--- a/src/str.c	Mon Jan 15 06:42:30 2024 -0500
+++ b/src/str.c	Sun Mar 03 17:56:58 2024 -0500
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
+#include "str.h"
+
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include "str.h"
+
+/* rudimentary string functions so the code in edl.c isn't
+ * as painful to read
+*/
 
 int EDL_internal_string_init(EDL_internal_string* str) {
     if (!str)
@@ -14,14 +19,14 @@
 
 int EDL_internal_string_allocate(EDL_internal_string* str, size_t new_capacity) {
     if (new_capacity == str->capacity)
-        return 1; // nothing to do
+        return 1; /* nothing to do */
 
     str->data = realloc(str->data, new_capacity * sizeof(char));
 	if (!str->data)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (new_capacity > str->capacity)
-		memset(&str->data[str->capacity], 0, (new_capacity - str->capacity) * sizeof(char));
+	//if (new_capacity > str->capacity)
+	//	memset(&str->data[str->capacity], 0, (new_capacity - str->capacity) * sizeof(char));
 
 	str->capacity = new_capacity;
 
@@ -29,19 +34,23 @@
 }
 
 int EDL_internal_string_append(EDL_internal_string* str, const char* data, const size_t length) {
-    {
+    if (str->capacity == 0)
+        if (!EDL_internal_string_allocate(str, 1))
+            return 0;
+
+    if (str->size + length + 1 >= str->capacity) {
         size_t capacity = 1;
         while (capacity < (str->size + length + 1))
             capacity *= 2;
 
-        if (capacity < str->capacity || !EDL_internal_string_allocate(str, capacity))
+        if (!EDL_internal_string_allocate(str, capacity))
             return 0;
     }
 
     strncat(str->data, data, length);
     str->size += length;
 
-    return 1;
+    return length;
 }
 
 void EDL_internal_string_free(EDL_internal_string* str) {