diff --git a/scanner/helpers.go b/scanner/helpers.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98c9269
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scanner/helpers.go
@@ -0,0 +1,229 @@
+package scanner
+
+import "github.com/brettlangdon/gython/token"
+
+func IsLetter(r rune) bool {
+	return (r >= 'a' && r <= 'z') || (r >= 'A' && r <= 'Z')
+}
+
+func IsDigit(r rune) bool {
+	return r >= '0' && r <= '9'
+}
+
+func IsXDigit(r rune) bool {
+	return IsDigit(r) || (r >= 65 && r <= 70) || (r >= 97 && r <= 102)
+}
+
+func IsAlphaNumeric(r rune) bool {
+	return IsLetter(r) || IsDigit(r)
+}
+
+func IsIdentifierStart(r rune) bool {
+	return IsLetter(r) || r == '_' || r >= 128
+}
+
+func IsIdentifierChar(r rune) bool {
+	return IsIdentifierStart(r) || IsDigit(r)
+}
+
+func IsQuote(r rune) bool {
+	return r == '"' || r == '\''
+}
+
+func GetTwoCharTokenID(curChar rune, nextChar rune) token.TokenID {
+	switch curChar {
+	case '=':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '=':
+			return token.EQEQUAL
+		}
+		break
+	case '!':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '=':
+			return token.NOTEQUAL
+		}
+		break
+	case '<':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '>':
+			return token.NOTEQUAL
+		case '=':
+			return token.LESSEQUAL
+		case '<':
+			return token.LEFTSHIFT
+		}
+		break
+	case '>':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '=':
+			return token.GREATEREQUAL
+		case '>':
+			return token.RIGHTSHIFT
+		}
+		break
+	case '+':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '=':
+			return token.PLUSEQUAL
+		}
+		break
+	case '-':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '=':
+			return token.MINEQUAL
+		case '>':
+			return token.RARROW
+		}
+		break
+	case '*':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '*':
+			return token.DOUBLESTAR
+		case '=':
+			return token.STAREQUAL
+		}
+		break
+	case '/':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '/':
+			return token.DOUBLESLASH
+		case '=':
+			return token.SLASHEQUAL
+		}
+		break
+	case '|':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '=':
+			return token.VBAREQUAL
+		}
+		break
+	case '%':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '=':
+			return token.PERCENTEQUAL
+		}
+		break
+	case '&':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '=':
+			return token.AMPEREQUAL
+		}
+		break
+	case '^':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '=':
+			return token.CIRCUMFLEXEQUAL
+		}
+		break
+	}
+	return token.OP
+}
+
+func GetThreeCharTokenID(curChar rune, nextChar rune, thirdChar rune) token.TokenID {
+	switch curChar {
+	case '<':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '<':
+			switch thirdChar {
+			case '=':
+				return token.LEFTSHIFTEQUAL
+			}
+			break
+		}
+		break
+	case '>':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '>':
+			switch thirdChar {
+			case '=':
+				return token.RIGHTSHIFTEQUAL
+			}
+			break
+		}
+		break
+	case '*':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '*':
+			switch thirdChar {
+			case '=':
+				return token.DOUBLESTAREQUAL
+			}
+			break
+		}
+		break
+	case '/':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '/':
+			switch thirdChar {
+			case '=':
+				return token.DOUBLESLASHEQUAL
+			}
+			break
+		}
+		break
+	case '.':
+		switch nextChar {
+		case '.':
+			switch thirdChar {
+			case '.':
+				return token.ELLIPSIS
+			}
+			break
+		}
+		break
+	}
+	return token.OP
+}
+
+func GetOneCharTokenID(curChar rune) token.TokenID {
+	switch curChar {
+	case '(':
+		return token.LPAR
+	case ')':
+		return token.RPAR
+	case '[':
+		return token.LSQB
+	case ']':
+		return token.RSQB
+	case ':':
+		return token.COLON
+	case ',':
+		return token.COMMA
+	case ';':
+		return token.SEMI
+	case '+':
+		return token.PLUS
+	case '-':
+		return token.MINUS
+	case '*':
+		return token.STAR
+	case '/':
+		return token.SLASH
+	case '|':
+		return token.VBAR
+	case '&':
+		return token.AMPER
+	case '<':
+		return token.LESS
+	case '>':
+		return token.GREATER
+	case '=':
+		return token.EQUAL
+	case '.':
+		return token.DOT
+	case '%':
+		return token.PERCENT
+	case '{':
+		return token.LBRACE
+	case '}':
+		return token.RBRACE
+	case '^':
+		return token.CIRCUMFLEX
+	case '~':
+		return token.TILDE
+	case '@':
+		return token.AT
+	}
+	return token.OP
+}