Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/parse-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/parse-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.45 -r1.46
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/parse-procs.tcl	9 Jan 2010 01:56:09 -0000	1.45
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/parse-procs.tcl	18 Nov 2012 18:47:20 -0000	1.46
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@
 } {
   variable parse_list
   # initialize the compiled code
-  set parse_list [list "set __adp_output \"\""]
+  set parse_list [list "set __adp_output {}; set __ad_conn_locale \[ad_conn locale\]"]
 
   switch -exact -- $source_type {
     -file { set chunk [template::util::read_file $source] }
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@
 
   # Since messages may read the variables of the adp page they go trough
   # expand_percentage_signs which amongst other things does an uplevel subst
-  while {[regsub -all {([^\\])\#([-a-zA-Z0-9_:\.]+)\#} $code {\1[template::expand_percentage_signs [lang::message::lookup [ad_conn locale] {\2} {TRANSLATION MISSING} {} -1]]} code]} {}
+  while {[regsub -all {([^\\])\#([-a-zA-Z0-9_:\.]+)\#} $code {\1[template::expand_percentage_signs [lang::message::lookup $__ad_conn_locale {\2} {TRANSLATION MISSING} {} -1]]} code]} {}
 
   # We do each substitution set in two pieces, separately for normal
   # variables and for variables with ";noquote" attached to them.
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/spellcheck-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/spellcheck-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.19 -r1.20
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/spellcheck-procs.tcl	22 Jan 2010 14:10:30 -0000	1.19
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/spellcheck-procs.tcl	18 Nov 2012 18:47:20 -0000	1.20
@@ -202,6 +202,10 @@
 
     set spellchecker_path [nsv_get spellchecker path]
 
+    #
+    # Force default language to en_US
+    #set ::env(LANG) en_US.UTF-8
+
     # the --lang switch only works with aspell and if it is not present
     # aspell's (or ispell's) default language will have to do.
     set lang_and_enc "--encoding=utf-8"
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/tag-init.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/tag-init.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.33 -r1.34
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/tag-init.tcl	21 Dec 2008 17:28:52 -0000	1.33
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/tag-init.tcl	18 Nov 2012 18:47:20 -0000	1.34
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
   if {[template::util::is_true $slave_properties_p]} {
     template::adp_append_code "
       foreach {__key __value} \$__args {
-        if {!\[string equal \$__key __adp_slave\]} {
+        if {\$__key ne \"__adp_slave\"} {
           set __adp_properties(\$__key) \"\$__value\"
         }
       }
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
   # (We do catch it, but then we re-throw it)
   template::adp_append_code "if { \[catch { append __adp_output \[$command\] } errmsg\] } {"
   template::adp_append_code "    global errorInfo errorCode"
-  template::adp_append_code "    if { \[string equal \[lindex \$errorCode 0\] \"AD\"\] && \[string equal \[lindex \$errorCode 1\] \"EXCEPTION\"\] && \[string equal \[lindex \$errorCode 2\] \"ad_script_abort\"\] } {"
+  template::adp_append_code "    if { \[lindex \$errorCode 0\] eq \"AD\" && \[lindex \$errorCode 1\] eq \"EXCEPTION\" && \[lindex \$errorCode 2\] eq \"ad_script_abort\" } {"
   template::adp_append_code "        ad_script_abort"
   template::adp_append_code "    } else {"
   template::adp_append_code "        append __adp_output \"Error in include template \\\"\[template::util::url_to_file \"$src\" \"\$__adp_stub\"\]\\\": \$errmsg\""
@@ -284,8 +284,8 @@
       if { \$$i >= \${$name:rowcount} } {
         set ${name}(groupnum_last_p) 1
       } else {
-        upvar 0 ${name}:\[expr \$$i + 1\] $name:next 
-        set ${name}(groupnum_last_p) \[expr !\[string equal \[set \"${name}:next(${column})\"\] \$${name}($column)\]\]
+        upvar 0 ${name}:\[expr {\$$i + 1}\] $name:next 
+        set ${name}(groupnum_last_p) \[expr {\${${name}:next(${column})} ne \$${name}($column)}\]
       }
   "
 
@@ -297,8 +297,8 @@
       if { \$$i >= \${$name:rowcount} } {
         break
       }
-      upvar 0 ${name}:\[expr \$$i + 1\] $name:next 
-      if { !\[string equal \[set \"${name}:next(${column})\"\] \$${name}(${column})\] } { 
+      upvar 0 ${name}:\[expr {\$$i + 1}\] $name:next 
+      if { \${${name}:next($column)} ne \$${name}(${column}) } { 
         break
       }
   "
@@ -668,7 +668,7 @@
   template::adp_append_code "    append __adp_output \"Error in include template \\\"\[template::util::url_to_file \"$src\" \"\$__adp_stub\"\]\\\": \$errmsg\""
   template::adp_append_code "    ns_log Error \"Error in include template \\\"\[template::util::url_to_file \"$src\" \"\$__adp_stub\"\]\\\": \$errmsg\n\$errorInfo\""
   template::adp_append_code "} else {"
-  template::adp_append_code "if { !\[string equal \[string trim \[lindex \$__adp_include_optional_output end\]\] \"\"] } {"
+  template::adp_append_code "if { \[string trim \[lindex \$__adp_include_optional_output end\]\] ne {} } {"
 
   template::adp_compile_chunk $chunk
 
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/tag-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/tag-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.15 -r1.16
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/tag-procs.tcl	10 Jan 2007 21:22:12 -0000	1.15
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/tag-procs.tcl	18 Nov 2012 18:47:20 -0000	1.16
@@ -134,11 +134,11 @@
       set next [expr {$i + 1}]
     }
     eq { 
-      append condition "\[string equal $arg1 \"[lindex $args $i]\"\]" 
+      append condition "$arg1 eq \"[lindex $args $i]\"" 
       set next [expr {$i + 1}]
     }
     ne { 
-      append condition "! \[string equal $arg1 \"[lindex $args $i]\"\]" 
+      append condition "$arg1 ne \"[lindex $args $i]\"" 
       set next [expr {$i + 1}]
     }
 
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@
     nil {
       if { [string first @ $arg1] == -1 } {
         # We're assuming this is a static string, not a variable
-        append condition "\[empty_string_p $arg1\]"
+        append condition "$arg1 eq {}"
       } else {
         # substitute array variables
         if {! ( [regsub {^"@([a-zA-Z0-9_]+)\.([a-zA-Z0-9_.]+)@"$} $arg1 {\1(\2)} arg1]