diff --git a/src/helma/util/HtmlEncoder.java b/src/helma/util/HtmlEncoder.java
index 2fb5ba44..63d6f027 100644
--- a/src/helma/util/HtmlEncoder.java
+++ b/src/helma/util/HtmlEncoder.java
@@ -124,60 +124,60 @@ public final class HtmlEncoder {
     /**
      * 
      */ 
-    public final static String encode (String what) {
+    public final static String encode (String str) {
 	// try to make stringbuffer large enough from the start
-	StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer (Math.round (what.length()*1.4f));
-	encode (what, ret);
+	StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer (Math.round (str.length()*1.4f));
+	encode (str, ret);
 	return ret.toString(); 
     }
     
     /**
      *  
      */ 
-    public final static void encode (String what, StringBuffer ret) {
-	if  (what == null || what.length() == 0) {
+    public final static void encode (String str, StringBuffer ret) {
+	if  (str == null)
 	    return;
-	}
-
-	StringReader in = new StringReader (what);
-	int c;
+	
+	int l = str.length();
+	
 	boolean closeTag=false, readTag=false, tagOpen=false;
 	// the difference between swallowOneNewline and ignoreNewline is that swallowOneNewline is just effective once (for the next newline)
-             boolean ignoreNewline = false;
+	boolean ignoreNewline = false;
 	boolean swallowOneNewline = false;
 	StringBuffer tag = new StringBuffer ();
-	try {
-	    while ((c = in.read()) != -1) {
-	        if (readTag) {
-	             if (Character.isLetterOrDigit ((char) c))
-	                 tag.append ((char) c);
-	             else if ('/' == c)
-	                 closeTag = true;
-	             else {
-	                 String t = tag.toString ();
-	                 // set ignoreNewline on some tags, depending on wheather they're
-	                 // being opened or closed.
-	                 // what's going on here? we switch newline encoding on inside some tags, for
-	                 // others we switch it on when they're closed
-	                 if ("td".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "th".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "li".equalsIgnoreCase (t)) {
-	                     ignoreNewline = closeTag;
-	                     swallowOneNewline = true;
-	                 } else if ("table".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "ul".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "ol".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "pre".equalsIgnoreCase (t)) {
-	                     ignoreNewline = !closeTag;
-	                     swallowOneNewline = true;
-	                 } else if ("p".equalsIgnoreCase (t)) {
-	                     swallowOneNewline = true;
-	                 }
+	
+	for (int i=0; i<l; i++) {
+	    char c = str.charAt (i);
+	    if (readTag) {
+	        if (Character.isLetterOrDigit (c))
+	            tag.append (c);
+	        else if ('/' == c)
+	            closeTag = true;
+	        else {
+	            String t = tag.toString ();
+	            // set ignoreNewline on some tags, depending on wheather they're
+	            // being opened or closed.
+	            // what's going on here? we switch newline encoding on inside some tags, for
+	            // others we switch it on when they're closed
+	            if ("td".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "th".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "li".equalsIgnoreCase (t)) {
+	                ignoreNewline = closeTag;
+	                swallowOneNewline = true;
+	            } else if ("table".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "ul".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "ol".equalsIgnoreCase (t) || "pre".equalsIgnoreCase (t)) {
+	                ignoreNewline = !closeTag;
+	                swallowOneNewline = true;
+	            } else if ("p".equalsIgnoreCase (t)) {
+	                swallowOneNewline = true;
+	            }
+	
+	            readTag = false;
+	            closeTag = false;
+	            tag.setLength (0);
+	        }
+	    } // if (readTag)
 
-	                 readTag = false;
-	                 closeTag = false;
-	                 tag.setLength (0);
-	             }
-	        } // if (readTag)
-
-	        switch (c) {
+	    switch (c) {
 	        // case '&':
-                     //    ret.append ("&amp;");
+                      //    ret.append ("&amp;");
 	        //    break;
 	        case  '\n':
 	            ret.append ('\n');
@@ -197,28 +197,28 @@ public final class HtmlEncoder {
 	            ret.append ('>');
 	            break;
 	        default:
-	             if (c < 160)
-	                 ret.append ((char) c);
+	             ret.append (c);
+	             // if (c < 160)
+	             //     ret.append ((char) c);
 	             // else if (c >= 160 && c <= 255)
 	             //     ret.append (convertor.get(new Integer(c)));
-	             else {
-	                 ret.append ("&#");
-	                 ret.append (c);
-	                 ret.append (";");
-	             }
-	             if (!tagOpen && !Character.isWhitespace ((char)c))
+	             // else {
+	             //     ret.append ("&#");
+	             //     ret.append (c);
+	             //     ret.append (";");
+	             // }
+	             if (!tagOpen && !Character.isWhitespace (c))
 	                 swallowOneNewline = false;
-	        }
 	    }
-	} catch (IOException e) {}
+	}
      }
 
     /**
      *
      */
-    public final static String encodeFormValue (String what) {
-	StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer (Math.round (what.length()*1.4f));
-	encodeAll (what, ret, false);
+    public final static String encodeFormValue (String str) {
+	StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer (Math.round (str.length()*1.2f));
+	encodeAll (str, ret, false);
 	return ret.toString();
     }
 
