diff --git a/spec/atom/app-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/app-spec.coffee
index 59a6adad2..246fd05b4 100644
--- a/spec/atom/app-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/app-spec.coffee
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 App = require 'app'
+fs = require 'fs'
 
 describe "App", ->
   app = null
@@ -18,7 +19,8 @@ describe "App", ->
 
       expect(app.windows().length).toBe 1
       newWindow = app.windows()[0]
-      
+
       expect(newWindow.editor).toBeDefined()
       expect(newWindow.editor.buffer).toBeDefined()
       expect(newWindow.editor.buffer.url).toEqual filePath
+      expect(newWindow.editor.buffer.text).toEqual fs.read(filePath)
diff --git a/spec/atom/buffer-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/buffer-spec.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e182674fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/atom/buffer-spec.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Buffer = require 'buffer'
+fs = require 'fs'
+
+describe 'Buffer', ->
+  describe 'constructor', ->
+    it "loads the contents of the given url", ->
+      filePath = require.resolve 'fixtures/sample.txt'
+      buffer = new Buffer filePath
+      expect(buffer.text).toBe fs.read(filePath)
diff --git a/spec/atom/editor-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/editor-spec.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fd8b9ae24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/atom/editor-spec.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+Editor = require 'editor'
+$ = require 'jquery'
+ck = require 'coffeekup'
+
+describe "Editor", ->
+  mainDiv = null; editor = null; filePath = null
+
+  beforeEach ->
+    filePath = require.resolve 'fixtures/sample.txt'
+    mainDiv = $("<div id='main'>")
+    $("#jasmine-content").append(mainDiv)
+    editor = new Editor filePath
+
+  afterEach ->
+    editor.destroy()
+
+  describe "constructor", ->
+    it "attaches itself to the #main element and opens a buffer with the given url", ->
+      expect(editor.buffer.url).toEqual filePath
+      expect(mainDiv.children('#editor').html()).not.toBe ''
+
+    it "populates the editor with the contents of the buffer", ->
+      expect(editor.aceEditor.getSession().getValue()).toBe editor.buffer.text
+
+  describe 'destroy', ->
+    it 'destroys the ace editor and removes #editor from the dom.', ->
+      spyOn editor.aceEditor, 'destroy'
+
+      editor.destroy()
+      expect(editor.aceEditor.destroy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(mainDiv.children('#editor').length).toBe 0
+
+  describe "when the text is changed via the ace editor", ->
+    it "updates the buffer text", ->
diff --git a/src/atom/buffer.coffee b/src/atom/buffer.coffee
index f6095cfc3..b69e3cb3f 100644
--- a/src/atom/buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/buffer.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+fs = require 'fs'
+
 module.exports =
 class Buffer
+  text: null
   url: null
 
   constructor: (@url) ->
-
+    @text = fs.read @url
diff --git a/src/atom/editor.coffee b/src/atom/editor.coffee
index 824acf20c..0285e5e81 100644
--- a/src/atom/editor.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/editor.coffee
@@ -1,9 +1,24 @@
 Buffer = require 'buffer'
+ace = require 'ace/ace'
+$ = require 'jquery'
 
 module.exports =
 class Editor
+  aceEditor: null
   buffer: null
 
   constructor: (url) ->
     @buffer = new Buffer(url)
+    @buildAceEditor()
+    @setText @buffer.text
+
+  setText: (text) ->
+    @aceEditor.getSession().setValue @buffer.text
+
+  buildAceEditor: ->
+    $('#main').append("<div id='editor'>")
+    @aceEditor = ace.edit 'editor'
+
+  destroy: ->
+    @aceEditor.destroy()