--- loncom/interface/Attic/lonspreadsheet.pm	2002/09/30 18:03:39	1.113
+++ loncom/interface/Attic/lonspreadsheet.pm	2002/10/01 07:09:05	1.115
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-# $Id: lonspreadsheet.pm,v 1.113 2002/09/30 18:03:39 matthew Exp $
+# $Id: lonspreadsheet.pm,v 1.115 2002/10/01 07:09:05 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -1650,24 +1650,24 @@ sub parmval {
     my $courselevelr = $usercourseprefix.'.'.$symbparm;
     my $courselevelm = $usercourseprefix.'.'.$mapparm;
     # fourth, check user
-    if ($uname) { 
-        return $useropt{$courselevelr} if ($useropt{$courselevelr});
-        return $useropt{$courselevelm} if ($useropt{$courselevelm});
-        return $useropt{$courselevel}  if ($useropt{$courselevel});
+    if (defined($uname)) {
+        return $useropt{$courselevelr} if (defined($useropt{$courselevelr}));
+        return $useropt{$courselevelm} if (defined($useropt{$courselevelm}));
+        return $useropt{$courselevel}  if (defined($useropt{$courselevel}));
     }
     # third, check course
-    if ($csec) {
-        return $courseopt{$seclevelr} if ($courseopt{$seclevelr});
-        return $courseopt{$seclevelm} if ($courseopt{$seclevelm});
-        return $courseopt{$seclevel}  if ($courseopt{$seclevel});
+    if (defined($csec)) {
+        return $courseopt{$seclevelr} if (defined($courseopt{$seclevelr}));
+        return $courseopt{$seclevelm} if (defined($courseopt{$seclevelm}));
+        return $courseopt{$seclevel}  if (defined($courseopt{$seclevel}));
     }
     #
-    return $courseopt{$courselevelr} if ($courseopt{$courselevelr});
-    return $courseopt{$courselevelm} if ($courseopt{$courselevelm});
-    return $courseopt{$courselevel}  if ($courseopt{$courselevel});
+    return $courseopt{$courselevelr} if (defined($courseopt{$courselevelr}));
+    return $courseopt{$courselevelm} if (defined($courseopt{$courselevelm}));
+    return $courseopt{$courselevel}  if (defined($courseopt{$courselevel}));
     # second, check map parms
     my $thisparm = $parmhash{$symbparm};
-    return $thisparm if ($thisparm);
+    return $thisparm if (defined($thisparm));
     # first, check default
     return &Apache::lonnet::metadata($fn,$rwhat.'.default');
 }
@@ -2096,8 +2096,11 @@ sub loadassessment {
                 &Apache::lonnet::reply('dump:'.$udom.':'.$uname.':resourcedata',$uhome);
             if ($reply!~/^error\:/) {
                 $userrdatas{$uname.'___'.$udom}=$reply;
-                $userrdatas{$uname.'___'.$udom.'.last_cache'}=time;
             }
+            # Most of the time the user does not have a 'resourcedata.db' 
+            # file.  We need to cache that we got nothing instead of bothering
+            # with requesting it every time.
+            $userrdatas{$uname.'___'.$udom.'.last_cache'}=time;
         }
         foreach (split(/\&/,$userrdatas{$uname.'___'.$udom})) {
             my ($name,$value)=split(/\=/,$_);