int stringVectorToTextWave(std::vector<std::string> &stringVector, waveHndl &waveHandle){
 
	std::vector<long int> stringSizes;
	char buf[1000];
	int lockStateWave, ret, i;
 
	long int offset;
	long int totalSize=0;
 
        if(stringVector.size() == 0){
             return -1;
        }
 
	// number of 32-bit integers (aka long int) is one more compared to the number of strings
	const long int numEntriesPlusOne = stringVector.size()+1;
 
	std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it;
	for(it = stringVector.begin(); it != stringVector.end(); it++){
                try{
		   stringSizes.push_back(it->size());
                }
                catch(...){
                    return NOMEM;
                 }
		totalSize += it->size();
	}
 
	totalSize += numEntriesPlusOne*sizeof(long);
 
	Handle textHandle = NewHandle(totalSize);
	if(MemError() || textHandle == NULL){
		return NOMEM;
	}
 
	//sprintf(buf,"totalSize of strings %d",GetHandleSize(textHandle));
	//XOPNotice(buf);
 
	for(i=0; i < numEntriesPlusOne; i++){
 
		if(i == 0){// position of the first string
			offset = numEntriesPlusOne*sizeof(long);
		}
		else{ // and of all the others
			offset+=stringSizes[i-1];
		}
		//sprintf(buf,"offset=%d, offsetPosition=%d*sizeof(long)",offset,i);
		//XOPNotice(buf);
 
		// write offsets
		memcpy(*textHandle+i*sizeof(long),&offset,sizeof(long));
 
		if(i < stringVector.size()){
 
			//sprintf(buf,"string=%s, stringPosition=%d",stringVector[i].c_str(),offset);
	                //XOPNotice(buf);
 
			// write strings
			memcpy(*textHandle+offset,stringVector[i].c_str(),stringSizes[i]);
		}
	}
 
	// mode = 2 defines the format of the handle contents to
	// offsetToFirstString
	// offsetToSecondString
	// ...
	// offsetToPositionAfterLastString
	// firstString
	//...
	int mode=2;
 
        // Locking is only needed on MacOS9
	// acquire waveHandle lock
	lockStateWave=MoveLockHandle(waveHandle);
	ret = SetTextWaveData(waveHandle,mode,textHandle);
 
	//sprintf(buf,"SetTextWaveData returned %d",ret);
	//XOPNotice(buf);
 
	// release waveHandle lock
	HSetState(waveHandle, lockStateWave);
	DisposeHandle(textHandle);
 
	return ret;
}