cmdtrace fixes, soften dependency on punk::mix::templates for bootsupport

src/bootsupport/modules/punk-0.1.tm

@@ -5383,9 +5383,13 @@ namespace eval punk {
         #
         # potentially can be disabled by config(?) - but then scripts not able to use all repl features..
 
+
+        #------------------------
+        #todo 2026 - remove - use new : expr syntax instead
         #todo - repl output info that it was evaluated as an expression
         #know {[expr $args] || 1} {expr $args}
-        know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #---------------------------
 
         #it is significantly faster to call a proc such as punk::lib::range like this than to inline it in the unknown proc
         #punk::lib::range is defined as a wrapper to lseq if it is available (8.7+)

src/bootsupport/modules/punk/lib-0.1.4.tm

@@ -3180,6 +3180,33 @@ namespace eval punk::lib {
         #[para]Use expr's log10() function or tcl::mathfunc::log10 for base 10
         expr {log($x)/log($b)}
     }
+    namespace eval argdoc {
+        variable PUNKARGS
+        lappend PUNKARGS [list {
+            @id     -id     ::punk::lib::factors
+            @cmd    -name     punk::lib::factors\
+                -summary\
+                "Sorted factors of positive integer x"\
+                -help\
+                "Return a sorted list of the positive factors of x where x > 0
+                For x = 0 we return only 0 and 1 as technically any number divides zero and there are an infinite number of factors.
+                (including zero itself in this context)*
+
+                This is a simple brute-force implementation that iterates all numbers below the square root of x to check the factors
+                Because the implementation is so simple - the performance is very reasonable for numbers below at least a few 10's of millions
+                See tcllib math::numtheory::factors for a more complex implementation - which seems to be slower for 'small' numbers
+                Comparisons were done with some numbers below 17 digits long
+                For seriously big numbers - this simple algorithm would no doubt be outperformed by more complex algorithms.
+                The numtheory library stores some data about primes etc with each call - so may become faster when being used on more numbers
+                but has the disadvantage of being slower for 'small' numbers and using more memory.
+                If the largest factor below x is needed - the greatestOddFactorBelow and GreatestFactorBelow functions are a faster way to get
+                there than computing the whole list, even for small values of x
+                * Taking x=0; Notion of x being divisible by integer y being: There exists an integer p such that x = py
+                  In other mathematical contexts zero may be considered not to divide anything."
+            @values -min 1 -max 1
+            x -type integer
+        }]
+    }
     proc factors {x} {
         #*** !doctools
         #[call [fun factors] [arg x]]
@@ -3293,6 +3320,25 @@ namespace eval punk::lib {
         }
         return $r
     }
+    namespace eval argdoc {
+        variable PUNKARGS
+        lappend PUNKARGS [list {
+            @id     -id     ::punk::lib::gcd
+            @cmd    -name     punk::lib::gcd\
+                -summary\
+                "Gretest common divisor of m and n."\
+                -help\
+                "Return the greatest common divisor of m and n.
+                Straight from Lars Hellström's math::numtheory library  in Tcllib
+
+                Graphical use:
+                  An a by b rectangle can be covered with square tiles of side-length c,
+                  only if c is a common divisor of a and b"
+            @values -min 2 -max 2
+            m -type integer
+            n -type integer
+        }]
+    }
     proc gcd {n m} {
         #*** !doctools
         #[call [fun gcd] [arg n] [arg m]]

src/bootsupport/modules/punk/mix-0.2.1.tm

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+
+package require punk::cap
+
+
+tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    proc init {} {
+        package require punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#handler for templates cap
+        punk::cap::register_capabilityname punk.templates ::punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#time taken should generally be sub 200us
+
+        #todo: use tcllib pluginmgr to load all modules that provide 'punk.templates'
+        #review - tcllib pluginmgr 0.5 @2025 has some bugs - esp regarding .tm modules vs packages
+        #We may also need to better control the order of module and library paths in the safe interps pluginmgr uses.
+        #todo - develop punk::pluginmgr to fix these issues (bug reports already submitted re tcllib, but the path issues may need customisation)
+
+        #The punk::mix::templates module is implemented as a zip based archive (modpod header)
+        #This requires vfs::zip package or zipfs command in Tcl
+        #Both are binary requirements - either can fail on older systems.
+        if {[catch {
+            package require punk::mix::templates ;#registers as provider pkg for 'punk.templates' capability with punk::cap
+        } errTemplates]} {
+            #emit a warning - but continue on without templates anyway. (punk::mix required to load when using bootsupport paths)
+            puts stderr "punk::mix failed to load ZIP archive-based module punk::mix::templates\nUse a modern Tcl with zipfs, or a recent vfs::zip library\nError:$errTemplates"
+        } else {
+            set t [time {
+                if {[catch {punk::mix::templates::provider register *} errM]} {
+                    puts stderr "punk::mix failure during punk::mix::templates::provider register *"
+                    puts stderr $errM
+                    puts stderr "-----"
+                    puts stderr $::errorInfo
+                }
+            }]
+        }
+        puts stderr "->punk::mix::templates::provider register * t=$t"
+    }
+    init
+}
+
+package require punk::mix::base
+package require punk::mix::cli
+
+package provide punk::mix [tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    variable version
+    set version 0.2.1
+
+}]

src/bootsupport/modules/punk/ns-0.1.0.tm

@@ -1989,7 +1989,7 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
         }
     }
 
