--- a/src/pt-const.cc
+++ b/src/pt-const.cc
@@ -1399,40 +1399,39 @@
   type_tag = unknown_constant;
 
 // Look for type keyword
-  char tag [128];
-  if (extract_keyword (is, "type", tag))
+
+  char *tag = extract_keyword (is, "type");
+
+  if (tag != (char *) NULL && *tag != '\0')
     {
-      if (tag != (char *) NULL && *tag != '\0')
+      char *ptr = strchr (tag, ' ');
+      if (ptr != (char *) NULL)
 	{
-	  char *ptr = strchr (tag, ' ');
-	  if (ptr != (char *) NULL)
-	    {
-	      *ptr = '\0';
-	      is_global = (strncmp (tag, "global", 6) == 0);
-	      *ptr = ' ';
-	      ptr++;
-	    }
-	  else
-	    ptr = &tag[0];
-
-	  if (strncmp (ptr, "scalar", 6) == 0)
-	    type_tag = load (is, scalar_constant);
-	  else if (strncmp (ptr, "matrix", 6) == 0)
-	    type_tag = load (is, matrix_constant);
-	  else if (strncmp (ptr, "complex scalar", 14) == 0)
-	    type_tag = load (is, complex_scalar_constant);
-	  else if (strncmp (ptr, "complex matrix", 14) == 0)
-	    type_tag = load (is, complex_matrix_constant);
-	  else if (strncmp (ptr, "string", 6) == 0)
-	    type_tag = load (is, string_constant);
-	  else if (strncmp (ptr, "range", 5) == 0)
-	    type_tag = load (is, range_constant);
-	  else
-	    ::error ("unknown constant type `%s'", tag);
+	  *ptr = '\0';
+	  is_global = (strncmp (tag, "global", 6) == 0);
+	  *ptr = ' ';
+	  ptr++;
 	}
       else
-	::error ("failed to extract keyword specifying value type");
+	ptr = &tag[0];
+
+      if (strncmp (ptr, "scalar", 6) == 0)
+	type_tag = load (is, scalar_constant);
+      else if (strncmp (ptr, "matrix", 6) == 0)
+	type_tag = load (is, matrix_constant);
+      else if (strncmp (ptr, "complex scalar", 14) == 0)
+	type_tag = load (is, complex_scalar_constant);
+      else if (strncmp (ptr, "complex matrix", 14) == 0)
+	type_tag = load (is, complex_matrix_constant);
+      else if (strncmp (ptr, "string", 6) == 0)
+	type_tag = load (is, string_constant);
+      else if (strncmp (ptr, "range", 5) == 0)
+	type_tag = load (is, range_constant);
+      else
+	::error ("unknown constant type `%s'", tag);
     }
+  else
+    ::error ("failed to extract keyword specifying value type");
 
   return is_global;
 }

--- a/src/t-builtins.cc
+++ b/src/t-builtins.cc
@@ -246,9 +246,7 @@
 
 /*
  * Wipe out user-defined variables and functions given a list of
- * regular expressions.
- *
- * It's not likely that this works correctly now.  XXX FIXME XXX
+ * globbing patterns.
  */
 tree_constant
 builtin_clear (int argc, char **argv)
@@ -736,12 +734,12 @@
       stream = file;
     }
 
-  char nm [128]; // XXX FIXME XXX
   int count = 0;
   for (;;)
     {
 // Read name for this entry or break on EOF.
-      if (extract_keyword (stream, "name", nm) == 0 || nm == (char *) NULL)
+      char *nm = extract_keyword (stream, "name");
+      if (nm == (char *) NULL)
 	{
 	  if (count == 0)
 	    {
@@ -750,6 +748,8 @@
 	    }
 	  break;
 	}
+      else
+	count++;
 
       if (*nm == '\0')
 	continue;
@@ -760,8 +760,13 @@
 	  continue;
 	}
 
-      if (load_variable (nm, force, stream))
-	count++;
+      load_variable (nm, force, stream);
+
+      if (error_state)
+	{
+	  error ("reading file %s", *argv);
+	  break;
+	}
     }
 
   if (file);
@@ -875,7 +880,7 @@
   static ofstream file;
   if (strcmp (*argv, "-") == 0)
     {
-// XXX FIXME XXX -- things intended for the screen should end up in a
+// XXX FIXME XXX -- should things intended for the screen end up in a 
 // tree_constant (string)?
       stream = cout;
     }

--- a/src/variables.cc
+++ b/src/variables.cc
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #endif
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <iostream.h>
+#include <strstream.h>
 
 #include "statdefs.h"
 #include "tree-const.h"
@@ -447,13 +448,19 @@
  * something like:
  *
  *  #[ \t]*keyword[ \t]*:[ \t]*string-value\n
+ *
+ * Returns a pointer to a static variable which is only valid until
+ * the next time this function is called.
  */
-int
-extract_keyword (istream& is, char *keyword, char *value)
+char *
+extract_keyword (istream& is, char *keyword)
 {
-  char *ptr = value;
+  ostrstream buf;
 
-  int status = 0;
+  static char *retval = (char *) NULL;
+
+  delete [] retval;
+  retval = (char *) NULL;
 
   char c;
   while (is.get (c))
@@ -464,37 +471,41 @@
 	    ; // Skip whitespace and comment characters.
 
 	  if (isalpha (c))
-	    *ptr++ = c;
+	    buf << c;
 
 	  while (is.get (c) && isalpha (c))
-	    *ptr++ = c;
+	    buf << c;
 
-	  if (strncmp (value, keyword, strlen (keyword)) == 0)
+	  buf << ends;
+	  char *tmp = buf.str ();
+	  int match = (strncmp (tmp, keyword, strlen (keyword)) == 0);
+	  delete [] tmp;
+
+	  if (match)
 	    {
-	      ptr = value;
+	      ostrstream value;
 	      while (is.get (c) && (c == ' ' || c == '\t' || c == ':'))
 		; // Skip whitespace and the colon.
 
 	      if (c != '\n')
 		{
-		  *ptr++ = c;
+		  value << c;
 		  while (is.get (c) && c != '\n')
-		    *ptr++ = c;
+		    value << c;
 		}
-	      *ptr = '\0';
-	      status = 1;
+	      value << ends;
+	      retval = value.str ();
 	      break;
 	    }
 	}
     }
-  return status;
+  return retval;
 }
 
 int
 extract_keyword (istream& is, char *keyword, int& value)
 {
-  char buf [128];
-  char *ptr = buf;
+  ostrstream buf;
 
   int status = 0;
   value = 0;
@@ -508,14 +519,18 @@
 	    ; // Skip whitespace and comment characters.
 
 	  if (isalpha (c))
-	    *ptr++ = c;
+	    buf << c;
 
 	  while (is.get (c) && isalpha (c))
-	    *ptr++ = c;
+	    buf << c;
 
-	  if (strncmp (buf, keyword, strlen (keyword)) == 0)
+	  buf << ends;
+	  char *tmp = buf.str ();
+	  int match = (strncmp (tmp, keyword, strlen (keyword)) == 0);
+	  delete [] tmp;
+
+	  if (match)
 	    {
-	      ptr = buf;
 	      while (is.get (c) && (c == ' ' || c == '\t' || c == ':'))
 		; // Skip whitespace and the colon.
 

--- a/src/variables.h
+++ b/src/variables.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
 
 extern int is_globally_visible (const char *nm);
 
-extern int extract_keyword (istream&, char *, char *);
+extern char *extract_keyword (istream&, char *);
 extern int extract_keyword (istream&, char *, int&);
 
 extern void skip_comments (istream&);