--- a/ByteArray.st	Tue Dec 01 06:37:23 2015 +0100
+++ b/ByteArray.st	Thu Dec 03 06:57:19 2015 +0100
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@
 ! !
 
 
+
 !ByteArray class methodsFor:'queries'!
 
 elementByteSize
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@
     "Modified: 23.4.1996 / 15:56:25 / cg"
 ! !
 
+
 !ByteArray methodsFor:'Compatibility-Squeak'!
 
 bitXor:aByteArray
@@ -2750,6 +2752,13 @@
     "
 !
 
+containsNon8BitElements
+    "return true, if one of my elements is larger than a single byte.
+     Per definition not."
+
+    ^ false.
+!
+
 max
     "return the maximum value in the receiver -
      redefined to speedup image processing and sound-player
@@ -2914,6 +2923,7 @@
     "
 ! !
 
+
 !ByteArray methodsFor:'searching'!
 
 indexOf:aByte startingAt:start
@@ -2979,6 +2989,7 @@
     "
 ! !
 
+
 !ByteArray methodsFor:'testing'!
 
 isByteArray

--- a/CharacterArray.st	Tue Dec 01 06:37:23 2015 +0100
+++ b/CharacterArray.st	Thu Dec 03 06:57:19 2015 +0100
@@ -136,10 +136,13 @@
 fromString:aString
     "return a copy of the argument, aString"
 
-    ^ (self uninitializedNew:aString size) replaceFrom:1 with:aString
-
-    "
-	Unicode16String fromString:'hello'
+    |sz|
+
+    sz := aString size.
+    ^ (self uninitializedNew:sz) replaceFrom:1 to:sz with:aString startingAt:1
+
+    "
+        Unicode16String fromString:'hello'
     "
 !
 
@@ -3273,11 +3276,13 @@
      If not possible, the (wideString) receiver is returned."
 
     self isWideString ifFalse:[^ self].
-    (self contains:[:char | char codePoint > 255]) ifFalse:[^ self asSingleByteString].
-    ^ self
+    self containsNon8BitElements ifTrue:[^ self].
+    ^ self asSingleByteString
 
     "
      'hello' asSingleByteStringIfPossible
+     'hello' asText asSingleByteStringIfPossible
+     'hello' asUnicodeString asText asSingleByteStringIfPossible
      'hello' asUnicodeString asSingleByteStringIfPossible
     "
 !
@@ -3335,19 +3340,30 @@
 asSymbolIfInterned
     "If a symbol with the receiver's characters is already known, return it. Otherwise, return nil.
      This can be used to query for an existing symbol and is the same as:
-	self knownAsSymbol ifTrue:[self asSymbol] ifFalse:[nil]
+        self knownAsSymbol ifTrue:[self asSymbol] ifFalse:[nil]
      but slightly faster, since the symbol lookup operation is only performed once.
      The receiver must be a singleByte-String.
      TwoByte- and FourByteSymbols are (currently ?) not allowed."
 
-    |s|
-
-
-    s := self string.
-    s ~~ self ifTrue:[
-       ^ s asSymbolIfInterned
+    |str|
+
+    str := self string.
+    str == self ifTrue:[
+        "must be some kind of N-ByteString"
+        str := self asSingleByteStringIfPossible.
+        str == self ifTrue:[
+            "single byte string conversion is not possible"
+            ^ nil.
+        ].
     ].
-    ^ nil.
+    ^ str asSymbolIfInterned
+
+    "
+     (Unicode16String with:(Character value:16rFFFF)) asSymbolIfInterned
+     'new' asUnicodeString asSymbolIfInterned
+     'new' asText asSymbolIfInterned
+     'new' asUnicodeString asText asSymbolIfInterned
+    "
 
     "Created: 22.5.1996 / 16:37:04 / cg"
 !
@@ -5507,6 +5523,20 @@
     "
 !
 
