--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2006/06/02 13:58:58	1.742
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2006/06/02 21:32:30	1.743
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.742 2006/06/02 13:58:58 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.743 2006/06/02 21:32:30 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -2716,7 +2716,7 @@ sub rolesinit {
     my %allroles=();
     my %allgroups=();   
     my $now=time;
-    my $userroles="user.login.time=$now\n";
+    my %userroles = ('user.login.time' => $now);
     my $group_privs;
 
     if ($rolesdump ne '') {
@@ -2739,7 +2739,9 @@ sub rolesinit {
 	    } else {
 		($trole,$tend,$tstart)=split(/_/,$role);
 	    }
-            $userroles.=&set_arearole($trole,$area,$tstart,$tend,$domain,$username);
+	    my %new_role = &set_arearole($trole,$area,$tstart,$tend,$domain,
+					 $username);
+	    @userroles{keys(%new_role)} = @new_role{keys(%new_role)};
             if (($tend!=0) && ($tend<$now)) { $trole=''; }
             if (($tstart!=0) && ($tstart>$now)) { $trole=''; }
             if (($area ne '') && ($trole ne '')) {
@@ -2755,19 +2757,19 @@ sub rolesinit {
             }
           }
         }
-        my ($author,$adv) = &set_userprivs(\$userroles,\%allroles,\%allgroups);
-        $userroles.='user.adv='.$adv."\n".
-	            'user.author='.$author."\n";
+        my ($author,$adv) = &set_userprivs(\%userroles,\%allroles,\%allgroups);
+        $userroles{'user.adv'}    = $adv;
+	$userroles{'user.author'} = $author;
         $env{'user.adv'}=$adv;
     }
-    return $userroles;  
+    return \%userroles;  
 }
 
 sub set_arearole {
     my ($trole,$area,$tstart,$tend,$domain,$username) = @_;
 # log the associated role with the area
     &userrolelog($trole,$username,$domain,$area,$tstart,$tend);
-    return 'user.role.'.$trole.'.'.$area.'='.$tstart.'.'.$tend."\n";
+    return ('user.role.'.$trole.'.'.$area => $tstart.'.'.$tend);
 }
 
 sub custom_roleprivs {
@@ -2869,7 +2871,7 @@ sub set_userprivs {
         }
         my $thesestr='';
         foreach (keys %thesepriv) { $thesestr.=':'.$_.'&'.$thesepriv{$_}; }
-        $$userroles.='user.priv.'.$_.'='.$thesestr."\n";
+        $userroles->{'user.priv.'.$_} = $thesestr;
     }
     return ($author,$adv);
 }