diff --git a/fcore/search-list.sml b/fcore/search-list.sml
index afe26c2..254a838 100644
--- a/fcore/search-list.sml
+++ b/fcore/search-list.sml
@@ -15,23 +15,59 @@ struct
   fun joinEndOfLeft (new, left) =
     case left of
       hd :: tail =>
-        if isLessThanTarget (new, hd) then (hd ^ new) :: tail else new :: left
+        if isLessThanTarget (new, hd) then
+          let val newHd = Vector.concat [hd, new]
+          in newHd :: tail
+          end
+        else
+          new :: left
     | [] => new :: left
 
   fun joinStartOfRight (new, right) =
     case right of
       hd :: tail =>
-        if isLessThanTarget (new, hd) then (new ^ hd) :: tail else new :: right
+        if isLessThanTarget (new, hd) then
+          let val newHd = Vector.concat [new, hd]
+          in newHd :: tail
+          end
+        else
+          new :: right
     | [] => new :: right
 
-  fun preferInsertLeft (new, left, right) =
-    case left of
-      hd :: tail =>
-        if isLessThanTarget (hd, new) then
-          {left = (hd ^ new) :: tail, right = right}
-        else
-          {left = left, right = joinStartOfRight (new, right)}
-    | [] => {left = left, right = joinStartOfRight (new, right)}
+  fun insMiddle (new, hd, tl, left, right) =
+    let
+      val middle = BinSearch.equalOrMore (new, hd)
+      val leftSlice = VectorSlice.slice (hd, 0, SOME middle)
+      val rightLength = Vector.length hd - middle
+      val rightSlice = VectorSlice.slice (hd, middle, SOME rightLength)
+
+      val new = Vector.fromList [new]
+      val new = VectorSlice.full new
+    in
+      if Vector.length hd < targetLength then
+        let val newHd = VectorSlice.concat [leftSlice, new, rightSlice]
+        in {left = joinEndOfLeft (newHd, tl), right = right}
+        end
+      else if middle < targetLength then
+        (* leftSlice is less than targetLength *)
+        let
+          val hd1 = VectorSlice.concat [leftSlice, new]
+          val hd2 = VectorSlice.vector rightSlice
+        in
+          { left = joinEndOfLeft (hd1, tl)
+          , right = joinStartOfRight (hd2, right)
+          }
+        end
+      else
+        let
+          val hd1 = VectorSlice.vector leftSlice
+          val hd2 = VectorSlice.concat [new, rightSlice]
+        in
+          { left = joinEndOfLeft (hd1, tl)
+          , right = joinStartOfRight (hd2, right)
+          }
+        end
+    end
 
   fun insLeft (new, left, right) =
     case left of
@@ -39,67 +75,58 @@ struct
         let
           val first = Vector.sub (hd, 0)
         in
-          if first > new then
+          if new < first then
             insLeft (new, tl, joinStartOfRight (hd, right))
-          else if first < new then
+          else if new > first then
             let
               val last = Vector.sub (hd, Vector.length hd - 1)
             in
-              if last > new then
+              if new < last then
                 (* have to insert in middle *)
-                let
-                  val middle = BinSearch.equalOrMore (new, hd)
-                  val leftSlice = VectorSlice.slice (hd, 0, SOME middle)
-                  val rightLength = Vector.length hd - middle
-                  val rightSlice =
-                    VectorSlice.slice (hd, middle, SOME rightLength)
-
-                  val new = Vector.fromList [new]
-                  val new = VectorSlice.full new
-                in
-                  if Vector.length hd < targetLength then
-                    let
-                      val newHd =
-                        VectorSlice.concat [leftSlice, new, rightSlice]
-                    in
-                      {left = joinEndOfLeft (newHd, tl), right = right}
-                    end
-                  else if middle < targetLength then
-                    (* leftSlice is less than targetLength *)
-                    let
-                      val hd1 = VectorSlice.concat [leftSlice, new]
-                      val hd2 = VectorSlice.vector rightSlice
-                    in
-                      { left = joinEndOfLeft (hd1, tl)
-                      , right = joinStartOfRight (hd2, right)
-                      }
-                    end
-                  else
-                    let
-                      val hd1 = VectorSlice.vector leftSlice
-                      val hd2 = VectorSlice.concat [new, rightSlice]
-                    in
-                      { left = joinEndOfLeft (hd1, tl)
-                      , right = joinStartOfRight (hd2, right)
-                      }
-                    end
-                end
-              else if last < new then
-                (* have to insert new at end *)
-                if Vector.length hd < targetLength then
-                  let val newHd = Vector.concat [hd, Vector.fromList [new]]
-                  in {left = joinEndOfLeft (newHd, tl), right = right}
-                  end
-                else
-                  { left = left
-                  , right = joinStartOfRight (Vector.fromList [hd], right)
-                  }
+                insMiddle (new, hd, tl, left, right)
+              else if new > last then
+                (* have to insert new at end of left 
+                 * or start of right (both are equivalent) *)
+                { left = left
+                , right = joinStartOfRight (Vector.fromList [new], right)
+                }
               else
-                (* last = new so just return *)
+                (* new = last so just return *)
                 {left = left, right = right}
             end
           else
-            (* first = new *)
+            (* new = first *)
+            {left = left, right = right}
+        end
+    | [] => {left = left, right = right}
+
+  fun insRight (new, left, right) =
+    case right of
+      hd :: tl =>
+        let
+          val last = Vector.sub (hd, Vector.length hd - 1)
+        in
+          if new > last then
+            insRight (new, joinEndOfLeft (hd, left), tl)
+          else if new < last then
+            let
+              val first = Vector.sub (hd, 0)
+            in
+              if new > first then
+                (* have to insert in middle *)
+                insMiddle (new, hd, tl, left, right)
+              else if new < first then
+                (* have to insert new at start of right
+                 * or end of left (both are equivalent) *)
+                { left = left
+                , right = joinStartOfRight (Vector.fromList [new], right)
+                }
+              else
+                (* new = first so just return *)
+                {left = left, right = right}
+            end
+          else
+            (* new = last *)
             {left = left, right = right}
         end
     | [] => {left = left, right = right}
diff --git a/shf b/shf
index b4a34b3..751e7e1 100755
Binary files a/shf and b/shf differ
diff --git a/shf.mlb b/shf.mlb
index 358b329..824ac61 100644
--- a/shf.mlb
+++ b/shf.mlb
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ lib/brolib-sml/src/line_gap.sml
 lib/cozette-sml/fonts/cozette-ascii.mlb
 
 (* FUNCTIONAL CORE *)
-fcore/bin-search.sml
 message-types/input-msg.sml
 message-types/draw-msg.sml
 message-types/mailbox-type.sml
@@ -13,6 +12,8 @@ message-types/mailbox-type.sml
 fcore/app-type.sml
 fcore/app-with.sml
 
+fcore/bin-search.sml
+fcore/search-list.sml
 fcore/text-constants.sml
 ann
   "allowVectorExps true"