diff --git a/src/file.cc b/src/file.cc
index dd8f93de0..b35531064 100644
--- a/src/file.cc
+++ b/src/file.cc
@@ -91,8 +91,9 @@ void write_buffer_to_file(const Buffer& buffer, const String& filename)
     for (size_t i = 0; i < buffer.line_count(); ++i)
     {
         const String& content = buffer.line_content(i);
-        const char* ptr = content.c_str();
-        ssize_t count   = content.size();
+        memoryview<char> data = content.data();
+        const char* ptr = data.pointer();
+        ssize_t count   = data.size();
 
         while (count)
         {
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 0d5361cf3..f5f78e61a 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -591,7 +591,8 @@ void do_pipe(Editor& editor, int count)
                 close(read_pipe[1]);
 
                 String content = editor.buffer().string(sel.begin(), sel.end());
-                write(write_pipe[1], content.c_str(), content.size());
+                memoryview<char> data = content.data();
+                write(write_pipe[1], data.pointer(), data.size());
                 close(write_pipe[1]);
 
                 String new_content;
diff --git a/src/string.hh b/src/string.hh
index 38a8aaae5..d751d9ce0 100644
--- a/src/string.hh
+++ b/src/string.hh
@@ -2,15 +2,127 @@
 #define string_hh_INCLUDED
 
 #include <string>
+#include <iosfwd>
+
+#include "memoryview.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
-typedef char Character;
-typedef std::string String;
+typedef wchar_t Character;
+
+class String
+{
+public:
+   String() {}
+   String(const char* content) : m_content(content) {}
+   String(const std::string& content) : m_content(content) {}
+   explicit String(Character content) : m_content(std::string() + (char)content) {}
+   template<typename Iterator>
+   String(Iterator begin, Iterator end) : m_content(begin, end) {}
+
+   Character operator[](size_t pos) const { return static_cast<Character>(m_content[pos]); }
+   size_t    length() const { return m_content.length(); }
+   bool      empty()  const { return m_content.empty(); }
+
+   bool      operator== (const String& other) const { return m_content == other.m_content; }
+   bool      operator!= (const String& other) const { return m_content != other.m_content; }
+   bool      operator<  (const String& other) const { return m_content < other.m_content;  }
+
+   String&   operator=  (const String& other)       { m_content = other.m_content; return *this; }
+
+   String    operator+  (const String& other) const { return String(m_content + other.m_content); }
+   String&   operator+= (const String& other)       { m_content += other.m_content; return *this; }
+
+   String    operator+  (Character character) const { return String(m_content + (char)character); }
+   String&   operator+= (Character character)       { m_content += (char)character; return *this; }
+
+   memoryview<char> data()  const { return memoryview<char>(m_content.data(), m_content.size()); }
+   const char*      c_str() const { return m_content.c_str(); }
+
+   String substr(size_t pos, size_t length = -1) const { return String(m_content.substr(pos, length)); }
+   void   clear() { m_content.clear(); }
+
+   class iterator
+   {
+   public:
+       typedef Character         value_type;
+       typedef const value_type* pointer;
+       typedef const value_type& reference;
+       typedef size_t            difference_type;
+       typedef std::random_access_iterator_tag iterator_category;
+
+       iterator() {}
+       iterator(const std::string::const_iterator& it) : m_iterator(it) {}
+
+       Character operator*()
+       { return static_cast<Character>(*m_iterator); }
+
+       iterator& operator++ () { ++m_iterator; return *this; }
+       iterator& operator-- () { --m_iterator; return *this; }
+
+       iterator operator+ (size_t size) { return iterator(m_iterator + size); }
+       iterator operator- (size_t size) { return iterator(m_iterator - size); }
+
+       iterator& operator+= (size_t size) { m_iterator += size; return *this; }
+       iterator& operator-= (size_t size) { m_iterator -= size; return *this; }
+
+       size_t operator- (const iterator& other) const { return m_iterator - other.m_iterator; }
+
+       bool operator== (const iterator& other) const { return m_iterator == other.m_iterator; }
+       bool operator!= (const iterator& other) const { return m_iterator != other.m_iterator; }
+       bool operator<  (const iterator& other) const { return m_iterator < other.m_iterator; }
+       bool operator<= (const iterator& other) const { return m_iterator <= other.m_iterator; }
+       bool operator>  (const iterator& other) const { return m_iterator > other.m_iterator; }
+       bool operator>= (const iterator& other) const { return m_iterator >= other.m_iterator; }
+
+   private:
+       std::string::const_iterator m_iterator;
+   };
+
+   iterator  begin() const { return iterator(m_content.begin()); }
+   iterator  end()   const { return iterator(m_content.end()); }
+
+   Character front() const { return Character(m_content.front()); }
+   Character back()  const { return Character(m_content.back()); }
+
+   size_t    hash() const { return std::hash<std::string>()(m_content); }
+
+   inline friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const String& str)
+   {
+       return os << str.m_content;
+   }
+
+   enum { npos = -1 };
+
+private:
+   std::string m_content;
+};
+
+inline String operator+(const char* lhs, const String& rhs)
+{
+    return String(lhs) + rhs;
+}
+
+inline String operator+(Character lhs, const String& rhs)
+{
+    return String(lhs) + rhs;
+}
 
 }
 
+namespace std
+{
+template<>
+    inline size_t
+    hash<const Kakoune::String&>::operator()(const Kakoune::String& str) const
+    { return str.hash(); }
+
+template<>
+    inline size_t
+    hash<Kakoune::String>::operator()(Kakoune::String str) const
+    { return str.hash(); }
+}
 
 #endif // string_hh_INCLUDED