diff --git a/src/lib/common/file.c b/src/lib/common/file.c
index 1159cccd..6ca49ee9 100644
--- a/src/lib/common/file.c
+++ b/src/lib/common/file.c
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ ef_init_chr(int type, size_t size, ptrdiff_t name_offs)
     for (p = ep->cache;
 	 *((char **)(p + name_offs)) && **((char **)(p + name_offs));
 	 p += size) ;
-    ef_fix_size(ep, (p - ep->cache) / size);
+    ep->cids = ep->fids = (p - ep->cache) / size;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/lib/global/file.c b/src/lib/global/file.c
index 58f405a1..7ac86be4 100644
--- a/src/lib/global/file.c
+++ b/src/lib/global/file.c
@@ -54,18 +54,35 @@
 #include "commodity.h"
 #include "nsc.h"
 
-/* Some abbreviations: */
+/* Number of elements in ARRAY.  */
 #define SZ(array) (sizeof(array) / sizeof((array)[0]))
-/* Unmapped cache initializers for members flags... */
-#define UNMAPPED_INIT(type, flags) \
+
+/* Initializers for members flags... */
+/* Unmapped cache */
+#define UNMAPPED_CACHE(type, flags) \
     sizeof(type), flags, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL
-/* Same for cache mapped to array with known size */
-#define ARRAY_INIT(array, flags) \
-    sizeof(*(array)), flags, (char *)(array), \
-    SZ((array)), 0, SZ((array)) - 1, SZ((array)) - 1, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL
-/* Same for unknown size, size to be filled in by ef_init() */
-#define PTR_INIT(ptr, flags) sizeof(*(ptr)), flags, (char *)(ptr), \
+/*
+ * Mapped cache, array with known size.
+ * Members cids, fids are not set.
+ */
+#define ARRAY_CACHE(array, flags) \
+    sizeof(*(array)), (flags), (char *)(array), \
+    SZ((array)), 0, 0, 0, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL
+/*
+ * Mapped cache, array with unknown size.
+ * Members csize, cids, fids are not set.
+ */
+#define PTR_CACHE(ptr, flags) \
+    sizeof(*(ptr)), (flags), (char *)(ptr), \
     0, 0, 0, 0, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL
+/*
+ * Array-backed table.
+ * The array's last element is the sentinel.
+ */
+#define ARRAY_TABLE(array, flags) \
+    sizeof(*(array)), (flags), (char *)(array), \
+    SZ((array)), 0, SZ((array)) - 1, SZ((array)) - 1, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL
+
 /* Common configuration table flags */
 #define EFF_CFG (EFF_RDONLY | EFF_MEM | EFF_STATIC)
 
@@ -89,63 +106,63 @@ struct empfile empfile[] = {
 
     /* Dynamic game data */
     {EF_SECTOR, "sect", "sector", sect_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct sctstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct sctstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER)},
     {EF_SHIP, "ship", "ship", ship_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct shpstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER | EFF_GROUP)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct shpstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER | EFF_GROUP)},
     {EF_PLANE, "plane", "plane", plane_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct plnstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER | EFF_GROUP)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct plnstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER | EFF_GROUP)},
     {EF_LAND, "land", "land", land_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct lndstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER | EFF_GROUP)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct lndstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER | EFF_GROUP)},
     {EF_NUKE, "nuke", "nuke", nuke_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct nukstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct nukstr, EFF_XY | EFF_OWNER)},
     {EF_NEWS, "news", "news", news_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct nwsstr, 0)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct nwsstr, 0)},
     {EF_TREATY, "treaty", "treaty", treaty_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct trtstr, 0)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct trtstr, 0)},
     {EF_TRADE, "trade", "trade", trade_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct trdstr, 0)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct trdstr, 0)},
     {EF_POWER, "pow", "power", NULL,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct powstr, 0)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct powstr, 0)},
     {EF_NATION, "nat", "nation", nat_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct natstr, EFF_OWNER)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct natstr, EFF_OWNER)},
     {EF_LOAN, "loan", "loan", loan_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct lonstr, 0)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct lonstr, 0)},
     {EF_MAP, "map", "map", NULL,
      0, 0, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL},
     {EF_BMAP, "bmap", "bmap", NULL,
      0, 0, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL},
     {EF_COMM, "commodity", "commodity", commodity_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct comstr, 0)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct comstr, 0)},
     {EF_LOST, "lost", "lostitems", lost_ca,
-     UNMAPPED_INIT(struct loststr, EFF_OWNER)},
+     UNMAPPED_CACHE(struct loststr, EFF_OWNER)},
 
