Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/preferences/PreferencesWriter.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/preferences/PreferencesWriter.java	(revision 9827)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/preferences/PreferencesWriter.java	(revision 9828)
@@ -13,4 +13,5 @@
 /**
  * Write preferences to XML.
+ * @since 9823
  */
 public class PreferencesWriter extends XmlWriter implements SettingVisitor {
@@ -23,6 +24,5 @@
      * @param out the {@link PrintWriter}
      * @param noPassword if password must be excluded
-     * @param defaults true, if default values are converted to XML, false for
-     * regular preferences
+     * @param defaults true, if default values are converted to XML, false for regular preferences
      */
     public PreferencesWriter(PrintWriter out, boolean noPassword, boolean defaults) {
@@ -38,5 +38,5 @@
      */
     public void write(Collection<Map.Entry<String, Setting<?>>> settings) {
-        out.write("<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n");
+        out.write(String.format("<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>%n"));
         String rootElement = defaults ? "preferences-defaults" : "preferences";
         out.write(String.format("<%s xmlns='%s/preferences-1.0'", rootElement, Main.getXMLBase()));
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@
             out.write(" xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance'");
         }
-        out.write(String.format(" version='%d'>\n", Version.getInstance().getVersion()));
+        out.write(String.format(" version='%d'>%n", Version.getInstance().getVersion()));
         for (Map.Entry<String, Setting<?>> e : settings) {
             setKey(e.getKey());
             e.getValue().visit(this);
         }
-        out.write(String.format("</%s>\n", rootElement));
+        out.write(String.format("</%s>%n", rootElement));
     }
 
@@ -56,10 +56,15 @@
     }
 
-    private void addTime(Setting setting) {
+    private void addTime(Setting<?> setting) {
         if (defaults) {
             Long time = setting.getTime();
-            if (time == null) throw new IllegalStateException();
+            if (time == null)
+                throw new IllegalStateException();
             out.write("' time='" + time);
         }
+    }
+
+    private void addDefaults() {
+        out.write(String.format("' xsi:nil='true'/>%n"));
     }
 
@@ -68,13 +73,10 @@
         if (noPassword && "osm-server.password".equals(key))
             return; // do not store plain password.
-        out.write("  <tag key='");
-        out.write(XmlWriter.encode(key));
+        out.write("  <tag key='" + XmlWriter.encode(key));
         addTime(setting);
         if (setting.getValue() != null) {
-            out.write("' value='");
-            out.write(XmlWriter.encode(setting.getValue()));
-            out.write("'/>\n");
+            out.write(String.format("' value='%s'/>%n", XmlWriter.encode(setting.getValue())));
         } else if (defaults) {
-            out.write("' xsi:nil='true'/>\n");
+            addDefaults();
         } else {
             throw new NullPointerException();
@@ -87,11 +89,11 @@
         addTime(setting);
         if (setting.getValue() != null) {
-            out.write("'>\n");
+            out.write(String.format("'>%n"));
             for (String s : setting.getValue()) {
-                out.write("    <entry value='" + XmlWriter.encode(s) + "'/>\n");
+                out.write(String.format("    <entry value='%s'/>%n", XmlWriter.encode(s)));
             }
-            out.write("  </list>\n");
+            out.write(String.format("  </list>%n"));
         } else if (defaults) {
-            out.write("' xsi:nil='true'/>\n");
+            addDefaults();
         } else {
             throw new NullPointerException();
@@ -104,15 +106,15 @@
         addTime(setting);
         if (setting.getValue() != null) {
-            out.write("'>\n");
+            out.write(String.format("'>%n"));
             for (List<String> list : setting.getValue()) {
-                out.write("    <list>\n");
+                out.write(String.format("    <list>%n"));
                 for (String s : list) {
-                    out.write("      <entry value='" + encode(s) + "'/>\n");
+                    out.write(String.format("      <entry value='%s'/>%n", encode(s)));
                 }
-                out.write("    </list>\n");
+                out.write(String.format("    </list>%n"));
             }
-            out.write("  </lists>\n");
+            out.write(String.format("  </lists>%n"));
         } else if (defaults) {
-            out.write("' xsi:nil='true'/>\n");
+            addDefaults();
         } else {
             throw new NullPointerException();
@@ -125,19 +127,18 @@
         addTime(setting);
         if (setting.getValue() != null) {
-            out.write("'>\n");
+            out.write(String.format("'>%n"));
             for (Map<String, String> struct : setting.getValue()) {
-                out.write("    <map>\n");
+                out.write(String.format("    <map>%n"));
                 for (Map.Entry<String, String> e : struct.entrySet()) {
-                    out.write(String.format("      <tag key='%s' value='%s'/>\n", encode(e.getKey()), encode(e.getValue())));
+                    out.write(String.format("      <tag key='%s' value='%s'/>%n", encode(e.getKey()), encode(e.getValue())));
                 }
-                out.write("    </map>\n");
+                out.write(String.format("    </map>%n"));
             }
-            out.write("  </maps>\n");
+            out.write(String.format("  </maps>%n"));
         } else if (defaults) {
-            out.write("' xsi:nil='true'/>\n");
+            addDefaults();
         } else {
             throw new NullPointerException();
         }
     }
-
 }
Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/io/XmlWriter.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/io/XmlWriter.java	(revision 9827)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/io/XmlWriter.java	(revision 9828)
@@ -58,16 +58,18 @@
     public static String encode(String unencoded, boolean keepApos) {
         StringBuilder buffer = null;
-        for (int i = 0; i < unencoded.length(); ++i) {
-            String encS = null;
-            if (!keepApos || unencoded.charAt(i) != '\'') {
-                encS = XmlWriter.encoding.get(unencoded.charAt(i));
-            }
-            if (encS != null) {
-                if (buffer == null) {
-                    buffer = new StringBuilder(unencoded.substring(0, i));
+        if (unencoded != null) {
+            for (int i = 0; i < unencoded.length(); ++i) {
+                String encS = null;
+                if (!keepApos || unencoded.charAt(i) != '\'') {
+                    encS = XmlWriter.encoding.get(unencoded.charAt(i));
                 }
-                buffer.append(encS);
-            } else if (buffer != null) {
-                buffer.append(unencoded.charAt(i));
+                if (encS != null) {
+                    if (buffer == null) {
+                        buffer = new StringBuilder(unencoded.substring(0, i));
+                    }
+                    buffer.append(encS);
+                } else if (buffer != null) {
+                    buffer.append(unencoded.charAt(i));
+                }
             }
         }