+containsNon8BitElements
+    "return true, if the underlying string contains elements larger than a single byte"
+
+    |sz "{ Class:SmallInteger }"|
+
+    sz := self size.
+    1 to:sz do:[:idx|
+        (self at:idx) codePoint > 16rFF ifTrue:[
+            ^ true.
+        ].
+    ].
+    ^ false.
+!
+
 continuesWith:aString startingAt:startIndex
     "return true, if the receiver beginning at startIndex
      contains the characters in aString."

--- a/String.st	Tue Dec 01 06:37:23 2015 +0100
+++ b/String.st	Thu Dec 03 06:57:19 2015 +0100
@@ -530,6 +530,8 @@
 
 
 
+
+
 !String methodsFor:'Compatibility-VW5.4'!
 
 asByteString
@@ -549,6 +551,7 @@
     "Modified: / 12-01-2011 / 12:33:58 / cg"
 ! !
 
+
 !String methodsFor:'accessing'!
 
 at:index
@@ -3893,6 +3896,12 @@
     "
 !
 
+containsNon8BitElements
+    "return true, if the underlying string contains elements larger than a single byte"
+
+    ^ false.
+!
+
 isWideString
     ^ false
 !
@@ -3986,6 +3995,7 @@
     ^ super reverse
 ! !
 
+
 !String methodsFor:'substring searching'!
 
 indexOfSubCollection:aSubString startingAt:startIndex ifAbsent:exceptionValue caseSensitive:caseSensitive
@@ -4497,6 +4507,7 @@
 
 ! !
 
+
 !String class methodsFor:'documentation'!
 
 version

--- a/Unicode16String.st	Tue Dec 01 06:37:23 2015 +0100
+++ b/Unicode16String.st	Thu Dec 03 06:57:19 2015 +0100
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
     "Modified: 30.6.1997 / 15:39:21 / cg"
 ! !
 
+
 !Unicode16String class methodsFor:'reading'!
 
 readFrom:aStreamOrString onError:exceptionBlock
@@ -86,27 +87,6 @@
 
 !Unicode16String methodsFor:'conversion'!
 
-asSymbolIfInterned
-    "If a symbol with the receiver's characters is already known, return it. Otherwise, return nil. 
-     Because ST/X does not support non-8-bit symbols, this method
-     has been redefined to only return a symbol, if the receiver does NOT contain
-     any non-8 bit characters."
-
-    |s|
-
-    [
-        s := self asSingleByteString.
-    ] on:Error do:[:ex|
-        ^ nil.
-    ].
-    ^ s asSymbolIfInterned
-
-    "
-     (Unicode16String with:(Character value:16rFFFF)) asSymbolIfInterned
-     'new' asUnicodeString asSymbolIfInterned
-    "
-!
-
 asUnicode16String
     "as the receiver already is a unicode-16 string, return it"
 
@@ -149,8 +129,23 @@
 storeOn:aStream
     "put the storeString of myself on aStream"
 
-    self utf8Encoded storeOn:aStream.
-    aStream nextPutAll:' utf8Decoded'.
+    self containsNon7BitAscii ifTrue:[
+        "non-7bit string has been utf8Encoded"
+        self utf8Encoded storeOn:aStream.
+        aStream nextPutAll:' utf8Decoded'.
+    ] ifFalse:[
+        self asSingleByteString storeOn:aStream.
+    ].
+
+    "
+        String streamContents:[:s|
+            'hello' asUnicodeString storeOn:s
+        ].
+
+        String streamContents:[:s|
+            'hello -öäüß' asUnicodeString storeOn:s
+        ].
+    "
 
 "/    aStream nextPut:$'.
 "/    (self includes:$') ifTrue:[
@@ -169,9 +164,18 @@
 storeString
     "return a String for storing myself"
 
-"/    ^ self basicStoreString.
-"/    ^ (self withCEscapes storeString),' withoutCEscapes'.
-    ^ (self utf8Encoded storeString),' utf8Decoded'.
+    self containsNon7BitAscii ifTrue:[
+        "non-7bit string has been utf8Encoded"
+        ^ (self utf8Encoded storeString),' utf8Decoded'.
+    ] ifFalse:[
+        ^ self asSingleByteString storeString.
+    ].
+
+    "
+        'hello' asUnicodeString storeString
+        'hello -öäüß' storeString
+        'hello -öäüß' asUnicodeString storeString
+    "
 