@@ -226,17 +226,17 @@ public final class HtmlEncoder {
     /**
      *  
      */ 
-    public final static String encodeAll (String what) {
-	StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer (Math.round (what.length()*1.4f));
-	encodeAll (what, ret, true);
+    public final static String encodeAll (String str) {
+	StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer (Math.round (str.length()*1.2f));
+	encodeAll (str, ret, true);
 	return ret.toString(); 
     }
 
     /**
      *  
      */
-    public final static String encodeAll (String what, StringBuffer ret) {
-	encodeAll (what, ret, true);
+    public final static String encodeAll (String str, StringBuffer ret) {
+	encodeAll (str, ret, true);
 	return ret.toString();
     }
 
@@ -244,116 +244,76 @@ public final class HtmlEncoder {
     /**
      *  
      */ 
-    public final static void encodeAll (String what, StringBuffer ret, boolean encodeNewline) {
-	if  (what == null || what.length() == 0) {
+    public final static void encodeAll (String str, StringBuffer ret, boolean encodeNewline) {
+	if  (str == null)
 	    return;
-	}
 
-	StringReader in = new StringReader (what);
-	int c;
-	try {
-	    while ((c = in.read()) != -1) {
-	      switch (c) {
-	         case '<' :
+	int l = str.length();
+	for (int i=0; i<l; i++) {
+	    char c = str.charAt (i);
+	    switch (c) {
+	        case '<' :
 	            ret.append ("&lt;");
 	            break;
-	         case '>':
+	        case '>':
 	            ret.append ("&gt;");
 	            break;
-	         case '&':
+	        case '&':
 	            ret.append ("&amp;");
 	            break;
-	         case '"':
+	        case '"':
 	            ret.append ("&quot;");
 	            break;
-	         case  '\n':
+	        case  '\n':
 	            ret.append ('\n');
 	            if (encodeNewline) {
 	                ret.append ("<br>");
 	            }
 	            break;
-	         default:
-	             if (c < 160)
-	                 ret.append ((char) c);
+	        default:
+	             ret.append (c);
+	             // if (c < 160)
+	             //     ret.append ((char) c);
 	             // else if (c >= 160 && c <= 255)
 	             //     ret.append (convertor.get(new Integer(c)));
-	             else {
-	                 ret.append ("&#");
-	                 ret.append (c);
-	                 ret.append (";");
-	             }
-	        }
+	             // else {
+	             //     ret.append ("&#");
+	             //     ret.append (c);
+	             //     ret.append (";");
+	             // }
 	    }
-	} catch (IOException e) {}
-     }
-
-    public final static String encodeSoft (String what) {
-	StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer (Math.round (what.length()*1.4f));
-	encodeSoft (what, ret);
-	return ret.toString(); 
-    }
-    
-    public final static void encodeSoft (String what, StringBuffer ret) {
-	if  (what == null || what.length() == 0) {
-	    return;
 	}
-
-	StringReader in = new StringReader (what);
-	int c;
-	try {
-	    while ((c = in.read()) != -1) {
-	      switch (c) {
- 	         case 128: // Euro-Symbol. This is for missing Unicode support in TowerJ.
-                         ret.append ("&#8364;");
-	            break; 
-	         default: 
-	             if (c < 160)
-	                 ret.append ((char) c);
-	             // else if (c >= 160 && c <= 255)
-	             //     ret.append (convertor.get(new Integer(c)));
-	             else {
-	                 ret.append ("&#");
-	                 ret.append (c);
-	                 ret.append (";");
-	             }
-	        }
-	    }
-	} catch (IOException e) {}
      }
 
 
-    public final static String encodeXml (String what) {
-	StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer (Math.round (what.length()*1.4f));
-	encodeXml (what, ret);
+    public final static String encodeXml (String str) {
+	StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer (Math.round (str.length()*1.2f));
+	encodeXml (str, ret);
 	return ret.toString();
     }
 
-    public final static void encodeXml (String what, StringBuffer ret) {
-	if  (what == null || what.length() == 0) {
+    public final static void encodeXml (String str, StringBuffer ret) {
+	if  (str == null)
 	    return;
-	}
 
-	StringReader in = new StringReader (what);
-	int c;
-	try {
-	    while ((c = in.read()) != -1) {
-	      switch (c) {
-	         case '<' :
+	int l = str.length();
+	for (int i=0; i<l; i++) {
+	    char c = str.charAt (i);
+	    switch (c) {
+	        case '<' :
 	            ret.append ("&lt;");
 	            break;
-	         case '>':
+	        case '>':
 	            ret.append ("&gt;");
 	            break;
-	         case '&':
+	        case '&':
 	            ret.append ("&amp;");
 	            break;
-	         default:
-	             ret.append ((char) c);
-	        }
+	        default:
+	             ret.append (c);
 	    }
-	} catch (IOException e) {}
+	}
      }
 
 
-
-}
+} // end of class