--- lib.php	2011-08-27 02:25:07.000000000 +1000
+++ lib.php	2011-11-04 13:52:23.000000000 +1100
@@ -315,8 +315,11 @@
     if(preg_match('{<sourcedid>.*?<id>(.+?)</id>.*?</sourcedid>}is', $tagcontents, $matches)){
         $group->coursecode = trim($matches[1]);
     }
+    if(preg_match('{<description>.*?<long>(.*?)</long>.*?</description>}is', $tagcontents, $matches)){
+         $group->description = trim($matches[1]);
+    }
     if(preg_match('{<description>.*?<short>(.*?)</short>.*?</description>}is', $tagcontents, $matches)){
-        $group->description = trim($matches[1]);
+         $group->shortName = trim($matches[1]);
     }
     if(preg_match('{<org>.*?<orgunit>(.*?)</orgunit>.*?</org>}is', $tagcontents, $matches)){
         $group->category = trim($matches[1]);
@@ -354,11 +357,23 @@
             if(!$DB->get_field('course', 'id', array('idnumber'=>$coursecode))) {
               if(!$createnewcourses) {
                   $this->log_line("Course $coursecode not found in Moodle's course idnumbers.");
-              } else {
+              } else {	
+               	// Set shortname to description or description to shortname if one is set but not the other.
+				if(!isset($group->description) && !isset($group->shortName)) {
+					// If neither short nor long description are set let if fail
+					$this->log_line("Neither long nor short name are set for $coursecode");
+				} else if(!isset($group->description)) {
+					// If short and ID exist, then give the long short's value, then give short the ID's value
+					$group->description = $group->shortName;
+					$group->shortName = $coursecode;
+				} else if(!isset($group->shortName)) {
+					// If long and ID exist, then map long to long, then give short the ID's value.
+					$group->shortName = $coursecode;
+				}             	              	
                 // Create the (hidden) course(s) if not found
                 $course = new stdClass();
                 $course->fullname = $group->description;
-                $course->shortname = $coursecode;
+                $course->shortname = $group->shortName;
                 $course->idnumber = $coursecode;
                 $course->format = 'topics';
                 $course->visible = 0;