diff --git a/cmd/txtpbfmt/fmt.go b/cmd/txtpbfmt/fmt.go
index 2590707..304f0a9 100644
--- a/cmd/txtpbfmt/fmt.go
+++ b/cmd/txtpbfmt/fmt.go
@@ -56,6 +56,75 @@ func contentForLogging(content []byte) string {
 	return res
 }
 
+func processPath(path string) error {
+	if strings.HasPrefix(path, "//depot/google3/") {
+		path = strings.Replace(path, "//depot/google3/", "", 1)
+	}
+	displayPath := path
+	if path == stdinPlaceholderPath {
+		displayPath = *stdinDisplayPath
+		log.Info("path ", path, " displayed as ", displayPath)
+	} else {
+		log.Info("path ", path)
+	}
+
+	content, err := read(path)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		log.Error("Ignoring path: ", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("path not found")
+	} else if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Only pass the verbose logger if its level is enabled.
+	var logger parser.Logger
+	if l := log.V(2); l {
+		logger = l
+	}
+	newContent, err := parser.FormatWithConfig(content, parser.Config{
+		ExpandAllChildren:                      *expandAllChildren,
+		SkipAllColons:                          *skipAllColons,
+		SortFieldsByFieldName:                  *sortFieldsByFieldName,
+		SortRepeatedFieldsByContent:            *sortRepeatedFieldsByContent,
+		SortRepeatedFieldsBySubfield:           strings.Split(*sortRepeatedFieldsBySubfield, ","),
+		RemoveDuplicateValuesForRepeatedFields: *removeDuplicateValuesForRepeatedFields,
+		AllowTripleQuotedStrings:               *allowTripleQuotedStrings,
+		WrapStringsAtColumn:                    *wrapStringsAtColumn,
+		WrapHTMLStrings:                        *wrapHTMLStrings,
+		WrapStringsAfterNewlines:               *wrapStringsAfterNewlines,
+		WrapStringsWithoutWordwrap:             *wrapStringsWithoutWordwrap,
+		PreserveAngleBrackets:                  *preserveAngleBrackets,
+		SmartQuotes:                            *smartQuotes,
+		Logger:                                 logger,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		errorf("parser.Format for path %v with content %q returned err %v", displayPath, contentForLogging(content), err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("parser.Format failed")
+	}
+	log.V(2).Infof("New content for path %s: %q", displayPath, newContent)
+
+	return write(path, content, newContent)
+}
+
+func write(path string, content, newContent []byte) error {
+	if path == stdinPlaceholderPath {
+		fmt.Print(string(newContent))
+		return nil
+	}
+	if bytes.Equal(content, newContent) {
+		log.Info("No change for path ", path)
+		return nil
+	}
+	if *dryRun {
+		fmt.Println(string(newContent))
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(path, newContent, 0664); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func main() {
 	flag.Parse()
 	paths := flag.Args()
@@ -65,67 +134,11 @@ func main() {
 	log.Info("paths: ", paths)
 	errs := 0
 	for _, path := range paths {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(path, "//depot/google3/") {
-			path = strings.Replace(path, "//depot/google3/", "", 1)
-		}
-		displayPath := path
-		if path == stdinPlaceholderPath {
-			displayPath = *stdinDisplayPath
-			log.Info("path ", path, " displayed as ", displayPath)
-		} else {
-			log.Info("path ", path)
-		}
-
-		content, err := read(path)
-		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			log.Error("Ignoring path: ", err)
-			errs++
-			continue
-		} else if err != nil {
-			log.Exit(err)
-		}
-
-		// Only pass the verbose logger if its level is enabled.
