# File lib/rubygems/indexer.rb, line 551
  def sanitize_string(string)
    return string unless string

    # HACK the #to_s is in here because RSpec has an Array of Arrays of
    # Strings for authors.  Need a way to disallow bad values on gemspec
    # generation.  (Probably won't happen.)
    string = string.to_s

    begin
      Builder::XChar.encode string
    rescue NameError, NoMethodError
      string.to_xs
    end
  end