diff --git a/src/capnp/PointerBuilder.java b/src/capnp/PointerBuilder.java
index f461ed9..24faeed 100644
--- a/src/capnp/PointerBuilder.java
+++ b/src/capnp/PointerBuilder.java
@@ -13,5 +13,8 @@ public final class PointerBuilder {
         return WireHelpers.initStructListPointer(this.pointer, this.segment, elementCount, elementSize);
     }
 
+    public final void setText(Text.Reader value) {
+        WireHelpers.setTextPointer(this.pointer, this.segment, value);
+    }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/capnp/SegmentBuilder.java b/src/capnp/SegmentBuilder.java
index f280bf0..db4c7e4 100644
--- a/src/capnp/SegmentBuilder.java
+++ b/src/capnp/SegmentBuilder.java
@@ -3,7 +3,18 @@ package org.capnproto;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 
 public class SegmentBuilder extends SegmentReader {
+    public int pos = 0;
+
     public SegmentBuilder(ByteBuffer buf) {
         super(buf);
     }
+
+    private final int currentSize() {
+        throw new Error("unimplemented");
+    }
+
+    public final int allocate(int amount) {
+        throw new Error("unimplemented");
+        //        if (amount > ... this.currentSize()
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/capnp/StructBuilder.java b/src/capnp/StructBuilder.java
index d6d8007..3ff05c0 100644
--- a/src/capnp/StructBuilder.java
+++ b/src/capnp/StructBuilder.java
@@ -35,4 +35,8 @@ public final class StructBuilder {
         this.segment.buffer.putInt(this.data + offset * 4, value);
     }
 
+    public final PointerBuilder getPointerField(int index) {
+        return new PointerBuilder(this.segment, this.pointers + index);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/capnp/Text.java b/src/capnp/Text.java
index f577d87..5bad020 100644
--- a/src/capnp/Text.java
+++ b/src/capnp/Text.java
@@ -15,7 +15,19 @@ public class Text {
             this.size = size;
         }
 
-        public String toString() {
+        public Reader(String value) {
+            try {
+                byte[] bytes = value.getBytes("UTF-8");
+                this.buffer = ByteBuffer.wrap(bytes);
+                this.offset = 0;
+                this.size = bytes.length;
+            } catch (java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
+                throw new Error("UTF-8 is unsupported");
+            }
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public final String toString() {
             byte[] bytes = new byte[this.size];
 
             this.buffer.position(this.offset);
@@ -27,6 +39,7 @@ public class Text {
                 return "unsupported encoding"; // XXX
             }
         }
+
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/capnp/WireHelpers.java b/src/capnp/WireHelpers.java
index c4c4fb1..02f85e2 100644
--- a/src/capnp/WireHelpers.java
+++ b/src/capnp/WireHelpers.java
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@ package org.capnproto;
 
 final class WireHelpers {
 
+    public static int allocate(int ref,
+                               SegmentBuilder segment,
+                               int amount,
+                               byte kind) {
+        throw new Error("unimplemented");
+    }
+
     public static ListBuilder initListPointer(int refOffset,
                                               SegmentBuilder segment,
                                               int elementCount,
@@ -24,6 +31,18 @@ final class WireHelpers {
         throw new Error("unimplemented");
     }
 
+    public static void initTextPointer(int refOffset,
+                                       SegmentBuilder segment,
+                                       int size) {
+        throw new Error("unimplemented");
+    }
+
+    public static void setTextPointer(int refOffset,
+                                      SegmentBuilder segment,
+                                      Text.Reader value) {
+        throw new Error("unimplemented");
+    }
+
     public static StructReader readStructPointer(SegmentReader segment,
                                                  int refOffset,
                                                  int nestingLimit) {