     "Modified: / 25-01-2012 / 11:59:34 / cg"
 !
@@ -213,11 +217,11 @@
 !Unicode16String class methodsFor:'documentation'!
 
 version
-    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/Unicode16String.st,v 1.23 2015-02-20 23:59:30 cg Exp $'
+    ^ '$Header$'
 !
 
 version_CVS
-    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/Unicode16String.st,v 1.23 2015-02-20 23:59:30 cg Exp $'
+    ^ '$Header$'
 ! !
 
 

--- a/UninterpretedBytes.st	Tue Dec 01 06:37:23 2015 +0100
+++ b/UninterpretedBytes.st	Thu Dec 03 06:57:19 2015 +0100
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-"{ Encoding: utf8 }"
-
 "
  COPYRIGHT (c) 1993 by Claus Gittinger
 	      All Rights Reserved
@@ -2838,11 +2836,27 @@
     "
      #[60 61 62 63] asSingleByteString
      #[60 61 62 63] asExternalBytes  asSingleByteString
+     #[67 68 69 70] asIntegerArray asSingleByteString
      (Unicode16String with:(Character value:16rFF)) asSingleByteString
      (Unicode16String with:(Character value:16rFFFF)) asSingleByteString
     "
 !
 
+asSingleByteStringIfPossible
+    "if possible, return the receiver converted to a 'normal' string.
+     It is only possible, if there are no characters with codePoints above 255 in the receiver.
+     If not possible, the (wideString) receiver is returned."
+
+    self containsNon8BitElements ifTrue:[^ self asString].
+    ^ self asSingleByteString.
+
+    "
+     #[67 68 69 70] asSingleByteStringIfPossible
+     #[67 68 69 70] asIntegerArray asSingleByteStringIfPossible
+     'hello' asUnicodeString asSingleByteStringIfPossible
+    "
+!
+
 asString
     "speed up string conversions"
 
@@ -3426,31 +3440,50 @@
 
 !UninterpretedBytes methodsFor:'private'!
 
-slowReplaceBytesFrom:start to:stop with:sourceBytes startingAt:sourceIndex
+slowReplaceBytesFrom:startArg to:stopArg with:sourceBytes startingAt:sourceIndex
     "fallback if primitive code fails"
 
-    |srcIdx|
-
+    |srcIdx "{ Class:SmallInteger }"
+     start "{ Class:SmallInteger }"
+     stop "{ Class:SmallInteger }"|
+
+    start := startArg.
+    stop := stopArg.
     srcIdx := sourceIndex.
+
     start to:stop do:[:dstIdx |
-	self at:dstIdx put:(sourceBytes at:srcIdx).
-	srcIdx := srcIdx + 1
+        self at:dstIdx put:(sourceBytes at:srcIdx).
+        srcIdx := srcIdx + 1
     ].
 ! !
 
 !UninterpretedBytes methodsFor:'queries'!
 
 containsNon7BitAscii
-    "return true, if the underlying string contains 8BitCharacters (or widers)
+    "return true, if the underlying collection contains elements longer than 7 bits
      (i.e. if it is non-ascii)"
 
     |sz "{ Class:SmallInteger }"|
 
     sz := self size.
     1 to:sz do:[:idx|
-	(self at:idx) > 16r7F ifTrue:[
-	    ^ true.
-	].
+        (self at:idx) > 16r7F ifTrue:[
+            ^ true.
+        ].
+    ].
+    ^ false.
+!
+
+containsNon8BitElements
+    "return true, if the underlying structure contains elements larger than a single byte"
+
+    |sz "{ Class:SmallInteger }"|
+
+    sz := self size.
+    1 to:sz do:[:idx|
+        (self at:idx) > 16rFF ifTrue:[
+            ^ true.
+        ].
     ].
     ^ false.
 !