The "read+" can be replaced with "read ". However, if you replace "pack+" with "pack " and then end up with "pack (expr),arg,arg" then it gets parsed as "(pack(expr)),arg,arg" while "pack+(expr),arg,arg" gets parsed as "pack((expr),arg,arg)". My quick look didn't tell me if that was actually a problem for this particular script or not.

The "unary plus" trick is a faily common way of making a call to a predeclared function without using parens around the arguments when the first arugment might have parens around it.

        - tye (but my enemies call my lawyers)