whole_func_string: function insert (b, ptr, target, level, compare) {
    level = level || r_levels(b, ptr)
    compare = compare || _compare
    var free = b.readUInt32LE(0) || 8
  
    //figure out before hand how many levels deep we want to insert this value
    for(var _level = 0; _level < level && Math.random() > 0.5;)
      _level ++
  
    //update free space pointer: address of last level + 4 (space for target value)
    b.writeUInt32LE(4+get_next(free, _level), 0) //make space for this item.
  
    //insert value at start of previous free space
    b.writeUInt32LE(target, free)
  
    while(true) {
      if(level < 0) break;
      //if this level is last item
      var next_ptr = r_level(b, ptr, level)
      if(
        next_ptr === 0 ||
        compare(r_value(b, next_ptr), target, b) > 0
      ) {
        //store value of previous pointer
        if(level <= _level)
          b.writeUInt32LE(ptr, get_next(free, level))
  
        level --
      }
      else {
        ptr = next_ptr
      }
    }
  
    //write a backlink.
  
    b.writeUInt32LE(b.readUInt32LE(free+get_next(0)) & 0x7fffffff)
  
    //I think if insert items bottom up, and set the new pointer first
    //then this should be fully threadsafe.
    for(var i = 0; i <= _level; i++) {
      var prev = b.readUInt32LE(get_next(free, i))
      var next = b.readUInt32LE(get_next(prev, i)) //includes msb continue flag
      //these say Int 32, but remember the msb is 1 which means negative.
      //so this is actually correct.
      b.writeInt32LE(i < _level ? next | 0x80000000 : next & 0x7fffffff, get_next(free, i))
      //free, free | (next & 0x80000000))
      b.writeInt32LE(free | (next & 0x80000000), get_next(prev, i))
    }
  
    return free
  }
func_code_string: function insert (b, ptr, target, level, compare) {
    level = level || r_levels(b, ptr)
    compare = compare || _compare
    var free = b.readUInt32LE(0) || 8
  
    //figure out before hand how many levels deep we want to insert this value
    for(var _level = 0; _level < level && Math.random() > 0.5;)
      _level ++
  
    //update free space pointer: address of last level + 4 (space for target value)
    b.writeUInt32LE(4+get_next(free, _level), 0) //make space for this item.
  
    //insert value at start of previous free space
    b.writeUInt32LE(target, free)
  
    while(true) {
      if(level < 0) break;
      //if this level is last item
      var next_ptr = r_level(b, ptr, level)
      if(
        next_ptr === 0 ||
        compare(r_value(b, next_ptr), target, b) > 0
      ) {
        //store value of previous pointer
        if(level <= _level)
          b.writeUInt32LE(ptr, get_next(free, level))
  
        level --
      }
      else {
        ptr = next_ptr
      }
    }
  
    //write a backlink.
  
    b.writeUInt32LE(b.readUInt32LE(free+get_next(0)) & 0x7fffffff)
  
    //I think if insert items bottom up, and set the new pointer first
    //then this should be fully threadsafe.
    for(var i = 0; i <= _level; i++) {
      var prev = b.readUInt32LE(get_next(free, i))
      var next = b.readUInt32LE(get_next(prev, i)) //includes msb continue flag
      //these say Int 32, but remember the msb is 1 which means negative.
      //so this is actually correct.
      b.writeInt32LE(i < _level ? next | 0x80000000 : next & 0x7fffffff, get_next(free, i))
      //free, free | (next & 0x80000000))
      b.writeInt32LE(free | (next & 0x80000000), get_next(prev, i))
    }
  
    return free
  }
func_documentation_string: /*
  this function allocates space for the inserted value,
  and as it searches, uses that space to store the previous links.
  when it finds the insertion point, it flips those values around,
  updates the previous pointers to point to this value,
  and sets these pointers to point to the previous's next's values.