diff --git a/hed/models/tabular_input.py b/hed/models/tabular_input.py
index 58346883f..6ff9ce8a6 100644
--- a/hed/models/tabular_input.py
+++ b/hed/models/tabular_input.py
@@ -81,3 +81,7 @@ def get_column_refs(self):
         if self._sidecar:
             return self._sidecar.get_column_refs()
         return []
+
+    def get_sidecar(self):
+        """Return the sidecar associated with this TabularInput."""
+        return self._sidecar
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hed/tools/analysis/annotation_util.py b/hed/tools/analysis/annotation_util.py
index 085da3bbc..3b9aa2659 100644
--- a/hed/tools/analysis/annotation_util.py
+++ b/hed/tools/analysis/annotation_util.py
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ def str_to_tabular(tsv_str, sidecar=None):
 
     Parameters:
         tsv_str (str):  A string representing a tabular input.
-        sidecar (Sidecar): An optional Sidecar object.
+        sidecar (Sidecar, str, File or File-like): An optional Sidecar object.
 
      Returns:
          TabularInput:  Represents a tabular input object.
@@ -208,6 +208,20 @@ def strs_to_sidecar(sidecar_strings):
         return None
 
 
+def to_strlist(obj_list):
+    """ Return a list with the objects converted to string except for None elements.
+
+    Parameters:
+        obj_list (list):  A list of objects that are None or have a str method.
+
+    Returns:
+        list:  A list with the objects converted to strings -- except None values are preserved.
+    """
+
+    # Using list comprehension to convert non-None items to strings
+    return [str(item) if item is not None else None for item in obj_list]
+
+
 def _flatten_cat_col(col_key, col_dict):
     """ Flatten a sidecar entry corresponding to a categorical column.
 
diff --git a/tests/tools/analysis/test_annotation_util.py b/tests/tools/analysis/test_annotation_util.py
index 3df6a381e..0d655c44a 100644
--- a/tests/tools/analysis/test_annotation_util.py
+++ b/tests/tools/analysis/test_annotation_util.py
@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@
 from hed import schema as hedschema
 from hed.errors import HedFileError
 from hed.models.sidecar import Sidecar
-from hed.tools.analysis.annotation_util import check_df_columns, df_to_hed, extract_tags,\
-    hed_to_df, merge_hed_dict, strs_to_sidecar, str_to_tabular
+from hed.models.hed_string import HedString
+from hed.models.tabular_input import TabularInput
+from hed.tools.analysis.annotation_util import check_df_columns, df_to_hed, extract_tags, \
+    hed_to_df, merge_hed_dict, strs_to_sidecar, str_to_tabular, to_strlist
 from hed.tools.analysis.annotation_util import _flatten_cat_col, _flatten_val_col, _get_value_entry, _tag_list_to_str, \
                                                 _update_cat_dict, generate_sidecar_entry
-# from hed.tools.analysis.annotation_util import _find_last_pos, _find_first_pos, trim_back, trim_front
 from hed.tools.analysis.tabular_summary import TabularSummary
 from hed.tools.util.io_util import get_file_list
 
@@ -307,7 +308,23 @@ def test_strs_to_tabular(self):
         with open(self.events_path, 'r') as file:
             events_contents = file.read()
         tab_in = str_to_tabular(events_contents, sidecar=self.json_path)
-
+        self.assertIsInstance(tab_in, TabularInput)
+
+    def test_convert_to_strlist(self):
+        # schema
+        # list1 = [HedString('Red, Sensory-event', schema)]
+        list1 = ['abc', '', None, 3.24]
+        str_list1 = to_strlist(list1)
+        self.assertEqual(len(str_list1), len(list1))
+        self.assertIsNone(str_list1[2], None)
+        self.assertEqual(str_list1[3], '3.24')
+        self.assertFalse(str_list1[1])
+        list2 = [HedString('Red, Sensory-event', self.hed_schema), None, HedString('', self.hed_schema)]
+        str_list2 = to_strlist(list2)
+        self.assertEqual(len(str_list2), len(list2))
+        self.assertIsNone(str_list2[1], None)
+        self.assertEqual(str_list2[0], 'Red,Sensory-event')
+        self.assertEqual(str_list2[2], '')
 
     def test_flatten_cat_col(self):
         col1 = self.sidecar2c["a"]