Index: src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/SSTRecord.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/cvspublic/jakarta-poi/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/SSTRecord.java,v
retrieving revision 1.8
diff -u -r1.8 SSTRecord.java
--- src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/SSTRecord.java	26 Jun 2003 13:33:47 -0000	1.8
+++ src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/SSTRecord.java	5 Sep 2003 09:53:45 -0000
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@
  * @author Andrew C. Oliver (acoliver at apache dot org)
  * @author Marc Johnson (mjohnson at apache dot org)
  * @author Glen Stampoultzis (glens at apache.org)
+ * @author Amichai Rothman
  *
  * @see org.apache.poi.hssf.record.LabelSSTRecord
  * @see org.apache.poi.hssf.record.ContinueRecord
@@ -206,14 +207,15 @@
      * Add a string and assert the encoding (8-bit or 16-bit) to be
      * used.
      * <P>
-     * USE THIS METHOD AT YOUR OWN RISK. IF YOU FORCE 8-BIT ENCODING,
-     * YOU MAY CORRUPT YOUR STRING. IF YOU FORCE 16-BIT ENCODING AND
-     * IT ISN'T NECESSARY, YOU WILL WASTE SPACE WHEN THIS RECORD IS
-     * WRITTEN OUT.
+     * Note: If 8-bit encoding is requested but the given string
+     *		 cannot be represented in 8-bit, 16-bit encoding will be used.
+     *		 On the other hand, requesting 16-bit encoding for a string
+     *		 that can be represented using 8-bit, is wasteful of space.
      *
      * @param string string to be added
      * @param useUTF16 if true, forces 16-bit encoding. If false,
-     *                 forces 8-bit encoding
+     *                 uses 8-bit encoding unless the string cannot
+     *				   be represented by 8-bit characters.
      *
      * @return the index of that string in the table
      */
@@ -228,8 +230,7 @@
 
         ucs.setString( str );
         ucs.setCharCount( (short) str.length() );
-        ucs.setOptionFlags( (byte) ( useUTF16 ? 1
-                : 0 ) );
+        ucs.setOptionFlags( (byte) ( useUTF16 || ucs.isUncompressedUnicode() ? 1 : 0 ) );
         Integer integer = (Integer) field_3_strings.getKeyForValue( ucs );
 
         if ( integer != null )
Index: src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/UnicodeString.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/cvspublic/jakarta-poi/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/UnicodeString.java,v
retrieving revision 1.11
diff -u -r1.11 UnicodeString.java
--- src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/UnicodeString.java	19 Aug 2003 14:07:40 -0000	1.11
+++ src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/UnicodeString.java	5 Sep 2003 09:53:46 -0000
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
  * @author  Andrew C. Oliver
  * @author Marc Johnson (mjohnson at apache dot org)
  * @author Glen Stampoultzis (glens at apache.org)
+ * @author Amichai Rothman
  * @version 2.0-pre
  */
 
@@ -155,13 +156,13 @@
         if ((field_2_optionflags & 1) == 0)
         {
             try {
-                field_3_string = new String(data, 3, getCharCount(), 
+                field_3_string = new String(data, 3, getCharCount(),
                                         StringUtil.getPreferredEncoding());
             } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
                 // Extract the message out of our encoding
             	// error and then bubble a runtime exception.
             	String errorMessage = e.getMessage();
-            	
+
             	// Make sure the message isn't null
             	if (errorMessage == null) {
             		errorMessage = e.toString();
@@ -264,6 +265,16 @@
     public void setString(String string)
     {
         field_3_string = string;
+   		// check if using compressed unicode will ruin data
+		try {
+			if (!isUncompressedUnicode() &&
+				!getString().equals(new String(getString().getBytes("ISO-8859-1"),"ISO-8859-1"))) {
+					setOptionFlags((byte)(getOptionFlags() | 0x01)); // if so, make it uncompressed
+			}
+		} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException uee) {
+			// should never happen, since "ISO-8859-1" support is required by the Java specification
+		}
+		// adjust length
         if (getCharCount() < field_3_string.length())
         {
             setCharCount();
@@ -306,48 +317,20 @@
 
     public int serialize(int offset, byte [] data)
     {
-        int charsize = 1;
-
-        if (getOptionFlags() == 1)
-        {
-            charsize = 2;
-        }
-
-        // byte[] retval = new byte[ 3 + (getString().length() * charsize)];
+		// header fields
         LittleEndian.putShort(data, 0 + offset, getCharCount());
         data[ 2 + offset ] = getOptionFlags();
 
-//        System.out.println("Unicode: We've got "+retval[2]+" for our option flag");
-        try {
-            String unicodeString = new
-String(getString().getBytes("Unicode"),"Unicode");
-            if (getOptionFlags() == 0)
-            {
-                StringUtil.putCompressedUnicode(unicodeString, data, 0x3 +
-offset);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                StringUtil.putUnicodeLE(unicodeString, data,
-                                                    0x3 + offset);
-            }
-        }
-        catch (Exception e) {
-            if (getOptionFlags() == 0)
-            {
-                StringUtil.putCompressedUnicode(getString(), data, 0x3 +
-                                                offset);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                StringUtil.putUnicodeLE(getString(), data,
-                                                  0x3 + offset);
-            }
-        }
+		// compressed/uncompressed string
+		if (isUncompressedUnicode())
+			StringUtil.putUnicodeLE(getString(), data, 0x3 + offset);
+		else
+			StringUtil.putCompressedUnicode(getString(), data, 0x3 + offset);
+
         return getRecordSize();
     }
 
-    private boolean isUncompressedUnicode()
+    protected boolean isUncompressedUnicode()
     {
         return (getOptionFlags() & 0x01) == 1;
     }