-
+    #2 arg form of nested switch - no problem with line-numbers for first 2 arms
     proc test_switch4 {s} {
         switch  [string index $s 0] {
             a {
@@ -2023,6 +2023,7 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
             }
         }
     }
+    #3 arg form of nested switch - first 2 arms misreport line numbers
     proc test_switch4b {s} {
         switch -- [string index $s 0] {
             a {
@@ -2296,7 +2297,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     proc dkf_enterstep {vname target args} {
         #dkf sample on wiki
         variable tinfo
-        if {$tinfo(disabled)} return
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        if {$_cmdtrace_disabled} return
+
         #only trace top level steps in the proc
         if {[info level] == [dict get $tinfo($target) level]} {
             if {[dict get $tinfo($target) firstline] < 0} {
@@ -2550,7 +2553,7 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                 }]} {
                     #eg cmd {tcl::mathfunc::sqrt 100}
                     puts "No line info for call: $callinfo"
-                    set tinfo(disabled) false
+                    set _cmdtrace_disabled false
                     return
                 }
                 switch -- $type {
@@ -2610,7 +2613,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
 
 
                             dict set tinfo($target) firstline $traceline
-                            set pbody [info body $target]
+                            set ns [punk::ns::nsprefix $target]
+                            set nscmd [punk::ns::nstail $target]
+                            set pbody [::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::body $nscmd]]
                             set offset 0
                             foreach ln [split $pbody \n] {
                                 incr offset 1
@@ -2739,25 +2744,34 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
             ::tcl::dict::set ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd [::tcl::dict::create eval_base 1 eval_offset 1 lines {} cmdtype $tgt_type successcalls 0 errorcalls 0]
         }
 
+        #if the target command has a leading colon (e.g expr alternative :) we can't put a trace directly on a fully qualified name with a triple colon such as :::
+        #we will need to evaluate in the namespace
         foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
+            set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
+            set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
             puts "tracing target: $tgt_cmd whilst running: $origin $arglist"
 
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
         }
 
 
         try {
-            uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            set origin_nscmd [nstail $origin]
+            set origin_ns [nsprefix $origin]
+            #uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $origin_ns [list $origin_nscmd {*}$arglist]
         } trap {} {errMsg errOptions} {
             puts stderr "command error $errMsg"
 
         } finally {
             foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
             }
         }
 
@@ -2779,7 +2793,7 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                         }
                         source {
                             set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {yellow bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
-                            puts stderr "source $k"
+                            #puts stderr "source $k"
                         }
                         default {
                             #set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {cyan bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
@@ -2799,6 +2813,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     }
     proc cmdtracebasic {args} {
         variable tinfo
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        set _cmdtrace_disabled false
+
         set cinfo   [uplevel 1 [list ::punk::ns::cmdinfo {*}$args]]
         set origin  [dict get $cinfo origin]
         set arglist [dict get $cinfo args_remaining]
@@ -4659,7 +4676,11 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     punk::args::define $argdef
                 } else {
                     puts "PROC auto def $autoid (generate_autodef)"
-                    set infoargs [info args $origin]
+                    #to handle procs like ":" (eg used by colin's bytecode based expr replacement) or other names of the form ":xyz"
+                    #we can't use 'info args :::' - tcl won't find it
+                    set ns      [nsprefix $origin]
+                    set nscmd   [nstail $origin]
+                    set infoargs [namespace eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::args $nscmd]]
                     set argdef [punk::lib::tstr -return string {
                         @id     -id "${$autoid}"
                         @cmd    -help\
@@ -4671,11 +4692,39 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     #rather than type 'any' - we should use 'unknown'
                     foreach a $infoargs {
                         incr i
-                        if {[info default $origin $a def]} {
+                        #we need a varname for ::tcl::info::default - but as we need to run it in the ns we have to be careful,
-                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"$def\""
+                        #or we risk variable collisions/pollution of the target ns.
+                        set default_info [apply [list {procname argname} {
+                            if {[::tcl::info::default $procname $argname defaultval]} {
+                                return [dict create exists 1 default $defaultval]
+                            } else {
+                                return [dict create exists 0 default ""]
+                            }
+                        } $ns] $nscmd $a]
+                        if {[dict get $default_info exists]} {
+                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"[dict get $default_info default]\""
                         } else {
                             if {$i == [llength $infoargs]-1 && $a eq "args"} {
-                                append argdef \n "arg -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
+                                #we need to use a name  that doesn't collide with any previous arguments
+                                #The common way of expressing args in a synopsis is ?arg...? but this won't work if a proc is defined such as:
+                                #proc something {arg args} {...}
+                                #This is a bit unfortunate, but not that unusual.
+                                #If we use 'args' - we get a synopsis of ?args...?  which isn't great
+                                #if someone uses both arg and args - we'll choose next available arg<int> for <int> starting at 1
+                                if {"arg" in $infoargs} {
+                                    #It's also possible someone defined a proc such as:
+                                    #proc something {args args} {...}
+                                    #This would make $args available in the proc as a single value, whilst making the remaining args inaccessble.
+                                    #Most likely that would be done in error?
+                                    set n 1
+                                    while {[lsearch $infoargs arg$n] >=0} {
+                                        incr n
+                                    }
+                                    set args_element "arg$n"
+                                } else {
+                                    set args_element "arg"
+                                }
+                                append argdef \n "$args_element -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
                             } else {
                                 append argdef \n "$a -type unknown"
                             }

src/bootsupport/modules/zzzload-0.1.0.tm

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package require Thread
 namespace eval zzzload {
     variable loader_tid "" ;#thread id
     proc stacktrace {} {
+        #review
         set stack "Stack trace:\n"
         for {set i 1} {$i < [info level]} {incr i} {
             set lvl [info level -$i]
@@ -50,8 +51,13 @@ namespace eval zzzload {
         return $stack
     }
     proc pkg_require {pkgname args} {
+        #experimental
+        # loads a binary package in another thread - doesn't load an ordinary package in main thread.
+        # has potential for startup time savings with binary modules that are slow to load,
+        # but utility/practicality is dubious.
+
         variable loader_tid
-        if {[set ver [package provide twapi]] ne ""} {
+        if {[set ver [package provide $pkgname]] ne ""} {
             #skip the whole shebazzle if it's already loaded
             return $ver
         }

src/modules/punk-0.1.tm

@@ -5383,9 +5383,13 @@ namespace eval punk {
         #
         # potentially can be disabled by config(?) - but then scripts not able to use all repl features..
 
