--- deliantra/server/common/shstr.C	2006/09/03 11:37:25	1.6
+++ deliantra/server/common/shstr.C	2006/09/03 23:33:00	1.7
@@ -9,9 +9,6 @@
 
 #include "shstr.h"
 
-// NOTE: even with lots of stuff loaded, we do not usually have >>20000 strings.
-// maybe refcounting is just overhead?
-
 struct hash
 {
   std::size_t operator ()(const char *s) const
@@ -51,6 +48,22 @@
 
 static HT ht;
 
+static const char *makevec (const char *s)
+{
+  int len = strlen (s);
+
+  const char *v = (const char *)(2 + (int *)malloc (sizeof (int) * 2 + len + 1));
+
+  shstr::length (v) = len;
+  shstr::refcnt (v) = 1;
+
+  memcpy ((char *)v, s, len + 1);
+
+  return s;
+}
+
+const char *shstr::null = makevec ("<nil>");
+
 const char *
 shstr::find (const char *s)
 {
@@ -68,7 +81,7 @@
 shstr::intern (const char *s)
 {
   if (!s)
-    return s;
+    return null;
 
   if (const char *found = find (s))
     {
@@ -76,18 +89,9 @@
       return found;
     }
 
-  int len = strlen (s);
-
-  const char *v = (const char *)(2 + (int *)malloc (sizeof (int) * 2 + len + 1));
-
-  length (v) = len;
-  refcnt (v) = 1;
-
-  memcpy ((char *)v, s, len + 1);
-
-  ht.insert (v);
-
-  return v;
+  s = makevec (s);
+  ht.insert (s);
+  return s;
 }
 
 // periodically test refcounts == 0 for a few strings