diff --git a/src/doci.xqm b/src/doci.xqm
index 6927fff..d0b21cf 100644
--- a/src/doci.xqm
+++ b/src/doci.xqm
@@ -97,23 +97,29 @@ return  if(empty($change?range))
 
               (: string from start line before insert  :)
               let $head:= substring( $doci?lines[$sline+1] ,1, $range?start?character )
-              (: string from edit end to end of line :)
-              let $head:= substring( $doci?lines[$sline+1] ,1, $range?start?character )                                                 
+                  =>trace("$head")
+                  
+              (: string from edit end to end of line :)    
               let $last := substring( $doci?lines[$eline+1] , $range?end?character +1)
+                 =>trace("$last")
 
 let $ulines := (
             subsequence($doci?lines, 1, $sline) (: lines before edit :)
+            =>trace("before")
             ,
             if($sline eq $eline)
             then ($head || $lines[1] || $last) 
             
-            else (
-                   $head || $lines[1],
-                   subsequence( $lines,2, count( $lines - 2)),
-                   $lines[last()] ||$last
-                 ),
+            else if(1=count($lines))
+                 then $head || $lines[1] || $last
+                 else ( 
+                       $head || $lines[1],
+                       subsequence( $lines,2, count( $lines - 2)),
+                       $lines[last()] ||$last
+                     ),
            
              subsequence($doci?lines, $eline+2) (: lines after edit :)
+             =>trace("after")
              )   
 return doci:doci($ulines,$doci?separator)
 };
diff --git a/test/simple.xqm b/test/simple.xqm
index 89dd7ae..871646b 100644
--- a/test/simple.xqm
+++ b/test/simple.xqm
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ declare %unit:test function test:update-start() {
   return ()  
 };
 
-(:~ we can create update from string :)
+(:~ we can update the end of a line :)
 declare %unit:test  function test:update-end() {
   let $doc:="a
 123456789
@@ -57,6 +57,19 @@ b"
   return unit:assert-equals($doc,doci:text($update))
 };
 
+(:~ we can update to remove a line :)
+declare %unit:test  function test:update-lines() {
+  let $doc:="a
+123456789
+b"
+  let $doci:= doci:build($doc)
+  let $_:=test:expected($doci,$doc,3)
+  let $change:=test:def-change("",0,1,2,0)
+  let $doci2:=doci:update($doci,$change)
+  let $_:=test:expected($doci2,"ab",1)
+  return true()
+};
+
 (: test $doci properties as expected :)
 declare function test:expected($doci as doci:doci, $doc as xs:string,  $lines as xs:integer){
    unit:assert-equals(doci:lines($doci),$lines),
diff --git a/test/smoke.xq b/test/smoke.xq
index 0582095..0c69ab3 100644
--- a/test/smoke.xq
+++ b/test/smoke.xq
@@ -1,22 +1,12 @@
 import module namespace doci = 'urn:quodatum:text:doci' at "../src/doci.xqm";
+import module namespace test = 'test:doci' at "simple.xqm";
 
 declare variable $long:=
 file:read-text("C:\Users\mrwhe\git\quodatum\basex-lsp\test\sample.docs\pdfbox.xqm");
-declare variable $text:="123456789";
 
-(: create a change description:)
-declare function local:change($text as xs:string,
-                             $sline as xs:integer,$schar as xs:integer,
-                             $eline as xs:integer,$echar as xs:integer
-                             )
-as doci:TextDocumentContentChangeEvent{
-doci:TextDocumentContentChangeEvent(
-            $text,
-            doci:Range(doci:Position($sline,$schar),doci:Position($eline,$echar))
-            )
-};
+let $doc:="a
+123456789
+b"
 
-
-
-doci:build($text)
-=>doci:update(local:change("*",0,0,0,0))
\ No newline at end of file
+return doci:build($doc)
+=>doci:update(test:def-change("",0,1,2,0))
\ No newline at end of file