+
+        #------------------------
+        #todo 2026 - remove - use new : expr syntax instead
         #todo - repl output info that it was evaluated as an expression
         #know {[expr $args] || 1} {expr $args}
-        know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #---------------------------
 
         #it is significantly faster to call a proc such as punk::lib::range like this than to inline it in the unknown proc
         #punk::lib::range is defined as a wrapper to lseq if it is available (8.7+)

src/modules/punk/mix-0.2.tm

@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-
-package require punk::cap
-
-
-tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
-    proc init {} {
-        package require punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#handler for templates cap
-        punk::cap::register_capabilityname punk.templates ::punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#time taken should generally be sub 200us
-
-        #todo: use tcllib pluginmgr to load all modules that provide 'punk.templates'
-        #review - tcllib pluginmgr 0.5 @2025 has some bugs - esp regarding .tm modules vs packages
-        #We may also need to better control the order of module and library paths in the safe interps pluginmgr uses.
-        #todo - develop punk::pluginmgr to fix these issues (bug reports already submitted re tcllib, but the path issues may need customisation)
-
-        package require punk::mix::templates ;#registers as provider pkg for 'punk.templates' capability with punk::cap
-        set t [time {
-            if {[catch {punk::mix::templates::provider register *} errM]} {
-                puts stderr "punk::mix failure during punk::mix::templates::provider register *"
-                puts stderr $errM
-                puts stderr "-----"
-                puts stderr $::errorInfo
-            }
-        }]
-        puts stderr "->punk::mix::templates::provider register * t=$t"
-    }
-    init
-
-}
-
-package require punk::mix::base
-package require punk::mix::cli
-
-package provide punk::mix [tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
-    variable version
-    set version 0.2
-
-}]

src/modules/punk/mix-999999.0a1.0.tm

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+
+package require punk::cap
+
+
+tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    proc init {} {
+        package require punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#handler for templates cap
+        punk::cap::register_capabilityname punk.templates ::punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#time taken should generally be sub 200us
+
+        #todo: use tcllib pluginmgr to load all modules that provide 'punk.templates'
+        #review - tcllib pluginmgr 0.5 @2025 has some bugs - esp regarding .tm modules vs packages
+        #We may also need to better control the order of module and library paths in the safe interps pluginmgr uses.
+        #todo - develop punk::pluginmgr to fix these issues (bug reports already submitted re tcllib, but the path issues may need customisation)
+
+        #The punk::mix::templates module is implemented as a zip based archive (modpod header)
+        #This requires vfs::zip package or zipfs command in Tcl
+        #Both are binary requirements - either can fail on older systems.
+        if {[catch {
+            package require punk::mix::templates ;#registers as provider pkg for 'punk.templates' capability with punk::cap
+        } errTemplates]} {
+            #emit a warning - but continue on without templates anyway. (punk::mix required to load when using bootsupport paths)
+            puts stderr "punk::mix failed to load ZIP archive-based module punk::mix::templates\nUse a modern Tcl with zipfs, or a recent vfs::zip library\nError:$errTemplates"
+        } else {
+            set t [time {
+                if {[catch {punk::mix::templates::provider register *} errM]} {
+                    puts stderr "punk::mix failure during punk::mix::templates::provider register *"
+                    puts stderr $errM
+                    puts stderr "-----"
+                    puts stderr $::errorInfo
+                }
+            }]
+        }
+        puts stderr "->punk::mix::templates::provider register * t=$t"
+    }
+    init
+}
+
+package require punk::mix::base
+package require punk::mix::cli
+
+package provide punk::mix [tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    variable version
+    set version 999999.0a1.0
+
+}]

src/modules/punk/mix-buildversion.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+0.2.1
+#First line must be a semantic version number
+#all other lines are ignored.

src/modules/punk/ns-999999.0a1.0.tm

@@ -2297,7 +2297,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     proc dkf_enterstep {vname target args} {
         #dkf sample on wiki
         variable tinfo
-        if {$tinfo(disabled)} return
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        if {$_cmdtrace_disabled} return
+
         #only trace top level steps in the proc
         if {[info level] == [dict get $tinfo($target) level]} {
             if {[dict get $tinfo($target) firstline] < 0} {
@@ -2611,7 +2613,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
 
 
                             dict set tinfo($target) firstline $traceline
-                            set pbody [info body $target]
+                            set ns [punk::ns::nsprefix $target]
+                            set nscmd [punk::ns::nstail $target]
+                            set pbody [::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::body $nscmd]]
                             set offset 0
                             foreach ln [split $pbody \n] {
                                 incr offset 1
@@ -2740,25 +2744,34 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
             ::tcl::dict::set ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd [::tcl::dict::create eval_base 1 eval_offset 1 lines {} cmdtype $tgt_type successcalls 0 errorcalls 0]
         }
 
+        #if the target command has a leading colon (e.g expr alternative :) we can't put a trace directly on a fully qualified name with a triple colon such as :::
+        #we will need to evaluate in the namespace
         foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
+            set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
+            set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
             puts "tracing target: $tgt_cmd whilst running: $origin $arglist"
 
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
         }
 
 
         try {
-            uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            set origin_nscmd [nstail $origin]
+            set origin_ns [nsprefix $origin]
+            #uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $origin_ns [list $origin_nscmd {*}$arglist]
         } trap {} {errMsg errOptions} {
             puts stderr "command error $errMsg"
 
         } finally {
             foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
             }
         }
 
