diff --git a/astaforms.py b/astaforms.py
index 5444c50..5c9b057 100644
--- a/astaforms.py
+++ b/astaforms.py
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ def resultdict2table(resultdict):
         okpvs = max(0, allpvs - foutepvs)
         bijzincount = dictget(uttid_dict, 'bijzincount')
         remarks = dictget(uttid_dict, 'remarks')
-        paddeduttid = uttid.rjust(3, '0')
+        paddeduttid = str(uttid).rjust(3, '0')
         newrow = [paddeduttid, wc, correct, okpvs, foutepvs, bijzincount, remarks]
         table.append(newrow)
     sortedtable = sorted(table, key=lambda row: row[0])
diff --git a/default_config.py b/default_config.py
index 748d4e4..fcc79d7 100644
--- a/default_config.py
+++ b/default_config.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import logging
 import os.path as op
-from sentence_parser import parse
+import sentence_parser
 
 
 # logging object
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@
 
 # Function to parse a sentence with Alpino
 # Should take a string as input and return an lxml.etree
-PARSE_FUNC = parse
+PARSE_FUNC = sentence_parser.parse
diff --git a/external_functions.py b/external_functions.py
index 41d907a..23fabea 100644
--- a/external_functions.py
+++ b/external_functions.py
@@ -63,3 +63,10 @@ def oldgetfname(f):
     str2functionmap[fname] = f
 
 junk = 0
+
+# Used by SASTA to find form functions
+form_map = {
+    'TARSP': mktarspform,
+    'ASTA': astaform,
+    'STAP': makestapform
+}
diff --git a/sentence_parser.py b/sentence_parser.py
index dc0278f..e49004f 100644
--- a/sentence_parser.py
+++ b/sentence_parser.py
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
-from config import *
-from contextlib import contextmanager
+from functools import lru_cache
 import socket
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+
 from lxml import etree
 
+import config
+
+from alpinoparsing import escape_alpino_input
+
 
 class AlpinoSentenceParser:
     ''' Assumes a Alpino server is running on provided host:port,
@@ -10,13 +15,14 @@ class AlpinoSentenceParser:
     @contextmanager
     def connection(self):
         try:
-            s = socket.create_connection((ALPINO_HOST, ALPINO_PORT))
+            s = socket.create_connection((config.ALPINO_HOST, config.ALPINO_PORT))
             yield s
             s.close()
         except socket.error:
             raise
 
     def parse_sentence(self, sentence: str, buffer_size=8096) -> str:
+        sentence = escape_alpino_input(sentence)
         with self.connection() as s:
             sentence += '\n\n'   # flag end of file
             s.sendall(sentence.encode('utf-8'))
@@ -29,6 +35,7 @@ def parse_sentence(self, sentence: str, buffer_size=8096) -> str:
             return xml.decode('utf-8')
 
 
+@lru_cache(maxsize=128)
 def parse(sentence):
     ''' Wrapper for use in sastadev'''
     alp = AlpinoSentenceParser()
diff --git a/stapforms.py b/stapforms.py
index da7f6af..ba2fdf5 100644
--- a/stapforms.py
+++ b/stapforms.py
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
-import logging
+from io import BytesIO
 import os
-from shutil import copyfile
+from shutil import copyfile, copyfileobj
 from collections import defaultdict
 
 from openpyxl import load_workbook
 from allresults import AllResults
-from config import SD_DIR
+from config import SD_DIR, SDLOGGER
 
 scoresheetname = 'STAP 1 - 5'
 maxutt = 50
 zerocount = 0
-basexl = os.path.join(SD_DIR, r'form_templates\STAP Excel VUmc 2018.xlsx')
+basexl = os.path.join(SD_DIR, 'form_templates', 'STAP Excel VUmc 2018.xlsx')
 
 NS = 'S001'
 OS = 'S002'
@@ -57,21 +57,27 @@ def data2rowtuples(data):
     return rowlist
 
 
-def makestapform(allresults, _, basexl=basexl):
-    # copy the basexl to a new one with the appropriate name
+def makestapform(allresults, _, basexl=basexl, in_memory=False):
+    if not in_memory:
+        # copy the basexl to a new one with the appropriate name
+        (base, ext) = os.path.splitext(allresults.filename)
+        target = base + '_STAP-Form' + '.xlsx'
 
-    (base, ext) = os.path.splitext(allresults.filename)
-    formxl = base + '_STAP-Form' + '.xlsx'
+        copyfile(basexl, target)
 
-    copyfile(basexl, formxl)
+        # open the workbook
+        wb = load_workbook(filename=target)
+    else:
+        target = BytesIO()
+        with open(basexl, 'rb') as source:
+            copyfileobj(fsrc=source, fdst=target)
+        wb = load_workbook(target)
 
     # gather the results
 
     # put the results in the right order
     rowlist = data2rowtuples(allresults.coreresults)
 
-    # open the workbook
-    wb = load_workbook(filename=formxl)
     ws = wb[scoresheetname]
 
     cols = ['U', 'V', 'W', 'X', 'Y', 'Z', 'AA', 'AB', 'AC', 'AD', 'AE', 'AF']
@@ -88,13 +94,14 @@ def makestapform(allresults, _, basexl=basexl):
                 cellkey = col + uttidrowstr
                 ws[cellkey] = el
         else:
-            logging.error('Unexpected utterance id encountered: {}'.format(uttid))
+            SDLOGGER.error('Unexpected utterance id encountered: {}'.format(uttid))
 
     # save the workbook
-    wb.save(formxl)
+    wb.save(target)
+    wb.close()
 
     # return the workbook- not needed
-    # return wb
+    return target
 
 
 def test():