diff --git a/oca/src/facade/build.rs b/oca/src/facade/build.rs
index c884d8d..042437a 100644
--- a/oca/src/facade/build.rs
+++ b/oca/src/facade/build.rs
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ impl Facade {
         let mut input: Vec<u8> = vec![];
         match &step.parent_said {
             Some(said) => {
-                input.push(said.to_string().as_bytes().len().try_into().unwrap());
+                input.push(said.to_string().len().try_into().unwrap());
                 input.extend(said.to_string().as_bytes());
             }
             None => {
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ impl Facade {
                 let mut input: Vec<u8> = vec![];
                 match &capture_base_model.parent {
                     Some(said) => {
-                        input.push(said.to_string().as_bytes().len().try_into().unwrap());
+                        input.push(said.to_string().len().try_into().unwrap());
                         input.extend(said.to_string().as_bytes());
                     }
                     None => {
@@ -369,9 +369,7 @@ impl Facade {
                 input.push(
                     capture_base_model
                         .command_digest
-                        .to_string()
-                        .as_bytes()
-                        .len()
+                        .to_string().len()
                         .try_into()
                         .unwrap(),
                 );
@@ -390,7 +388,7 @@ impl Facade {
                 let mut input: Vec<u8> = vec![];
                 match &overlay_model.parent {
                     Some(said) => {
-                        input.push(said.to_string().as_bytes().len().try_into().unwrap());
+                        input.push(said.to_string().len().try_into().unwrap());
                         input.extend(said.to_string().as_bytes());
                     }
                     None => {
@@ -401,9 +399,7 @@ impl Facade {
                 input.push(
                     overlay_model
                         .command_digest
-                        .to_string()
-                        .as_bytes()
-                        .len()
+                        .to_string().len()
                         .try_into()
                         .unwrap(),
                 );
@@ -422,7 +418,7 @@ impl Facade {
                 let mut input: Vec<u8> = vec![];
                 match &oca_bundle_model.parent {
                     Some(said) => {
-                        input.push(said.to_string().as_bytes().len().try_into().unwrap());
+                        input.push(said.to_string().len().try_into().unwrap());
                         input.extend(said.to_string().as_bytes());
                     }
                     None => {
@@ -433,16 +429,14 @@ impl Facade {
                 input.push(
                     oca_bundle_model
                         .capture_base_said
-                        .to_string()
-                        .as_bytes()
-                        .len()
+                        .to_string().len()
                         .try_into()
                         .unwrap(),
                 );
                 input.extend(oca_bundle_model.capture_base_said.to_string().as_bytes());
 
                 for said in &oca_bundle_model.overlays_said {
-                    input.push(said.to_string().as_bytes().len().try_into().unwrap());
+                    input.push(said.to_string().len().try_into().unwrap());
                     input.extend(said.to_string().as_bytes());
                 }
 
diff --git a/semantics/oca-bundle/src/state/oca.rs b/semantics/oca-bundle/src/state/oca.rs
index d5451fd..5de713b 100644
--- a/semantics/oca-bundle/src/state/oca.rs
+++ b/semantics/oca-bundle/src/state/oca.rs
@@ -716,9 +716,9 @@ impl From<OCABundle> for OCABox {
             .iter()
             .filter_map(|x| x.as_any().downcast_ref::<overlay::Conditional>())
             .collect::<Vec<_>>();
-        for overlay in conditional_overlays {
-            let re = regex::Regex::new(r"\$\{(\d+)\}").unwrap();
 