@@ -2780,7 +2793,7 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                         }
                         source {
                             set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {yellow bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
-                            puts stderr "source $k"
+                            #puts stderr "source $k"
                         }
                         default {
                             #set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {cyan bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
@@ -2800,6 +2813,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     }
     proc cmdtracebasic {args} {
         variable tinfo
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        set _cmdtrace_disabled false
+
         set cinfo   [uplevel 1 [list ::punk::ns::cmdinfo {*}$args]]
         set origin  [dict get $cinfo origin]
         set arglist [dict get $cinfo args_remaining]
@@ -4660,7 +4676,11 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     punk::args::define $argdef
                 } else {
                     puts "PROC auto def $autoid (generate_autodef)"
-                    set infoargs [info args $origin]
+                    #to handle procs like ":" (eg used by colin's bytecode based expr replacement) or other names of the form ":xyz"
+                    #we can't use 'info args :::' - tcl won't find it
+                    set ns      [nsprefix $origin]
+                    set nscmd   [nstail $origin]
+                    set infoargs [namespace eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::args $nscmd]]
                     set argdef [punk::lib::tstr -return string {
                         @id     -id "${$autoid}"
                         @cmd    -help\
@@ -4672,11 +4692,39 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     #rather than type 'any' - we should use 'unknown'
                     foreach a $infoargs {
                         incr i
-                        if {[info default $origin $a def]} {
+                        #we need a varname for ::tcl::info::default - but as we need to run it in the ns we have to be careful,
-                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"$def\""
+                        #or we risk variable collisions/pollution of the target ns.
+                        set default_info [apply [list {procname argname} {
+                            if {[::tcl::info::default $procname $argname defaultval]} {
+                                return [dict create exists 1 default $defaultval]
+                            } else {
+                                return [dict create exists 0 default ""]
+                            }
+                        } $ns] $nscmd $a]
+                        if {[dict get $default_info exists]} {
+                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"[dict get $default_info default]\""
                         } else {
                             if {$i == [llength $infoargs]-1 && $a eq "args"} {
-                                append argdef \n "arg -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
+                                #we need to use a name  that doesn't collide with any previous arguments
+                                #The common way of expressing args in a synopsis is ?arg...? but this won't work if a proc is defined such as:
+                                #proc something {arg args} {...}
+                                #This is a bit unfortunate, but not that unusual.
+                                #If we use 'args' - we get a synopsis of ?args...?  which isn't great
+                                #if someone uses both arg and args - we'll choose next available arg<int> for <int> starting at 1
+                                if {"arg" in $infoargs} {
+                                    #It's also possible someone defined a proc such as:
+                                    #proc something {args args} {...}
+                                    #This would make $args available in the proc as a single value, whilst making the remaining args inaccessble.
+                                    #Most likely that would be done in error?
+                                    set n 1
+                                    while {[lsearch $infoargs arg$n] >=0} {
+                                        incr n
+                                    }
+                                    set args_element "arg$n"
+                                } else {
+                                    set args_element "arg"
+                                }
+                                append argdef \n "$args_element -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
                             } else {
                                 append argdef \n "$a -type unknown"
                             }

src/modules/zzzload-999999.0a1.0.tm

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package require Thread
 namespace eval zzzload {
     variable loader_tid "" ;#thread id
     proc stacktrace {} {
+        #review
         set stack "Stack trace:\n"
         for {set i 1} {$i < [info level]} {incr i} {
             set lvl [info level -$i]
@@ -50,8 +51,13 @@ namespace eval zzzload {
         return $stack
     }
     proc pkg_require {pkgname args} {
+        #experimental
+        # loads a binary package in another thread - doesn't load an ordinary package in main thread.
+        # has potential for startup time savings with binary modules that are slow to load,
+        # but utility/practicality is dubious.
+
         variable loader_tid
-        if {[set ver [package provide twapi]] ne ""} {
+        if {[set ver [package provide $pkgname]] ne ""} {
             #skip the whole shebazzle if it's already loaded
             return $ver
         }

src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk-0.1.tm

@@ -5383,9 +5383,13 @@ namespace eval punk {
         #
         # potentially can be disabled by config(?) - but then scripts not able to use all repl features..
 
+
+        #------------------------
+        #todo 2026 - remove - use new : expr syntax instead
         #todo - repl output info that it was evaluated as an expression
         #know {[expr $args] || 1} {expr $args}
-        know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #---------------------------
 
         #it is significantly faster to call a proc such as punk::lib::range like this than to inline it in the unknown proc
         #punk::lib::range is defined as a wrapper to lseq if it is available (8.7+)

src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/mix-0.2.1.tm

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+
+package require punk::cap
+
+
+tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    proc init {} {
+        package require punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#handler for templates cap
+        punk::cap::register_capabilityname punk.templates ::punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#time taken should generally be sub 200us
+
+        #todo: use tcllib pluginmgr to load all modules that provide 'punk.templates'
+        #review - tcllib pluginmgr 0.5 @2025 has some bugs - esp regarding .tm modules vs packages
+        #We may also need to better control the order of module and library paths in the safe interps pluginmgr uses.
+        #todo - develop punk::pluginmgr to fix these issues (bug reports already submitted re tcllib, but the path issues may need customisation)
+
+        #The punk::mix::templates module is implemented as a zip based archive (modpod header)
+        #This requires vfs::zip package or zipfs command in Tcl
+        #Both are binary requirements - either can fail on older systems.
+        if {[catch {
+            package require punk::mix::templates ;#registers as provider pkg for 'punk.templates' capability with punk::cap
+        } errTemplates]} {
+            #emit a warning - but continue on without templates anyway. (punk::mix required to load when using bootsupport paths)
+            puts stderr "punk::mix failed to load ZIP archive-based module punk::mix::templates\nUse a modern Tcl with zipfs, or a recent vfs::zip library\nError:$errTemplates"
+        } else {
+            set t [time {
+                if {[catch {punk::mix::templates::provider register *} errM]} {
+                    puts stderr "punk::mix failure during punk::mix::templates::provider register *"
+                    puts stderr $errM
+                    puts stderr "-----"
+                    puts stderr $::errorInfo
+                }
+            }]
+        }
+        puts stderr "->punk::mix::templates::provider register * t=$t"
+    }
+    init
+}
+
+package require punk::mix::base
+package require punk::mix::cli
+
+package provide punk::mix [tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    variable version
+    set version 0.2.1
+
+}]

src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/ns-0.1.0.tm

@@ -2297,7 +2297,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     proc dkf_enterstep {vname target args} {
         #dkf sample on wiki
         variable tinfo
-        if {$tinfo(disabled)} return
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        if {$_cmdtrace_disabled} return
+
         #only trace top level steps in the proc
         if {[info level] == [dict get $tinfo($target) level]} {
             if {[dict get $tinfo($target) firstline] < 0} {
@@ -2611,7 +2613,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
 
