Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -87,10 +87,13 @@
   (set! *test-info*          (make-hash-table))
   (set! *run-info-cache*     (make-hash-table))
   (set! *env-vars-by-run-id* (make-hash-table))
   (set! *test-id-cache*      (make-hash-table)))
 
+;; Generic string database (normalization of sorts)
+(define sdb:qry #f) ;; (make-sdb:qry)) ;;  'init #f)
+
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; S T A T E S   A N D   S T A T U S E S
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define *common:std-states*   

Index: dashboard.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard.scm
+++ dashboard.scm
@@ -85,10 +85,12 @@
     (begin
       (print "Failed to find megatest.config, exiting") 
       (exit 1)))
 
 (define *db* #f) ;; (open-db))
+
+;; (define sdb:qry (make-sdb:qry)) ;;  'init #f)
 
 (if (args:get-arg "-host")
     (begin
       (set! *runremote* (string-split (args:get-arg "-host" ":")))
       (client:launch))

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -84,10 +84,11 @@
     (debug:print-info 11 "open-db, dbpath=" dbpath " argv=" (argv))
     (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db handler)
     (if (not dbexists)
 	(db:initialize db))
     (db:set-sync db)
+    (set! sdb:qry (make-sdb:qry)) ;; we open the normalization helpers here
     db))
 
 ;; keeping it around for debugging purposes only
 (define (open-run-close-no-exception-handling  proc idb . params)
   (debug:print-info 11 "open-run-close-no-exception-handling START given a db=" (if idb "yes " "no ") ", params=" params)
@@ -1367,12 +1368,12 @@
      "SELECT rundir FROM tests WHERE id=?;"
      test-id)
     ;; (hash-table-set! *test-paths* test-id res)
     res)) ;; ))
 
-(define (cdb:test-set-log! serverdat test-id logf)
-  (if (string? logf)(cdb:client-call serverdat 'test-set-log #f *default-numtries* logf test-id)))
+(define (cdb:test-set-log! serverdat test-id logf-id)
+  (if (or (string? logf-id)(number? logf-id))(cdb:client-call serverdat 'test-set-log #f *default-numtries* logf-id test-id)))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Misc. test related queries
 ;;======================================================================
 
@@ -1654,16 +1655,18 @@
   (apply cdb:client-call *runremote* 'immediate #f *default-numtries* open-run-close proc #f params))
 
 (define (db:test-get-logfile-info db run-id test-name)
   (let ((res #f))
     (sqlite3:for-each-row 
-     (lambda (path final_logf)
-       (set! logf final_logf)
-       (set! res (list path final_logf))
-       (if (directory? path)
-	   (debug:print 2 "Found path: " path)
-	   (debug:print 2 "No such path: " path)))
+     (lambda (path-id final_logf-id)
+       (let ((path       (sdb:qry 'getstr path-id))
+	     (final_logf (sdb:qry 'getstr final_logf-id)))
+	 (set! logf final_logf)
+	 (set! res (list path final_logf))
+	 (if (directory? path)
+	     (debug:print 2 "Found path: " path)
+	     (debug:print 2 "No such path: " path))))
      db
      "SELECT rundir,final_logf FROM tests WHERE run_id=? AND testname=? AND item_path='';"
      run-id test-name)
     res))
 

Index: ezsteps.scm
==================================================================
--- ezsteps.scm
+++ ezsteps.scm
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@
 (declare (unit ezsteps))
 (declare (uses db))
 (declare (uses common))
 (declare (uses items))
 (declare (uses runconfig))
+(declare (uses sdb))
 
 (include "common_records.scm")
 (include "key_records.scm")
 (include "db_records.scm")
 (include "run_records.scm")
@@ -98,11 +99,11 @@
 		    (let ((exinfo (vector-ref exit-info 2))
 			  (logfna (if logpro-used (conc stepname ".html") "")))
 		      ;; testing if procedures called in a remote call cause problems (ans: no or so I suspect)
 		      (db:teststep-set-status! #f test-id stepname "end" exinfo #f logfna work-area: test-run-dir))
 		    (if logpro-used
-			(cdb:test-set-log! *runremote*  test-id (conc stepname ".html")))
+			(cdb:test-set-log! *runremote*  test-id (sdb:qry 'getid (conc stepname ".html"))))
 		    ;; set the test final status
 		    (let* ((this-step-status (cond
 					      ((and (eq? (vector-ref exit-info 2) 2) logpro-used) 'warn)
 					      ((eq? (vector-ref exit-info 2) 0)                   'pass)
 					      (else 'fail)))

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -256,11 +256,11 @@
                                                      (let ((exinfo (vector-ref exit-info 2))
                                                            (logfna (if logpro-used (conc stepname ".html") "")))
 						       ;; testing if procedures called in a remote call cause problems (ans: no or so I suspect)
 						       (db:teststep-set-status! #f test-id stepname "end" exinfo #f logfna work-area: work-area))
 						     (if logpro-used
-							 (cdb:test-set-log! *runremote*  test-id (conc stepname ".html")))
+							 (cdb:test-set-log! *runremote*  test-id (sdb:qry 'getid (conc stepname ".html"))))
 						     ;; set the test final status
 						     (let* ((this-step-status (cond
 									       ((and (eq? (vector-ref exit-info 2) 2) logpro-used) 'warn)
 									       ((eq? (vector-ref exit-info 2) 0)                   'pass)
 									       (else 'fail)))

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -237,10 +237,13 @@
 			"-rollup"
 			"-update-meta"
 			"-gen-megatest-area"
 			"-mark-incompletes"
 
