ParametersParser
+{
+    // the options defines named options, if they map to true, then
+    // they are understood as string options, else they are understood as
+    // boolean option.
+    ParametersParser(const ParameterList& params,
+                     std::unordered_map<String, bool> options);
+
+    // check if a named option (either string or boolean) is specified
+    bool has_option(const String& name) const;
+
+    // get a string option value, returns an empty string if the option
+    // is not defined
+    const String& option_value(const String& name) const;
+
+    // positional parameters count
+    size_t positional_count() const;
+
+    struct iterator
+    {
+    public:
+        typedef String            value_type;
+        typedef const value_type* pointer;
+        typedef const value_type& reference;
+        typedef size_t            difference_type;
+        typedef std::forward_iterator_tag iterator_category;
+
+        iterator(const ParametersParser& parser, size_t index)
+            : m_parser(parser), m_index(index) {}
+
+        const String& operator*() const
+        {
+            assert(m_parser.m_positional[m_index]);
+            return m_parser.m_params[m_index];
+        }
+
+        const String* operator->() const
+        {
+            assert(m_parser.m_positional[m_index]);
+            return &m_parser.m_params[m_index];
+        }
+
+        iterator& operator++()
+        {
+           while (m_index < m_parser.m_positional.size() and
+                  not m_parser.m_positional[++m_index]) {}
+           return *this;
+        }
+
+        bool operator==(const iterator& other) const
+        {
+            return &m_parser == &other.m_parser and m_index == other.m_index;
+        }
+
+        bool operator!=(const iterator& other) const
+        {
+            return &m_parser != &other.m_parser or m_index != other.m_index;
+        }
+
+        bool operator<(const iterator& other) const
+        {
+            assert(&m_parser == &other.m_parser);
+            return m_index < other.m_index;
+        }
+
+    private:
+        const ParametersParser& m_parser;
+        size_t                  m_index;
+    };
+
+    // access positional parameter by index
+    const String& operator[] (size_t index) const;
+    // positional parameter begin
+    iterator begin() const;
+    // positional parameter end
+    iterator end() const;
+
+private:
+    ParameterList     m_params;
+    std::vector<bool> m_positional;
+    std::unordered_map<String, bool> m_options;
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif // parameters_parser_hh_INCLUDED
+