 
                             dict set tinfo($target) firstline $traceline
-                            set pbody [info body $target]
+                            set ns [punk::ns::nsprefix $target]
+                            set nscmd [punk::ns::nstail $target]
+                            set pbody [::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::body $nscmd]]
                             set offset 0
                             foreach ln [split $pbody \n] {
                                 incr offset 1
@@ -2740,25 +2744,34 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
             ::tcl::dict::set ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd [::tcl::dict::create eval_base 1 eval_offset 1 lines {} cmdtype $tgt_type successcalls 0 errorcalls 0]
         }
 
+        #if the target command has a leading colon (e.g expr alternative :) we can't put a trace directly on a fully qualified name with a triple colon such as :::
+        #we will need to evaluate in the namespace
         foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
+            set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
+            set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
             puts "tracing target: $tgt_cmd whilst running: $origin $arglist"
 
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
         }
 
 
         try {
-            uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            set origin_nscmd [nstail $origin]
+            set origin_ns [nsprefix $origin]
+            #uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $origin_ns [list $origin_nscmd {*}$arglist]
         } trap {} {errMsg errOptions} {
             puts stderr "command error $errMsg"
 
         } finally {
             foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
             }
         }
 
@@ -2780,7 +2793,7 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                         }
                         source {
                             set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {yellow bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
-                            puts stderr "source $k"
+                            #puts stderr "source $k"
                         }
                         default {
                             #set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {cyan bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
@@ -2800,6 +2813,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     }
     proc cmdtracebasic {args} {
         variable tinfo
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        set _cmdtrace_disabled false
+
         set cinfo   [uplevel 1 [list ::punk::ns::cmdinfo {*}$args]]
         set origin  [dict get $cinfo origin]
         set arglist [dict get $cinfo args_remaining]
@@ -4660,7 +4676,11 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     punk::args::define $argdef
                 } else {
                     puts "PROC auto def $autoid (generate_autodef)"
-                    set infoargs [info args $origin]
+                    #to handle procs like ":" (eg used by colin's bytecode based expr replacement) or other names of the form ":xyz"
+                    #we can't use 'info args :::' - tcl won't find it
+                    set ns      [nsprefix $origin]
+                    set nscmd   [nstail $origin]
+                    set infoargs [namespace eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::args $nscmd]]
                     set argdef [punk::lib::tstr -return string {
                         @id     -id "${$autoid}"
                         @cmd    -help\
@@ -4672,11 +4692,39 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     #rather than type 'any' - we should use 'unknown'
                     foreach a $infoargs {
                         incr i
-                        if {[info default $origin $a def]} {
+                        #we need a varname for ::tcl::info::default - but as we need to run it in the ns we have to be careful,
-                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"$def\""
+                        #or we risk variable collisions/pollution of the target ns.
+                        set default_info [apply [list {procname argname} {
+                            if {[::tcl::info::default $procname $argname defaultval]} {
+                                return [dict create exists 1 default $defaultval]
+                            } else {
+                                return [dict create exists 0 default ""]
+                            }
+                        } $ns] $nscmd $a]
+                        if {[dict get $default_info exists]} {
+                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"[dict get $default_info default]\""
                         } else {
                             if {$i == [llength $infoargs]-1 && $a eq "args"} {
-                                append argdef \n "arg -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
+                                #we need to use a name  that doesn't collide with any previous arguments
+                                #The common way of expressing args in a synopsis is ?arg...? but this won't work if a proc is defined such as:
+                                #proc something {arg args} {...}
+                                #This is a bit unfortunate, but not that unusual.
+                                #If we use 'args' - we get a synopsis of ?args...?  which isn't great
+                                #if someone uses both arg and args - we'll choose next available arg<int> for <int> starting at 1
+                                if {"arg" in $infoargs} {
+                                    #It's also possible someone defined a proc such as:
+                                    #proc something {args args} {...}
+                                    #This would make $args available in the proc as a single value, whilst making the remaining args inaccessble.
+                                    #Most likely that would be done in error?
+                                    set n 1
+                                    while {[lsearch $infoargs arg$n] >=0} {
+                                        incr n
+                                    }
+                                    set args_element "arg$n"
+                                } else {
+                                    set args_element "arg"
+                                }
+                                append argdef \n "$args_element -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
                             } else {
                                 append argdef \n "$a -type unknown"
                             }

src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/zzzload-0.1.0.tm

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package require Thread
 namespace eval zzzload {
     variable loader_tid "" ;#thread id
     proc stacktrace {} {
+        #review
         set stack "Stack trace:\n"
         for {set i 1} {$i < [info level]} {incr i} {
             set lvl [info level -$i]
@@ -50,8 +51,13 @@ namespace eval zzzload {
         return $stack
     }
     proc pkg_require {pkgname args} {
+        #experimental
+        # loads a binary package in another thread - doesn't load an ordinary package in main thread.
+        # has potential for startup time savings with binary modules that are slow to load,
+        # but utility/practicality is dubious.
+
         variable loader_tid
-        if {[set ver [package provide twapi]] ne ""} {
+        if {[set ver [package provide $pkgname]] ne ""} {
             #skip the whole shebazzle if it's already loaded
             return $ver
         }

src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk-0.1.tm

@@ -5383,9 +5383,13 @@ namespace eval punk {
         #
         # potentially can be disabled by config(?) - but then scripts not able to use all repl features..
 
