diff --git a/src/ce_libmaneditor.pas b/src/ce_libmaneditor.pas
index 7bbb77ee..8cd5a700 100644
--- a/src/ce_libmaneditor.pas
+++ b/src/ce_libmaneditor.pas
@@ -294,9 +294,7 @@ begin
   end;
   with TStringRange.create(pge) do while not empty do
   begin
-    popUntil('"');
-    popFront;
-    fList.Add(takeUntil('"').yield);
+    fList.Add(popUntil('"')^.popFront^.takeUntil('"').yield);
     popFront;
   end;
   cbb.Items.clear;
diff --git a/src/ce_main.pas b/src/ce_main.pas
index faf4dcb8..48a9e5f9 100644
--- a/src/ce_main.pas
+++ b/src/ce_main.pas
@@ -2536,11 +2536,10 @@ begin
   rng.init(firstLineFlags);
   if rng.startsWith('#!') then
   begin
-    rng.popFront;
-    rng.popFront;
-    rng.popWhile([' ', #9]);
-    rng.popUntil([' ', #9, ':']);
-    rng.popWhile([' ', #9, ':']);
+    rng.popFrontN(2)^
+      .popWhile([' ', #9])^
+      .popUntil([' ', #9, ':'])^
+      .popWhile([' ', #9, ':']);
     firstlineFlags := rng.takeUntil(#0).yield;
     firstlineFlags := fSymStringExpander.expand(firstlineFlags);
     lst := TStringList.Create;
diff --git a/src/ce_stringrange.pas b/src/ce_stringrange.pas
index 8f22413c..1390250d 100644
--- a/src/ce_stringrange.pas
+++ b/src/ce_stringrange.pas
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ type
     function init(const pchr: PChar; length: integer): PStringRange; {$IFNDEF DEBUG}inline;{$ENDIF}
 
     // advances.
-    procedure popFront; {$IFNDEF DEBUG}inline;{$ENDIF}
+    function popFront: PStringRange; {$IFNDEF DEBUG}inline;{$ENDIF}
+    // advances N times
+    function popFrontN(n: integer): PStringRange; {$IFNDEF DEBUG}inline;{$ENDIF}
     // returns the current element.
     function front: char; {$IFNDEF DEBUG}inline;{$ENDIF}
     // indicates wether the range is consumed.
@@ -125,9 +127,16 @@ begin
   Result := @self;
 end;
 
-procedure TStringRange.popFront;
+function TStringRange.popFront: PStringRange;
 begin
   pos += 1;
+  Result := @self;
+end;
+
+function TStringRange.popFrontN(n: integer): PStringRange;
+begin
+  pos += n;
+  Result := @self;
 end;
 
 function TStringRange.front: char;
diff --git a/src/ce_symstring.pas b/src/ce_symstring.pas
index ab5a810a..677c77c6 100644
--- a/src/ce_symstring.pas
+++ b/src/ce_symstring.pas
@@ -269,8 +269,8 @@ begin
     Result += rng.takeUntil('<').yield;
     if not rng.empty and (rng.front = '<') then
     begin
-      rng.popFront;
-      sym := rng.takeUntil('>').yield;
+      ;
+      sym := rng.popFront^.takeUntil('>').yield;
       if not rng.empty and (rng.front = '>') then
       begin
         rng.popFront;