When to call TextFlow.normalize()

Hey there.

I'm creating a text editor where users can apply formats to their current selection.  As I was digging through RichEditableTextContainerManager.applyFormatOperation I noticed that after they call ApplyFormatOperation.doOperation() they call textFlow.normalize().  So that got me thinking, do I likewise need to call normalize?  If so, why is it in the tlf_internal namespace (seems like something developers would want to do quite frequently)?  And shouldn't it be called automatically when executing an ApplyFormatOperation?  Can someone provide some enlightenment?

Thanks.

Aaron