+
+        #------------------------
+        #todo 2026 - remove - use new : expr syntax instead
         #todo - repl output info that it was evaluated as an expression
         #know {[expr $args] || 1} {expr $args}
-        know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #---------------------------
 
         #it is significantly faster to call a proc such as punk::lib::range like this than to inline it in the unknown proc
         #punk::lib::range is defined as a wrapper to lseq if it is available (8.7+)

src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/mix-0.2.1.tm

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+
+package require punk::cap
+
+
+tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    proc init {} {
+        package require punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#handler for templates cap
+        punk::cap::register_capabilityname punk.templates ::punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#time taken should generally be sub 200us
+
+        #todo: use tcllib pluginmgr to load all modules that provide 'punk.templates'
+        #review - tcllib pluginmgr 0.5 @2025 has some bugs - esp regarding .tm modules vs packages
+        #We may also need to better control the order of module and library paths in the safe interps pluginmgr uses.
+        #todo - develop punk::pluginmgr to fix these issues (bug reports already submitted re tcllib, but the path issues may need customisation)
+
+        #The punk::mix::templates module is implemented as a zip based archive (modpod header)
+        #This requires vfs::zip package or zipfs command in Tcl
+        #Both are binary requirements - either can fail on older systems.
+        if {[catch {
+            package require punk::mix::templates ;#registers as provider pkg for 'punk.templates' capability with punk::cap
+        } errTemplates]} {
+            #emit a warning - but continue on without templates anyway. (punk::mix required to load when using bootsupport paths)
+            puts stderr "punk::mix failed to load ZIP archive-based module punk::mix::templates\nUse a modern Tcl with zipfs, or a recent vfs::zip library\nError:$errTemplates"
+        } else {
+            set t [time {
+                if {[catch {punk::mix::templates::provider register *} errM]} {
+                    puts stderr "punk::mix failure during punk::mix::templates::provider register *"
+                    puts stderr $errM
+                    puts stderr "-----"
+                    puts stderr $::errorInfo
+                }
+            }]
+        }
+        puts stderr "->punk::mix::templates::provider register * t=$t"
+    }
+    init
+}
+
+package require punk::mix::base
+package require punk::mix::cli
+
+package provide punk::mix [tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    variable version
+    set version 0.2.1
+
+}]

src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/ns-0.1.0.tm

@@ -2297,7 +2297,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     proc dkf_enterstep {vname target args} {
         #dkf sample on wiki
         variable tinfo
-        if {$tinfo(disabled)} return
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        if {$_cmdtrace_disabled} return
+
         #only trace top level steps in the proc
         if {[info level] == [dict get $tinfo($target) level]} {
             if {[dict get $tinfo($target) firstline] < 0} {
@@ -2611,7 +2613,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
 
 
                             dict set tinfo($target) firstline $traceline
-                            set pbody [info body $target]
+                            set ns [punk::ns::nsprefix $target]
+                            set nscmd [punk::ns::nstail $target]
+                            set pbody [::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::body $nscmd]]
                             set offset 0
                             foreach ln [split $pbody \n] {
                                 incr offset 1
@@ -2740,25 +2744,34 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
             ::tcl::dict::set ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd [::tcl::dict::create eval_base 1 eval_offset 1 lines {} cmdtype $tgt_type successcalls 0 errorcalls 0]
         }
 
+        #if the target command has a leading colon (e.g expr alternative :) we can't put a trace directly on a fully qualified name with a triple colon such as :::
+        #we will need to evaluate in the namespace
         foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
+            set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
+            set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
             puts "tracing target: $tgt_cmd whilst running: $origin $arglist"
 
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
         }
 
 
         try {
-            uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            set origin_nscmd [nstail $origin]
+            set origin_ns [nsprefix $origin]
+            #uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $origin_ns [list $origin_nscmd {*}$arglist]
         } trap {} {errMsg errOptions} {
             puts stderr "command error $errMsg"
 
         } finally {
             foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
             }
         }
 
@@ -2780,7 +2793,7 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                         }
                         source {
                             set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {yellow bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
-                            puts stderr "source $k"
+                            #puts stderr "source $k"
                         }
                         default {
                             #set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {cyan bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
@@ -2800,6 +2813,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     }
     proc cmdtracebasic {args} {
         variable tinfo
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        set _cmdtrace_disabled false
+
         set cinfo   [uplevel 1 [list ::punk::ns::cmdinfo {*}$args]]
         set origin  [dict get $cinfo origin]
         set arglist [dict get $cinfo args_remaining]
@@ -4660,7 +4676,11 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     punk::args::define $argdef
                 } else {
                     puts "PROC auto def $autoid (generate_autodef)"
-                    set infoargs [info args $origin]
+                    #to handle procs like ":" (eg used by colin's bytecode based expr replacement) or other names of the form ":xyz"
+                    #we can't use 'info args :::' - tcl won't find it
+                    set ns      [nsprefix $origin]
+                    set nscmd   [nstail $origin]
+                    set infoargs [namespace eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::args $nscmd]]
                     set argdef [punk::lib::tstr -return string {
                         @id     -id "${$autoid}"
                         @cmd    -help\
@@ -4672,11 +4692,39 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     #rather than type 'any' - we should use 'unknown'
                     foreach a $infoargs {
                         incr i
-                        if {[info default $origin $a def]} {
+                        #we need a varname for ::tcl::info::default - but as we need to run it in the ns we have to be careful,
-                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"$def\""
+                        #or we risk variable collisions/pollution of the target ns.
+                        set default_info [apply [list {procname argname} {
+                            if {[::tcl::info::default $procname $argname defaultval]} {
+                                return [dict create exists 1 default $defaultval]
+                            } else {
+                                return [dict create exists 0 default ""]
+                            }
+                        } $ns] $nscmd $a]
+                        if {[dict get $default_info exists]} {
+                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"[dict get $default_info default]\""
                         } else {
                             if {$i == [llength $infoargs]-1 && $a eq "args"} {
-                                append argdef \n "arg -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
+                                #we need to use a name  that doesn't collide with any previous arguments
+                                #The common way of expressing args in a synopsis is ?arg...? but this won't work if a proc is defined such as:
+                                #proc something {arg args} {...}
+                                #This is a bit unfortunate, but not that unusual.
+                                #If we use 'args' - we get a synopsis of ?args...?  which isn't great
+                                #if someone uses both arg and args - we'll choose next available arg<int> for <int> starting at 1
+                                if {"arg" in $infoargs} {
+                                    #It's also possible someone defined a proc such as:
+                                    #proc something {args args} {...}
+                                    #This would make $args available in the proc as a single value, whilst making the remaining args inaccessble.
+                                    #Most likely that would be done in error?
+                                    set n 1
+                                    while {[lsearch $infoargs arg$n] >=0} {
+                                        incr n
+                                    }
+                                    set args_element "arg$n"
+                                } else {
+                                    set args_element "arg"
+                                }
+                                append argdef \n "$args_element -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
                             } else {
                                 append argdef \n "$a -type unknown"
                             }

