protected void updateByOpTree(javax.swing.text.DocumentFilter.FilterBypass fb) {
    String oldStr = JMathTextField.this.getText();
    String newStr = operatorTree.toString();
    int commonStart = Utils.equalStartLen(oldStr, newStr);
    int commonEnd = Utils.equalEndLen(oldStr, newStr);
    if (commonEnd + commonStart >= Math.min(oldStr.length(), newStr.length()))
      commonEnd = Math.min(oldStr.length(), newStr.length()) - commonStart;

    try {
      fb.replace(
          commonStart,
          oldStr.length() - commonEnd - commonStart,
          newStr.substring(commonStart, newStr.length() - commonEnd),
          null);
    } catch (BadLocationException e) {
      // this should not happen. we should have checked this. this whole function should be safe
      throw new AssertionError(e);
    }
  }