diff --git a/src/modules/punk-0.1.tm b/src/modules/punk-0.1.tm
index 134dee8..ce85efc 100644
--- a/src/modules/punk-0.1.tm
+++ b/src/modules/punk-0.1.tm
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ namespace eval punk {
             scan $s %${p}s%s
     }
     proc _split_patterns {varspecs} {
-        set name_mapped [pipecmd_rhsmapping $varspecs] 
+        set name_mapped [pipecmd_namemapping $varspecs] 
         set cmdname ::punk::pipecmds::split_patterns_$name_mapped
         if {$cmdname in [info commands $cmdname]} {
             return [$cmdname]
@@ -1876,7 +1876,7 @@ namespace eval punk {
 
 
     proc _var_classify {multivar} {
-        set cmdname ::punk::pipecmds::var_classify_$multivar
+        set cmdname ::punk::pipecmds::var_classify_[pipecmd_namemapping $multivar]
         if {$cmdname in [info commands $cmdname]} {
             return [$cmdname]
         }
@@ -2848,8 +2848,10 @@ namespace eval punk {
 
     #map rhs to names suitable to use in pipemcd proc name (whitespace mapping)
     # (for .= and = pipecmds)
-    proc pipecmd_rhsmapping {rhs} {
-        return [string map [list " " "<sp>" \t "<tab>"] $rhs]
+    proc pipecmd_namemapping {rhs} {
+        set rhs [string trim $rhs];#ignore all leading & trailing whitespace
+        set rhs [regsub -all {\s{1,}} $rhs {<sp>}] ;#collapse all internal whitespace to a single <sp> token
+        return $rhs
     }
 
     #same as used in unknown func for initial launch
@@ -2865,16 +2867,16 @@ namespace eval punk {
         }
         #puts stderr ">> match_assign '$scopepattern=$equalsrhs' $args"
         set fulltail $args
-        set homens ::punk::pipecmds
-        set rhsmapping [pipecmd_rhsmapping $equalsrhs]
-        set pipecmd ${homens}::$scopepattern=$rhsmapping
+        set cmdns ::punk::pipecmds
+        set namemapping [pipecmd_namemapping $equalsrhs]
+        set pipecmd ${cmdns}::$scopepattern=$namemapping
         #pipecmd could have glob chars - test $pipcmd in the list - not just that info commands returns results.
         if {$pipecmd in [info commands $pipecmd]} {
             #puts "==nscaller: '[uplevel 1 [list namespace current]]'"
             #uplevel 1 [list ::namespace import $pipecmd]
             set existing_path [uplevel 1 [list ::namespace path]]
-            if {$homens ni $existing_path} {
-                uplevel 1 [list ::namespace path [concat $existing_path $homens]]
+            if {$cmdns ni $existing_path} {
+                uplevel 1 [list ::namespace path [concat $existing_path $cmdns]]
             }
             tailcall $pipecmd {*}$args
         }
@@ -3037,8 +3039,8 @@ namespace eval punk {
         debug.punk.pipe.compile {match_assign creating proc $pipecmd} 2
         uplevel 1 [list ::proc $pipecmd args $script]
         set existing_path [uplevel 1 [list ::namespace path]]
-        if {$homens ni $existing_path} {
-            uplevel 1 [list ::namespace path [concat $existing_path $homens]]
+        if {$cmdns ni $existing_path} {
+            uplevel 1 [list ::namespace path [concat $existing_path $cmdns]]
         }
         tailcall $pipecmd {*}$args
     }
@@ -3683,7 +3685,7 @@ namespace eval punk {
                 set segment_members_filled [list]
                 set segmenttail $segment_members ;# todo - change to segment_members here to match punk::match_assign
 
-                set rhsmapped [pipecmd_rhsmapping $rhs]
+                set rhsmapped [pipecmd_namemapping $rhs]
                 set cmdname "::punk::pipecmds::insertion_$rhsmapped"
                 #commandname can contain glob chars - must search for exact membership in 'info commands' result.
                 if {$cmdname ni [info commands $cmdname]} {
@@ -4227,7 +4229,7 @@ namespace eval punk {
             } else {
                 set nscaller [uplevel 1 [list ::namespace current]]
                 #jmn
-                set rhsmapped [pipecmd_rhsmapping $equalsrhs]
+                set rhsmapped [pipecmd_namemapping $equalsrhs]
                 set commands [uplevel 1 [list ::info commands $pattern=$rhsmapped]] ;#uplevel - or else we are checking from perspective of this namespace ::punk
                 #we must check for exact match of the command in the list - because command could have glob chars.
                 if {"$pattern=$rhsmapped" in $commands} {
diff --git a/src/modules/punk/ns-999999.0a1.0.tm b/src/modules/punk/ns-999999.0a1.0.tm
index 88d3c76..c3d0023 100644
--- a/src/modules/punk/ns-999999.0a1.0.tm
+++ b/src/modules/punk/ns-999999.0a1.0.tm
@@ -1124,6 +1124,7 @@ namespace eval punk::ns {
 
 
             set nsdict [dict create\
+                location $location\
                 children [lsort $childtailmatches]\
                 commands $commands\
                 procs $procs\
@@ -1135,7 +1136,6 @@ namespace eval punk::ns {
                 ooclasses $ooclasses\
                 namespacexport $exportpatterns\
                 undetermined $undetermined\
-                location $location\
                 namespacepath $nspathdict\
                 glob $glob\
                 itemcount $itemcount\
@@ -1143,8 +1143,6 @@ namespace eval punk::ns {
             lappend nsdict_list $nsdict
         }
         return $nsdict_list 
-        #return [list children [lsort $tailmatches] commands $commands procs $procs exported $exported imported $imported aliases $aliases ensembles $ensembles ooobjects $ooobjects ooclasses $ooclasses namespacexport $exportpatterns location $location glob $glob]
-
     }
     #Must be no ansi when only single arg used.
     #review - ansi codes will be very confusing in some scenarios!