src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/zzzload-0.1.0.tm

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package require Thread
 namespace eval zzzload {
     variable loader_tid "" ;#thread id
     proc stacktrace {} {
+        #review
         set stack "Stack trace:\n"
         for {set i 1} {$i < [info level]} {incr i} {
             set lvl [info level -$i]
@@ -50,8 +51,13 @@ namespace eval zzzload {
         return $stack
     }
     proc pkg_require {pkgname args} {
+        #experimental
+        # loads a binary package in another thread - doesn't load an ordinary package in main thread.
+        # has potential for startup time savings with binary modules that are slow to load,
+        # but utility/practicality is dubious.
+
         variable loader_tid
-        if {[set ver [package provide twapi]] ne ""} {
+        if {[set ver [package provide $pkgname]] ne ""} {
             #skip the whole shebazzle if it's already loaded
             return $ver
         }

src/vfs/_vfscommon.vfs/modules/punk-0.1.tm

@@ -5383,9 +5383,13 @@ namespace eval punk {
         #
         # potentially can be disabled by config(?) - but then scripts not able to use all repl features..
 
+
+        #------------------------
+        #todo 2026 - remove - use new : expr syntax instead
         #todo - repl output info that it was evaluated as an expression
         #know {[expr $args] || 1} {expr $args}
-        know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #know {[expr $args] || 1} {tailcall expr $args}
+        #---------------------------
 
         #it is significantly faster to call a proc such as punk::lib::range like this than to inline it in the unknown proc
         #punk::lib::range is defined as a wrapper to lseq if it is available (8.7+)

src/vfs/_vfscommon.vfs/modules/punk/mix-0.2.1.tm

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+
+package require punk::cap
+
+
+tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    proc init {} {
+        package require punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#handler for templates cap
+        punk::cap::register_capabilityname punk.templates ::punk::cap::handlers::templates ;#time taken should generally be sub 200us
+
+        #todo: use tcllib pluginmgr to load all modules that provide 'punk.templates'
+        #review - tcllib pluginmgr 0.5 @2025 has some bugs - esp regarding .tm modules vs packages
+        #We may also need to better control the order of module and library paths in the safe interps pluginmgr uses.
+        #todo - develop punk::pluginmgr to fix these issues (bug reports already submitted re tcllib, but the path issues may need customisation)
+
+        #The punk::mix::templates module is implemented as a zip based archive (modpod header)
+        #This requires vfs::zip package or zipfs command in Tcl
+        #Both are binary requirements - either can fail on older systems.
+        if {[catch {
+            package require punk::mix::templates ;#registers as provider pkg for 'punk.templates' capability with punk::cap
+        } errTemplates]} {
+            #emit a warning - but continue on without templates anyway. (punk::mix required to load when using bootsupport paths)
+            puts stderr "punk::mix failed to load ZIP archive-based module punk::mix::templates\nUse a modern Tcl with zipfs, or a recent vfs::zip library\nError:$errTemplates"
+        } else {
+            set t [time {
+                if {[catch {punk::mix::templates::provider register *} errM]} {
+                    puts stderr "punk::mix failure during punk::mix::templates::provider register *"
+                    puts stderr $errM
+                    puts stderr "-----"
+                    puts stderr $::errorInfo
+                }
+            }]
+        }
+        puts stderr "->punk::mix::templates::provider register * t=$t"
+    }
+    init
+}
+
+package require punk::mix::base
+package require punk::mix::cli
+
+package provide punk::mix [tcl::namespace::eval punk::mix {
+    variable version
+    set version 0.2.1
+
+}]

src/vfs/_vfscommon.vfs/modules/punk/ns-0.1.0.tm

@@ -2297,7 +2297,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     proc dkf_enterstep {vname target args} {
         #dkf sample on wiki
         variable tinfo
-        if {$tinfo(disabled)} return
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        if {$_cmdtrace_disabled} return
+
         #only trace top level steps in the proc
         if {[info level] == [dict get $tinfo($target) level]} {
             if {[dict get $tinfo($target) firstline] < 0} {
@@ -2611,7 +2613,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
 
