diff --git a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/component_storage.zig b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/component_storage.zig
index 9d53f38..6a2556d 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/component_storage.zig
+++ b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/component_storage.zig
@@ -187,10 +187,15 @@ pub fn ComponentStorage(comptime CompT: type, comptime EntityT: type) type {
             };
 
         /// Direct access to the array of entities
-        pub fn data(self: Self) *const []EntityT {
+        pub fn data(self: Self) []const EntityT {
             return self.set.data();
         }
 
+        /// Direct access to the array of entities
+        pub fn dataPtr(self: Self) *const []EntityT {
+            return self.set.dataPtr();
+        }
+
         /// Swaps entities and objects in the internal packed arrays
         pub fn swap(self: *Self, lhs: EntityT, rhs: EntityT) void {
             self.safe_swap(self, lhs, rhs);
@@ -240,7 +245,7 @@ test "iterate" {
     store.add(5, 66.45);
     store.add(7, 66.45);
 
-    for (store.data().*) |entity, i| {
+    for (store.data()) |entity, i| {
         if (i == 0)
             std.testing.expectEqual(entity, 3);
         if (i == 1)
diff --git a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/groups.zig b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/groups.zig
index d2ff8f6..5ccaace 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/groups.zig
+++ b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/groups.zig
@@ -14,22 +14,18 @@ pub const BasicGroup = struct {
     group_data: *Registry.GroupData,
 
     pub const Iterator = struct {
-        group: *Self,
         index: usize = 0,
-        entities: *const []Entity,
+        entities: []const Entity,
 
-        pub fn init(group: *Self) Iterator {
-            return .{
-                .group = group,
-                .entities = group.group_data.entity_set.data(),
-            };
+        pub fn init(entities: []const Entity) Iterator {
+            return .{ .entities = entities };
         }
 
         pub fn next(it: *Iterator) ?Entity {
             if (it.index >= it.entities.len) return null;
 
             it.index += 1;
-            return it.entities.*[it.index - 1];
+            return it.entities[it.index - 1];
         }
 
         // Reset the iterator to the initial index
@@ -50,7 +46,7 @@ pub const BasicGroup = struct {
     }
 
     /// Direct access to the array of entities
-    pub fn data(self: Self) *const []Entity {
+    pub fn data(self: Self) []const Entity {
         return self.group_data.entity_set.data();
     }
 
@@ -63,7 +59,7 @@ pub const BasicGroup = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn iterator(self: *Self) Iterator {
-        return Iterator.init(self);
+        return Iterator.init(self.group_data.entity_set.data());
     }
 };
 
@@ -89,7 +85,7 @@ pub const OwningGroup = struct {
     }
 };
 
-test "BasicGroup creation" {
+test "BasicGroup creation/iteration" {
     var reg = Registry.init(std.testing.allocator);
     defer reg.deinit();
 
@@ -109,6 +105,12 @@ test "BasicGroup creation" {
     }
     std.testing.expectEqual(iterated_entities, 1);
 
+    iterated_entities = 0;
+    for (group.data()) |entity| {
+        iterated_entities += 1;
+    }
+    std.testing.expectEqual(iterated_entities, 1);
+
     reg.remove(i32, e0);
     std.debug.assert(group.len() == 0);
 }
diff --git a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/registry.zig b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/registry.zig
index cfd7089..0b6b6c8 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/registry.zig
+++ b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/registry.zig
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ pub const Registry = struct {
                             // store.swap hides a safe version that types it correctly
                             const store_ptr = self.registry.components.getValue(tid).?;
                             var store = @intToPtr(*Storage(u1), store_ptr);
-                            store.swap(store.data().*[self.current], entity);
+                            store.swap(store.data()[self.current], entity);
                         }
                         self.current += 1;
                     }
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ pub const Registry = struct {
                     for (self.owned) |tid| {
                         const store_ptr = self.registry.components.getValue(tid).?;
                         store = @intToPtr(*Storage(u1), store_ptr);
-                        store.swap(store.data().*[self.current], entity);
+                        store.swap(store.data()[self.current], entity);
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ pub const Registry = struct {
         } else {
             // ??? why not? we cannot iterate backwards because we want to leave behind valid entities in case of owned types
             var first_owned_storage = self.assure(owned[0]);
-            for (first_owned_storage.data().*) |entity| {
+            for (first_owned_storage.data()) |entity| {
                 new_group_data.maybeValidIf(entity);
             }
             // for(auto *first = std::get<0>(cpools).data(), *last = first + std::get<0>(cpools).size(); first != last; ++first) {
diff --git a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/sparse_set.zig b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/sparse_set.zig
index 0ef78eb..91d3cbb 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/sparse_set.zig
+++ b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/sparse_set.zig
@@ -83,8 +83,11 @@ pub fn SparseSet(comptime SparseT: type) type {
             return self.dense.items.len == 0;
         }
 
-        // TODO: why return a pointer to the slice?
-        pub fn data(self: Self) *const []SparseT {
+        pub fn data(self: Self) []const SparseT {
+            return self.dense.items;
+        }
+
+        pub fn dataPtr(self: Self) *const []SparseT {
             return &self.dense.items;
         }
 
@@ -234,12 +237,12 @@ test "data() synced" {
     set.add(3);
 
     var data = set.data();
-    std.testing.expectEqual(data.*[1], 1);
+    std.testing.expectEqual(data[1], 1);
     std.testing.expectEqual(set.len(), data.len);
 
     set.remove(0);
     set.remove(1);
-    std.testing.expectEqual(set.len(), data.len);
+    std.testing.expectEqual(set.len(), set.data().len);
 }
 
 test "respect" {
diff --git a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/views.zig b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/views.zig
index 481112a..0901b73 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/views.zig
+++ b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/views.zig
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ pub fn BasicView(comptime T: type) type {
         }
 
         /// Direct access to the array of entities
-        pub fn data(self: Self) *const []Entity {
+        pub fn data(self: Self) []const Entity {
             return self.storage.data();
         }
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ pub fn MultiView(comptime n_includes: usize, comptime n_excludes: usize) type {
                 const ptr = view.registry.components.getValue(view.type_ids[0]).?;
                 return .{
                     .view = view,
-                    .entities = @intToPtr(*Storage(u8), ptr).data(),
+                    .entities = @intToPtr(*Storage(u8), ptr).dataPtr(),
                 };
             }
 
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ test "single basic view data" {
 
     std.testing.expectEqual(view.get(3).*, 30);
 
-    for (view.data().*) |entity, i| {
+    for (view.data()) |entity, i| {
         if (i == 0)
             std.testing.expectEqual(entity, 3);
         if (i == 1)