-		var logger parser.Logger
-		if l := log.V(2); l {
-			logger = l
-		}
-		newContent, err := parser.FormatWithConfig(content, parser.Config{
-			ExpandAllChildren:                      *expandAllChildren,
-			SkipAllColons:                          *skipAllColons,
-			SortFieldsByFieldName:                  *sortFieldsByFieldName,
-			SortRepeatedFieldsByContent:            *sortRepeatedFieldsByContent,
-			SortRepeatedFieldsBySubfield:           strings.Split(*sortRepeatedFieldsBySubfield, ","),
-			RemoveDuplicateValuesForRepeatedFields: *removeDuplicateValuesForRepeatedFields,
-			AllowTripleQuotedStrings:               *allowTripleQuotedStrings,
-			WrapStringsAtColumn:                    *wrapStringsAtColumn,
-			WrapHTMLStrings:                        *wrapHTMLStrings,
-			WrapStringsAfterNewlines:               *wrapStringsAfterNewlines,
-			WrapStringsWithoutWordwrap:             *wrapStringsWithoutWordwrap,
-			PreserveAngleBrackets:                  *preserveAngleBrackets,
-			SmartQuotes:                            *smartQuotes,
-			Logger:                                 logger,
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			errorf("parser.Format for path %v with content %q returned err %v", displayPath, contentForLogging(content), err)
-			errs++
-			continue
-		}
-		log.V(2).Infof("New content for path %s: %q", displayPath, newContent)
-
-		if path == stdinPlaceholderPath {
-			fmt.Print(string(newContent))
-			continue
-		}
-		if bytes.Equal(content, newContent) {
-			log.Info("No change for path ", displayPath)
-			continue
-		}
-		if *dryRun {
-			fmt.Println(string(newContent))
-			continue
-		}
-		if err := ioutil.WriteFile(path, newContent, 0664); err != nil {
+		if err := processPath(path); err != nil {
+			if err.Error() == "path not found" || err.Error() == "parser.Format failed" {
+				errs++
+				continue
+			}
 			log.Exit(err)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/parser/parser.go b/parser/parser.go
index d348985..6c774fd 100644
--- a/parser/parser.go
+++ b/parser/parser.go
@@ -181,6 +181,51 @@ func FormatWithConfig(in []byte, c Config) ([]byte, error) {
 	return PrettyBytes(nodes, 0), nil
 }
 
+type bracketState struct {
+	insideComment            bool
+	insideString             bool
+	insideTemplate           bool
+	insideTripleQuotedString bool
+	stringDelimiter          string
+	isEscapedChar            bool
+}
+
+func (s *bracketState) processChar(c byte, i int, in []byte, allowTripleQuotedStrings bool) {
+	switch c {
+	case '#':
+		if !s.insideString {
+			s.insideComment = true
+		}
+	case '%':
+		if !s.insideComment && !s.insideString {
+			s.insideTemplate = !s.insideTemplate
+		}
+	case '"', '\'':
+		if s.insideComment {
+			return
+		}
+		delim := string(c)
+		tripleQuoted := false
+		if allowTripleQuotedStrings && i+3 <= len(in) {
+			triple := string(in[i : i+3])
+			if triple == `"""` || triple == `'''` {
+				delim = triple
+				tripleQuoted = true
+			}
+		}
+		if s.insideString {
+			if s.stringDelimiter == delim && (s.insideTripleQuotedString || !s.isEscapedChar) {
+				s.insideString = false
+				s.insideTripleQuotedString = false
+			}
+		} else {
+			s.insideString = true
+			s.insideTripleQuotedString = tripleQuoted
+			s.stringDelimiter = delim
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // Return the byte-positions of each bracket which has the corresponding close on the
 // same line as a set.
 func sameLineBrackets(in []byte, allowTripleQuotedStrings bool) (map[int]bool, error) {
@@ -191,24 +236,20 @@ func sameLineBrackets(in []byte, allowTripleQuotedStrings bool) (map[int]bool, e
 	}
 	open := []bracket{} // Stack.
 	res := map[int]bool{}
-	insideComment := false
-	insideString := false
-	insideTemplate := false
-	insideTripleQuotedString := false
-	var stringDelimiter string
-	isEscapedChar := false
+	state := bracketState{}
 	for i, c := range in {
+		state.processChar(c, i, in, allowTripleQuotedStrings)
 		switch c {
 		case '\n':
 			line++
-			insideComment = false
+			state.insideComment = false
 		case '{', '<':
-			if insideComment || insideString || insideTemplate {
+			if state.insideComment || state.insideString || state.insideTemplate {
 				continue
 			}
 			open = append(open, bracket{index: i, line: line})
 		case '}', '>':
-			if insideComment || insideString || insideTemplate {
+			if state.insideComment || state.insideString || state.insideTemplate {
 				continue
 			}
 			if len(open) == 0 {
@@ -220,55 +261,15 @@ func sameLineBrackets(in []byte, allowTripleQuotedStrings bool) (map[int]bool, e
 			if br.line == line {
 				res[br.index] = true
 			}
-		case '#':
-			if insideString {
-				continue
-			}
-			insideComment = true
-		case '%':
-			if insideComment || insideString {
-				continue
-			}
-			if insideTemplate {
-				insideTemplate = false
-			} else {
-				insideTemplate = true
-			}
-		case '"', '\'':
-			if insideComment {
-				continue
-			}
-			delim := string(c)
-			tripleQuoted := false
-			if allowTripleQuotedStrings && i+3 <= len(in) {
-				triple := string(in[i : i+3])
-				if triple == `"""` || triple == `'''` {
-					delim = triple
-					tripleQuoted = true
-				}
-			}
-
-			if insideString {
-				if stringDelimiter == delim && (insideTripleQuotedString || !isEscapedChar) {
-					insideString = false
-					insideTripleQuotedString = false
-				}
-			} else {
-				insideString = true
-				if tripleQuoted {
-					insideTripleQuotedString = true
-				}
-				stringDelimiter = delim
-			}
 		}
-
-		if isEscapedChar {
-			isEscapedChar = false
-		} else if c == '\\' && insideString && !insideTripleQuotedString {
-			isEscapedChar = true
+		if state.isEscapedChar {
+			state.isEscapedChar = false
+		} else if c == '\\' && state.insideString && !state.insideTripleQuotedString {
+			state.isEscapedChar = true
 		}
+
 	}
-	if insideString {
+	if state.insideString {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unterminated string literal")
 	}
 	return res, nil
@@ -1007,11 +1008,9 @@ func (p *parser) readValues() ([]*ast.Value, error) {
 		values = append(values, p.populateValue(p.readTemplate(), nil))
 		previousPos = p.position()
 	}
-	if p.config.AllowTripleQuotedStrings {
-		v, err := p.readTripleQuotedString()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if v, err := p.readTripleQuotedStringValue(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	} else {
 		if v != nil {
 			values = append(values, v)
 			previousPos = p.position()
@@ -1019,36 +1018,13 @@ func (p *parser) readValues() ([]*ast.Value, error) {
 	}
 	for p.consume('"') || p.consume('\'') {
 		// Handle string value.