 
                             dict set tinfo($target) firstline $traceline
-                            set pbody [info body $target]
+                            set ns [punk::ns::nsprefix $target]
+                            set nscmd [punk::ns::nstail $target]
+                            set pbody [::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::body $nscmd]]
                             set offset 0
                             foreach ln [split $pbody \n] {
                                 incr offset 1
@@ -2740,25 +2744,34 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
             ::tcl::dict::set ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd [::tcl::dict::create eval_base 1 eval_offset 1 lines {} cmdtype $tgt_type successcalls 0 errorcalls 0]
         }
 
+        #if the target command has a leading colon (e.g expr alternative :) we can't put a trace directly on a fully qualified name with a triple colon such as :::
+        #we will need to evaluate in the namespace
         foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
+            set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
+            set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
             puts "tracing target: $tgt_cmd whilst running: $origin $arglist"
 
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enter       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd enterstep   [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
-            trace add execution $tgt_cmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace add execution $nscmd leave       [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
         }
 
 
         try {
-            uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            set origin_nscmd [nstail $origin]
+            set origin_ns [nsprefix $origin]
+            #uplevel 1 [list $origin {*}$arglist]
+            ::tcl::namespace::eval $origin_ns [list $origin_nscmd {*}$arglist]
         } trap {} {errMsg errOptions} {
             puts stderr "command error $errMsg"
 
         } finally {
             foreach tgt_cmd $resolved_targets {
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set nscmd [nstail $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                set ns [nsprefix $tgt_cmd]
-                trace remove execution $tgt_cmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enterstep    [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enterstep   ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd enter        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_enter       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
+                ::tcl::namespace::eval $ns [list ::trace remove execution $nscmd leave        [list ::punk::ns::_cmdtrace_leave       ::punk::ns::linedict $tgt_cmd]]
             }
         }
 
@@ -2780,7 +2793,7 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                         }
                         source {
                             set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {yellow bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
-                            puts stderr "source $k"
+                            #puts stderr "source $k"
                         }
                         default {
                             #set procbody [grepstr -r a -highlight {cyan bold underline} "^\\s*${k}\\s+" $procbody]
@@ -2800,6 +2813,9 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
     }
     proc cmdtracebasic {args} {
         variable tinfo
+        variable _cmdtrace_disabled
+        set _cmdtrace_disabled false
+
         set cinfo   [uplevel 1 [list ::punk::ns::cmdinfo {*}$args]]
         set origin  [dict get $cinfo origin]
         set arglist [dict get $cinfo args_remaining]
@@ -4660,7 +4676,11 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     punk::args::define $argdef
                 } else {
                     puts "PROC auto def $autoid (generate_autodef)"
-                    set infoargs [info args $origin]
+                    #to handle procs like ":" (eg used by colin's bytecode based expr replacement) or other names of the form ":xyz"
+                    #we can't use 'info args :::' - tcl won't find it
+                    set ns      [nsprefix $origin]
+                    set nscmd   [nstail $origin]
+                    set infoargs [namespace eval $ns [list ::tcl::info::args $nscmd]]
                     set argdef [punk::lib::tstr -return string {
                         @id     -id "${$autoid}"
                         @cmd    -help\
@@ -4672,11 +4692,39 @@ y" {return quirkykeyscript}
                     #rather than type 'any' - we should use 'unknown'
                     foreach a $infoargs {
                         incr i
-                        if {[info default $origin $a def]} {
+                        #we need a varname for ::tcl::info::default - but as we need to run it in the ns we have to be careful,
-                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"$def\""
+                        #or we risk variable collisions/pollution of the target ns.
+                        set default_info [apply [list {procname argname} {
+                            if {[::tcl::info::default $procname $argname defaultval]} {
+                                return [dict create exists 1 default $defaultval]
+                            } else {
+                                return [dict create exists 0 default ""]
+                            }
+                        } $ns] $nscmd $a]
+                        if {[dict get $default_info exists]} {
+                            append argdef \n "$a -type unknown -default \"[dict get $default_info default]\""
                         } else {
                             if {$i == [llength $infoargs]-1 && $a eq "args"} {
-                                append argdef \n "arg -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
+                                #we need to use a name  that doesn't collide with any previous arguments
+                                #The common way of expressing args in a synopsis is ?arg...? but this won't work if a proc is defined such as:
+                                #proc something {arg args} {...}
+                                #This is a bit unfortunate, but not that unusual.
+                                #If we use 'args' - we get a synopsis of ?args...?  which isn't great
+                                #if someone uses both arg and args - we'll choose next available arg<int> for <int> starting at 1
+                                if {"arg" in $infoargs} {
+                                    #It's also possible someone defined a proc such as:
+                                    #proc something {args args} {...}
+                                    #This would make $args available in the proc as a single value, whilst making the remaining args inaccessble.
+                                    #Most likely that would be done in error?
+                                    set n 1
+                                    while {[lsearch $infoargs arg$n] >=0} {
+                                        incr n
+                                    }
+                                    set args_element "arg$n"
+                                } else {
+                                    set args_element "arg"
+                                }
+                                append argdef \n "$args_element -type unknown -multiple 1 -optional 1"
                             } else {
                                 append argdef \n "$a -type unknown"
                             }

src/vfs/_vfscommon.vfs/modules/zzzload-0.1.0.tm

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package require Thread
 namespace eval zzzload {
     variable loader_tid "" ;#thread id
     proc stacktrace {} {
+        #review
         set stack "Stack trace:\n"
         for {set i 1} {$i < [info level]} {incr i} {
             set lvl [info level -$i]
@@ -50,8 +51,13 @@ namespace eval zzzload {
         return $stack
     }
     proc pkg_require {pkgname args} {
+        #experimental
+        # loads a binary package in another thread - doesn't load an ordinary package in main thread.
+        # has potential for startup time savings with binary modules that are slow to load,
+        # but utility/practicality is dubious.
+
         variable loader_tid
-        if {[set ver [package provide twapi]] ne ""} {
+        if {[set ver [package provide $pkgname]] ne ""} {
             #skip the whole shebazzle if it's already loaded
             return $ver
         }