diff --git a/lib/comment_tree.dart b/lib/comment_tree.dart
index 671b7e9..fab9827 100644
--- a/lib/comment_tree.dart
+++ b/lib/comment_tree.dart
@@ -11,6 +11,33 @@ enum CommentSortType {
   chat,
 }
 
+extension on CommentSortType {
+  /// returns a compare function for sorting a CommentTree according
+  /// to the comment sort type
+  int Function(CommentTree a, CommentTree b) get sortFunction {
+    switch (this) {
+      case CommentSortType.chat:
+        throw Exception('Sorting a CommentTree in chat mode is not supported'
+            ' because it would restructure the whole tree');
+
+      case CommentSortType.hot:
+        return (b, a) =>
+            a.comment.computedHotRank.compareTo(b.comment.computedHotRank);
+
+      case CommentSortType.new_:
+        return (b, a) => a.comment.published.compareTo(b.comment.published);
+
+      case CommentSortType.old:
+        return (b, a) => b.comment.published.compareTo(a.comment.published);
+
+      case CommentSortType.top:
+        return (b, a) => a.comment.score.compareTo(b.comment.score);
+    }
+
+    throw Exception('unreachable');
+  }
+}
+
 class CommentTree {
   CommentView comment;
   List<CommentTree> children;
@@ -19,6 +46,7 @@ class CommentTree {
     children ??= [];
   }
 
+  /// takes raw linear comments and turns them into a CommentTree
   static List<CommentTree> fromList(List<CommentView> comments) {
     CommentTree gatherChildren(CommentTree parent) {
       for (final el in comments) {
@@ -29,38 +57,14 @@ class CommentTree {
       return parent;
     }
 
-    final parents = <CommentTree>[];
+    final topLevelParents =
+        comments.where((e) => e.parentId == null).map((e) => CommentTree(e));
 
-    // first pass to get all the parents
-    for (var i = 0; i < comments.length; i++) {
-      if (comments[i].parentId == null) {
-        parents.add(CommentTree(comments[i]));
-      }
-    }
-
-    final result = parents.map(gatherChildren).toList();
+    final result = topLevelParents.map(gatherChildren).toList();
     return result;
   }
 
-  void sort(CommentSortType sortType) {
-    switch (sortType) {
-      case CommentSortType.chat:
-        // throw Exception('i dont do this kinda stuff kido');
-        return;
-      case CommentSortType.hot:
-        return _sort((b, a) =>
-            a.comment.computedHotRank.compareTo(b.comment.computedHotRank));
-      case CommentSortType.new_:
-        return _sort(
-            (b, a) => a.comment.published.compareTo(b.comment.published));
-      case CommentSortType.old:
-        return _sort(
-            (b, a) => b.comment.published.compareTo(a.comment.published));
-      case CommentSortType.top:
-        return _sort((b, a) => a.comment.score.compareTo(b.comment.score));
-    }
-  }
-
+  /// recursive sorter
   void _sort(int compare(CommentTree a, CommentTree b)) {
     children.sort(compare);
     for (final el in children) {
@@ -68,42 +72,13 @@ class CommentTree {
     }
   }
 
+  /// Sorts in-place a list of CommentTrees according to a given sortType
   static List<CommentTree> sortList(
       CommentSortType sortType, List<CommentTree> comms) {
-    switch (sortType) {
-      case CommentSortType.chat:
-        throw Exception('i dont do this kinda stuff kido');
-      case CommentSortType.hot:
-        comms.sort((b, a) =>
-            a.comment.computedHotRank.compareTo(b.comment.computedHotRank));
-        for (var i = 0; i < comms.length; i++) {
-          comms[i].sort(sortType);
-        }
-        return comms;
-
-      case CommentSortType.new_:
-        comms
-            .sort((b, a) => a.comment.published.compareTo(b.comment.published));
-        for (var i = 0; i < comms.length; i++) {
-          comms[i].sort(sortType);
-        }
-        return comms;
-
-      case CommentSortType.old:
-        comms
-            .sort((b, a) => b.comment.published.compareTo(a.comment.published));
-        for (var i = 0; i < comms.length; i++) {
-          comms[i].sort(sortType);
-        }
-        return comms;
-
-      case CommentSortType.top:
-        comms.sort((b, a) => a.comment.score.compareTo(b.comment.score));
-        for (var i = 0; i < comms.length; i++) {
-          comms[i].sort(sortType);
-        }
-        return comms;
+    comms.sort(sortType.sortFunction);
+    for (final el in comms) {
+      el._sort(sortType.sortFunction);
     }
-    throw Exception('unreachable');
+    return comms;
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/pages/create_post.dart b/lib/pages/create_post.dart
index 3dde101..211818d 100644
--- a/lib/pages/create_post.dart
+++ b/lib/pages/create_post.dart
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ import '../hooks/logged_in_action.dart';
 import '../hooks/memo_future.dart';
 import '../hooks/stores.dart';
 import '../util/extensions/api.dart';
+import '../util/extensions/spaced.dart';
 import '../util/goto.dart';
 import '../util/pictrs.dart';
-import '../util/spaced.dart';
 import '../widgets/markdown_text.dart';
 import 'full_post.dart';
 
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ class CreatePost extends HookWidget {
       body: SafeArea(
         child: ListView(
           padding: EdgeInsets.all(5),
-          children: spaced(5, [
+          children: [
             instanceDropdown,
             communitiesDropdown,
             url,
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ class CreatePost extends HookWidget {
                 )
               ],
             ),
-          ]),
+          ].spaced(6),
         ),
       ),
     );
diff --git a/lib/util/extensions/spaced.dart b/lib/util/extensions/spaced.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e2fa9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/util/extensions/spaced.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import 'package:flutter/cupertino.dart';
+
+/// Creates gaps between given widgets
+extension SpaceWidgets on List<Widget> {
+  List<Widget> spaced(double gap) => expand((item) sync* {
+        yield SizedBox(width: gap, height: gap);
+        yield item;
+      }).skip(1).toList();
+}
diff --git a/lib/util/spaced.dart b/lib/util/spaced.dart
deleted file mode 100644
index d000316..0000000
--- a/lib/util/spaced.dart
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-import 'package:flutter/cupertino.dart';
-
-/// Creates gaps between given widgets
-List<Widget> spaced(double gap, Iterable<Widget> children) => children
-    .expand((item) sync* {
-      yield SizedBox(width: gap, height: gap);
-      yield item;
-    })
-    .skip(1)
-    .toList();