+			"-convert-to-norm"
+			"-convert-to-old"
+
 			"-logging"
 			"-v" ;; verbose 2, more than normal (normal is 1)
 			"-q" ;; quiet 0, errors/warnings only
 		       )
 		 args:arg-hash
@@ -291,11 +294,10 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Misc setup stuff
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (debug:setup)
-(sdb:qry 'init #f)
 
 (if (args:get-arg "-logging")(set! *logging* #t))
 
 (if (debug:debug-mode 3) ;; we are obviously debugging
     (set! open-run-close open-run-close-no-exception-handling))
@@ -958,11 +960,11 @@
 	      ;; has sub commands that are rdb:
 	      ;; DO NOT put this one into either cdb:remote-run or open-run-close
 	      (db:load-test-data db test-id work-area: work-area))
 	  (if (args:get-arg "-setlog")
 	      (let ((logfname (args:get-arg "-setlog")))
-		(cdb:test-set-log! *runremote* test-id logfname)))
+		(cdb:test-set-log! *runremote* test-id (sdb:qry 'getid logfname))))
 	  (if (args:get-arg "-set-toplog")
 	      ;; DO NOT run remote
 	      (tests:test-set-toplog! db run-id test-name (args:get-arg "-set-toplog")))
 	  (if (args:get-arg "-summarize-items")
 	      ;; DO NOT run remote
@@ -1004,11 +1006,11 @@
 			  (debug:print-info 2 "running \"" cmd "\"")
 			  (change-directory startingdir)
 			  (set! exitstat (system cmd))
 			  (set! *globalexitstatus* exitstat) ;; no necessary
 			  (change-directory testpath)
-			  (cdb:test-set-log! *runremote* test-id htmllogfile)))
+			  (cdb:test-set-log! *runremote* test-id (sdb:qry 'getid htmllogfile))))
 		    (let ((msg (args:get-arg "-m")))
 		      ;; DO NOT run remote
 		      (db:teststep-set-status! db test-id stepname "end" exitstat msg logfile work-area: work-area))
 		    )))
 	  (if (or (args:get-arg "-test-status")
@@ -1155,10 +1157,35 @@
 	    (if (args:get-arg "-repl")
 		(repl)
 		(load (args:get-arg "-load"))))
 	  (exit))
       (set! *didsomething* #t)))
+
+(if (args:get-arg "-convert-to-norm")
+    (let* ((toppath (setup-for-run))
+	   (db      (if toppath (open-db) #f)))
+      (for-each 
+       (lambda (field)
+	 (let ((dat '()))
+	   (debug:print-info 0 "Getting data for field " field)
+	   (sqlite3:for-each-row
+	    (lambda (id val)
+	      (set! dat (cons (list id val) dat)))
+	    db
+	    (conc "SELECT id," field " FROM tests;"))
+	   (debug:print-info 0 "found " (length dat) " items for field " field)
+	   (let ((qry (sqlite3:prepare db (conc "UPDATE tests SET " field "=? WHERE id=?;"))))
+	     (for-each
+	      (lambda (item)
+		(let ((newval (sdb:qry 'getid (cadr item))))
+		  (if (not (equal? newval (cadr item)))
+		      (debug:print-info 0 "Converting " (cadr item) " to " newval " for test #" (car item)))
+		  (sqlite3:execute qry newval (car item))))
+	      dat)
+	     (sqlite3:finalize! qry))))
+       (list "uname" "rundir" "final_logf" "comment"))
+      (set! *didsomething* #t)))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Exit and clean up
 ;;======================================================================
 

Index: sdb.scm
==================================================================
--- sdb.scm
+++ sdb.scm
@@ -20,17 +20,17 @@
 (import (prefix base64 base64:))
 
 (declare (unit sdb))
 
 ;; 
-(define (sdb:open) ;;  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db") (car *configinfo*)))
+(define (sdb:open #!key (fname #f)) ;;  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db") (car *configinfo*)))
   (if (not *toppath*)
       (if (not (setup-for-run))
 	  (begin
 	    (debug:print 0 "ERROR: Attempted to open db when not in megatest area. Exiting.")
 	    (exit))))
-  (let* ((dbpath    (conc *toppath* "/db/sdb.db")) ;; fname)
+  (let* ((dbpath    (conc *toppath* "/db/" (if fname fname "sdb.db"))) ;; fname)
 	 (dbexists  (let ((fe (file-exists? dbpath)))
 		      (if fe 
 			  fe
 			  (begin
 			    (create-directory (conc *toppath* "/db") #t)
@@ -77,20 +77,25 @@
 	   (hash-table-set! id-cache id str))
 	 sdb
 	 "SELECT str FROM strs WHERE id=?;" id))
     str))
 
-(define sdb:qry
-  (let ((sdb    #f)
+;; Numbers get passed though in both directions
+;;
+(define (make-sdb:qry #!key (fname #f))
+  (let ((sdb    (sdb:open fname: fname))
 	(scache (make-hash-table))
 	(icache (make-hash-table)))
     (lambda (cmd var)
-      (if (not sdb)(set! sdb (sdb:open)))
+      ;; (if (not sdb)(set! sdb (sdb:open)))
       (case cmd
-	((init)      (if (not sdb)(set! sdb (sdb:open))))
+	;; ((init)      (if (not sdb)(set! sdb (sdb:open))))
 	((finalize!) (if sdb (sqlite3:finalize! sdb)))
-	((getid)     (let ((id (sdb:string->id sdb scache var)))
+	((getid)     (let ((id (if (or (number? var)
+				       (string->number var))
+				   var
+				   (sdb:string->id sdb scache var))))
 		       (if id
 			   id
 			   (begin
 			     (sdb:register-string sdb var)
 			     (sdb:string->id sdb scache var)))))