-		stringBegin := p.index - 1 // Index of the quote.
-		i := p.index
-		for ; i < p.length; i++ {
-			if p.in[i] == '\\' {
-				i++ // Skip escaped char.
-				continue
-			}
-			if p.in[i] == '\n' {
-				p.index = i
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("found literal (unescaped) new line in string at %s", p.errorContext())
-			}
-			if p.in[i] == p.in[stringBegin] {
-				var vl string
-				if p.config.SmartQuotes {
-					vl = smartQuotes(p.advance(i))
-				} else {
-					vl = fixQuotes(p.advance(i))
-				}
-				_ = p.advance(i + 1) // Skip the quote.
-				values = append(values, p.populateValue(vl, preComments))
-
-				previousPos = p.position()
-				preComments, _ = p.skipWhiteSpaceAndReadComments(true /* multiLine */)
-				break
-			}
-		}
-		if i == p.length {
-			p.index = i
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unfinished string at %s", p.errorContext())
+		v, err := p.readSingleQuotedStringValue(preComments)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
 		}
+		values = append(values, v)
+		previousPos = p.position()
+		preComments, _ = p.skipWhiteSpaceAndReadComments(true /* multiLine */)
 	}
 	if previousPos != (ast.Position{}) {
 		// Rewind comments.
@@ -1056,13 +1032,7 @@ func (p *parser) readValues() ([]*ast.Value, error) {
 	} else {
 		i := p.index
 		// Handle other values.
-		for ; i < p.length; i++ {
-			if p.isValueSep(i) {
-				break
-			}
-		}
-		vl := p.advance(i)
-		values = append(values, p.populateValue(vl, preComments))
+		values = append(values, p.readOtherValue(i, preComments))
 	}
 	if p.config.infoLevel() {
 		p.config.infof("values: %v", values)
@@ -1070,6 +1040,53 @@ func (p *parser) readValues() ([]*ast.Value, error) {
 	return values, nil
 }
 
+func (p *parser) readTripleQuotedStringValue() (*ast.Value, error) {
+	if !p.config.AllowTripleQuotedStrings {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	return p.readTripleQuotedString()
+}
+
+func (p *parser) readSingleQuotedStringValue(preComments []string) (*ast.Value, error) {
+	stringBegin := p.index - 1 // Index of the quote.
+	i := p.index
+	for ; i < p.length; i++ {
+		if p.in[i] == '\\' {
+			i++ // Skip escaped char.
+			continue
+		}
+		if p.in[i] == '\n' {
+			p.index = i
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("found literal (unescaped) new line in string at %s", p.errorContext())
+		}
+		if p.in[i] == p.in[stringBegin] {
+			var vl string
+			if p.config.SmartQuotes {
+				vl = smartQuotes(p.advance(i))
+			} else {
+				vl = fixQuotes(p.advance(i))
+			}
+			_ = p.advance(i + 1) // Skip the quote.
+			return p.populateValue(vl, preComments), nil
+		}
+	}
+	if i == p.length {
+		p.index = i
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unfinished string at %s", p.errorContext())
+	}
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
+func (p *parser) readOtherValue(i int, preComments []string) *ast.Value {
+	for ; i < p.length; i++ {
+		if p.isValueSep(i) {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	vl := p.advance(i)
+	return p.populateValue(vl, preComments)
+}
+
 func (p *parser) readTripleQuotedString() (*ast.Value, error) {
 	start := p.index
 	stringBegin := p.index