+        let re = regex::Regex::new(r"\$\{(\d+)\}").unwrap();
+        for overlay in conditional_overlays {
             for (attr_name, condition) in overlay.attribute_conditions.iter() {
                 let condition_dependencies = overlay.attribute_dependencies.get(attr_name).unwrap(); // todo
                 let cond = re
diff --git a/semantics/oca-bundle/src/state/oca/overlay/label.rs b/semantics/oca-bundle/src/state/oca/overlay/label.rs
index dbea3c3..4744bef 100644
--- a/semantics/oca-bundle/src/state/oca/overlay/label.rs
+++ b/semantics/oca-bundle/src/state/oca/overlay/label.rs
@@ -237,32 +237,28 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert!(overlay
             .category_labels
-            .get(&"_cat-1_".to_string())
-            .is_some());
-        if let Some(cat1) = overlay.category_labels.get(&"_cat-1_".to_string()) {
+            .contains_key("_cat-1_"));
+        if let Some(cat1) = overlay.category_labels.get("_cat-1_") {
             assert_eq!(*cat1, "Cat 1".to_string());
         }
         assert!(overlay
             .category_labels
-            .get(&"_cat-2_".to_string())
-            .is_some());
-        if let Some(cat2) = overlay.category_labels.get(&"_cat-2_".to_string()) {
+            .contains_key("_cat-2_"));
+        if let Some(cat2) = overlay.category_labels.get("_cat-2_") {
             assert_eq!(*cat2, "Cat 2".to_string());
         }
 
         assert!(overlay
             ._category_attributes
-            .get(&"_cat-1_".to_string())
-            .is_some());
-        if let Some(cat1_attrs) = overlay._category_attributes.get(&"_cat-1_".to_string()) {
+            .contains_key("_cat-1_"));
+        if let Some(cat1_attrs) = overlay._category_attributes.get("_cat-1_") {
             assert_eq!(cat1_attrs.len(), 1);
             assert!(cat1_attrs.contains(&"attr1".to_string()));
         }
         assert!(overlay
             ._category_attributes
-            .get(&"_cat-2_".to_string())
-            .is_some());
-        if let Some(cat2_attrs) = overlay._category_attributes.get(&"_cat-2_".to_string()) {
+            .contains_key("_cat-2_"));
+        if let Some(cat2_attrs) = overlay._category_attributes.get("_cat-2_") {
             assert_eq!(cat2_attrs.len(), 1);
             assert!(cat2_attrs.contains(&"attr2".to_string()));
         }
diff --git a/semantics/oca-dag/src/versioning/bundle.rs b/semantics/oca-dag/src/versioning/bundle.rs
index 62209cc..1523bd0 100644
--- a/semantics/oca-dag/src/versioning/bundle.rs
+++ b/semantics/oca-dag/src/versioning/bundle.rs
@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ impl From<OCABundleDTO> for Vec<u8> {
     fn from(val: OCABundleDTO) -> Self {
         let mut digests: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
         if let Some(ref said) = val.bundle.capture_base.said {
-            digests.push(said.to_string().as_bytes().len().try_into().unwrap());
+            digests.push(said.to_string().len().try_into().unwrap());
             digests.extend(said.to_string().as_bytes());
         }
 
         val.bundle.overlays.iter().for_each(|overlay| {
             if let Some(ref said) = overlay.said() {
-                digests.push(said.to_string().as_bytes().len().try_into().unwrap());
+                digests.push(said.to_string().len().try_into().unwrap());
                 // digests.push(overlay.overlay_type().into());
                 digests.extend(said.to_string().as_bytes());
             }
diff --git a/semantics/oca-dag/src/versioning/ocafile.rs b/semantics/oca-dag/src/versioning/ocafile.rs
index 0c22002..c92e985 100644
--- a/semantics/oca-dag/src/versioning/ocafile.rs
+++ b/semantics/oca-dag/src/versioning/ocafile.rs
@@ -43,14 +43,14 @@ pub fn build_oca(
             match base {
                 Some(ref mut base) => {
                     let base_said = base.generate_bundle().said.unwrap().to_string();
-                    input.push(base_said.as_bytes().len().try_into().unwrap());
+                    input.push(base_said.len().try_into().unwrap());
                     input.extend(base_said.as_bytes());
                 }
                 None => {
                     input.push(0);
                 }
             }
-            input.push(command_str.as_bytes().len().try_into().unwrap());
+            input.push(command_str.len().try_into().unwrap());
             input.extend(command_str.as_bytes());
             db.insert(
                 &format!("oca.{}.operation", oca_bundle.clone().said.unwrap()),