4 files changed, 52 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/source/blender/editors/asset/ED_asset_handle.h b/source/blender/editors/asset/ED_asset_handle.h
index b408e919f32..4a81840c40d 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/asset/ED_asset_handle.h
+++ b/source/blender/editors/asset/ED_asset_handle.h
@@ -35,3 +35,16 @@ void ED_asset_handle_get_full_library_path(const struct bContext *C,
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+
+namespace blender::ed::asset {
+
+/** If the ID already exists in the database, return it, otherwise add it. */
+ID *get_local_id_from_asset_or_append_and_reuse(Main &bmain,
+                                                const AssetLibraryReference &library_ref,
+                                                AssetHandle asset);
+
+}  // namespace blender::ed::asset
+
+#endif
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_handle.cc b/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_handle.cc
index ade8b803ed3..00fffd595c0 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_handle.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_handle.cc
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #include "ED_asset_handle.h"
 #include "ED_asset_list.hh"
 
+#include "WM_api.h"
+
 const char *ED_asset_handle_get_name(const AssetHandle *asset)
 {
   return asset->file_data->name;
@@ -52,3 +54,31 @@ void ED_asset_handle_get_full_library_path(const bContext *C,
 
   BLO_library_path_explode(asset_path.c_str(), r_full_lib_path, nullptr, nullptr);
 }
+
+namespace blender::ed::asset {
+
+ID *get_local_id_from_asset_or_append_and_reuse(Main &bmain,
+                                                const AssetLibraryReference &library_ref,
+                                                const AssetHandle asset)
+{
+  if (ID *local_id = ED_asset_handle_get_local_id(&asset)) {
+    return local_id;
+  }
+
+  char blend_path[FILE_MAX_LIBEXTRA];
+  ED_asset_handle_get_full_library_path(nullptr, &library_ref, &asset, blend_path);
+  const char *id_name = ED_asset_handle_get_name(&asset);
+
+  return WM_file_append_datablock(&bmain,
+                                  nullptr,
+                                  nullptr,
+                                  nullptr,
+                                  blend_path,
+                                  ED_asset_handle_get_id_type(&asset),
+                                  id_name,
+                                  BLO_LIBLINK_APPEND_RECURSIVE |
+                                      BLO_LIBLINK_APPEND_ASSET_DATA_CLEAR |
+                                      BLO_LIBLINK_APPEND_LOCAL_ID_REUSE);
+}
+
+}  // namespace blender::ed::asset
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_indexer.cc b/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_indexer.cc
index 3cc3638c299..cc06fa80429 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_indexer.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_indexer.cc
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ static void init_indexer_entry_from_value(FileIndexerEntry &indexer_entry,
 {
   indexer_entry.idcode = entry.get_idcode();
 
-  const std::string &name = entry.get_name();
+  const std::string name = entry.get_name();
   BLI_strncpy(
       indexer_entry.datablock_info.name, name.c_str(), sizeof(indexer_entry.datablock_info.name));
 
@@ -359,19 +359,19 @@ static void init_indexer_entry_from_value(FileIndexerEntry &indexer_entry,
   indexer_entry.datablock_info.asset_data = asset_data;
 
   if (entry.has_description()) {
-    const std::string &description = entry.get_description();
-    char *description_c_str = static_cast<char *>(MEM_mallocN(description.length() + 1, __func__));
-    BLI_strncpy(description_c_str, description.c_str(), description.length() + 1);
+    const StringRefNull description = entry.get_description();
+    char *description_c_str = static_cast<char *>(MEM_mallocN(description.size() + 1, __func__));
+    BLI_strncpy(description_c_str, description.c_str(), description.size() + 1);
     asset_data->description = description_c_str;
   }
   if (entry.has_author()) {
-    const std::string &author = entry.get_author();
-    char *author_c_str = static_cast<char *>(MEM_mallocN(author.length() + 1, __func__));
-    BLI_strncpy(author_c_str, author.c_str(), author.length() + 1);
+    const StringRefNull author = entry.get_author();
+    char *author_c_str = static_cast<char *>(MEM_mallocN(author.size() + 1, __func__));
+    BLI_strncpy(author_c_str, author.c_str(), author.size() + 1);
     asset_data->author = author_c_str;
   }
 
-  const std::string &catalog_name = entry.get_catalog_name();
+  const StringRefNull catalog_name = entry.get_catalog_name();
   BLI_strncpy(asset_data->catalog_simple_name,
               catalog_name.c_str(),
               sizeof(asset_data->catalog_simple_name));
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_ops.cc b/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_ops.cc
index 05d0b7d0af4..ba7b56db3ec 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_ops.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_ops.cc
@@ -781,6 +781,7 @@ static const EnumPropertyItem *rna_asset_library_reference_itemf(bContext *UNUSE
   const EnumPropertyItem *items = ED_asset_library_reference_to_rna_enum_itemf(false);
   if (!items) {
     *r_free = false;
+    return nullptr;
   }
 
   *r_free = true;