--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2003/10/07 07:20:05	1.428
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2003/10/07 07:24:51	1.429
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.428 2003/10/07 07:20:05 albertel Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.429 2003/10/07 07:24:51 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -2796,10 +2796,8 @@ sub get_symb_from_alias {
         my $rid=$bighash{'mapalias_'.$symb};
 	if ($rid) {
 	    my ($mapid,$resid)=split(/\./,$rid);
-	    $aliassymb=
-		&declutter($bighash{'map_id_'.$mapid}).
-		'___'.$resid.'___'.
-		&declutter($bighash{'src_'.$rid});
+	    $aliassymb=&encode_symb($bighash{'map_id_'.$mapid},
+				    $resid,$bighash{'src_'.$rid});
 	}
         untie %bighash;
     }
@@ -4080,6 +4078,11 @@ sub symbclean {
 
 # ---------------------------------------------- Split symb to find map and url
 
+sub encode_symb {
+    my ($map,$resid,$url)=@_;
+    return &symbclean(&declutter($map).'___'.$resid.'___'.&declutter($url));
+}
+
 sub decode_symb {
     my ($map,$resid,$url)=split(/\_\_\_/,shift);
     return (&fixversion($map),$resid,&fixversion($url));