     /* Static game data (configuration) */
-    {EF_SECTOR_CHR, "sect chr", NULL, dchr_ca, ARRAY_INIT(dchr, EFF_CFG)},
-    {EF_SHIP_CHR, "ship chr", NULL, mchr_ca, PTR_INIT(mchr, EFF_CFG)},
-    {EF_PLANE_CHR, "plane chr", NULL, plchr_ca, PTR_INIT(plchr, EFF_CFG)},
-    {EF_LAND_CHR, "land chr", NULL, lchr_ca, PTR_INIT(lchr, EFF_CFG)},
-    {EF_NUKE_CHR, "nuke chr", NULL, nchr_ca, PTR_INIT(nchr, EFF_CFG)},
-    {EF_NEWS_CHR, "news chr", NULL, rpt_ca, ARRAY_INIT(rpt, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_SECTOR_CHR, "sect chr", NULL, dchr_ca, ARRAY_TABLE(dchr, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_SHIP_CHR, "ship chr", NULL, mchr_ca, ARRAY_CACHE(mchr, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_PLANE_CHR, "plane chr", NULL, plchr_ca, ARRAY_CACHE(plchr, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_LAND_CHR, "land chr", NULL, lchr_ca, ARRAY_CACHE(lchr, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_NUKE_CHR, "nuke chr", NULL, nchr_ca, ARRAY_CACHE(nchr, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_NEWS_CHR, "news chr", NULL, rpt_ca, ARRAY_TABLE(rpt, EFF_CFG)},
     {EF_TREATY_FLAGS, "treaty flags", NULL, symbol_ca,
-     PTR_INIT(treaty_flags, EFF_CFG)},
-    {EF_ITEM, "item", NULL, ichr_ca, ARRAY_INIT(ichr, EFF_CFG)},
+     PTR_CACHE(treaty_flags, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_ITEM, "item", NULL, ichr_ca, ARRAY_TABLE(ichr, EFF_CFG)},
     {EF_INFRASTRUCTURE, "infrastructure", NULL, intrchr_ca,
-     ARRAY_INIT(intrchr, EFF_CFG)},
-    {EF_PRODUCT, "product", NULL, pchr_ca, ARRAY_INIT(pchr, EFF_CFG)},
-    {EF_TABLE, "table", NULL, empfile_ca, ARRAY_INIT(empfile, EFF_CFG)},
+     ARRAY_TABLE(intrchr, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_PRODUCT, "product", NULL, pchr_ca, ARRAY_TABLE(pchr, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_TABLE, "table", NULL, empfile_ca, ARRAY_TABLE(empfile, EFF_CFG)},
     {EF_SHIP_CHR_FLAGS, "ship chr flags", NULL, symbol_ca,
-     PTR_INIT(ship_chr_flags, EFF_CFG)},
+     PTR_CACHE(ship_chr_flags, EFF_CFG)},
     {EF_PLANE_CHR_FLAGS, "plane chr flags", NULL, symbol_ca,
-     PTR_INIT(plane_chr_flags, EFF_CFG)},
+     PTR_CACHE(plane_chr_flags, EFF_CFG)},
     {EF_LAND_CHR_FLAGS, "land chr flags", NULL, symbol_ca,
-     PTR_INIT(land_chr_flags, EFF_CFG)},
+     PTR_CACHE(land_chr_flags, EFF_CFG)},
     {EF_NUKE_CHR_FLAGS, "nuke chr flags", NULL, symbol_ca,
-     PTR_INIT(nuke_chr_flags, EFF_CFG)},
-    {EF_META, "meta", NULL, mdchr_ca, PTR_INIT(mdchr_ca, EFF_CFG)},
+     PTR_CACHE(nuke_chr_flags, EFF_CFG)},
+    {EF_META, "meta", NULL, mdchr_ca, PTR_CACHE(mdchr_ca, EFF_CFG)},
     {EF_META_TYPE, "meta type", NULL, symbol_ca,
-     PTR_INIT(meta_type, EFF_CFG)},
+     PTR_CACHE(meta_type, EFF_CFG)},
     {EF_META_FLAGS, "meta flags", NULL, symbol_ca,
-     PTR_INIT(meta_flags, EFF_CFG)},
+     PTR_CACHE(meta_flags, EFF_CFG)},
 
     /* Sentinel */
     {EF_BAD, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL},