diff --git a/basis/combinators/smart/smart-docs.factor b/basis/combinators/smart/smart-docs.factor
index 3df709c9fa..75f83c1a55 100644
--- a/basis/combinators/smart/smart-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/combinators/smart/smart-docs.factor
@@ -76,6 +76,37 @@ HELP: sum-outputs
     }
 } ;
 
+HELP: append-outputs
+{ $values
+     { "quot" quotation }
+     { "seq" sequence }
+}
+{ $description "Infers the number of outputs from " { $snippet "quot" } " and returns a sequence of the outputs appended." }
+{ $examples
+    { $example
+        "USING: combinators.smart prettyprint ;"
+        "[ { 1 2 } { \"A\" \"b\" } ] append-outputs ."
+        "{ 1 2 \"A\" \"b\" }"
+    }
+} ;
+
+HELP: append-outputs-as
+{ $values
+     { "quot" quotation } { "exemplar" sequence }
+     { "seq" sequence }
+}
+{ $description "Infers the number of outputs from " { $snippet "quot" } " and returns a sequence of type " { $snippet "exemplar" } " of the outputs appended." }
+{ $examples
+    { $example
+        "USING: combinators.smart prettyprint ;"
+        "[ { 1 2 } { \"A\" \"b\" } ] V{ } append-outputs-as ."
+        "V{ 1 2 \"A\" \"b\" }"
+    }
+} ;
+
+{ append-outputs append-outputs-as } related-words
+
+
 ARTICLE: "combinators.smart" "Smart combinators"
 "The " { $vocab-link "combinators.smart" } " vocabulary implements " { $emphasis "smart combinators" } ". A smart combinator is one whose behavior depends on the static stack effect of an input quotation." $nl
 "Smart inputs from a sequence:"
@@ -86,6 +117,9 @@ ARTICLE: "combinators.smart" "Smart combinators"
 "Reducing the output of a quotation:"
 { $subsection reduce-outputs }
 "Summing the output of a quotation:"
-{ $subsection sum-outputs } ;
+{ $subsection sum-outputs }
+"Appending the results of a quotation:"
+{ $subsection append-outputs }
+{ $subsection append-outputs-as } ;
 
 ABOUT: "combinators.smart"
diff --git a/basis/combinators/smart/smart-tests.factor b/basis/combinators/smart/smart-tests.factor
index 54c53477db..370dc26960 100644
--- a/basis/combinators/smart/smart-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/combinators/smart/smart-tests.factor
@@ -12,10 +12,28 @@ IN: combinators.smart.tests
 [ { 9 11 } [ + ] input<sequence ] must-infer
 [ 20 ] [ { 9 11 } [ + ] input<sequence ] unit-test
 
-
-
 [ 6 ] [ [ 1 2 3 ] [ + ] reduce-outputs ] unit-test
 
 [ [ 1 2 3 ] [ + ] reduce-outputs ] must-infer
 
 [ 6 ] [ [ 1 2 3 ] sum-outputs ] unit-test
+
+[ "ab" ]
+[
+    [ "a" "b" ] "" append-outputs-as
+] unit-test
+
+[ "" ]
+[
+    [ ] "" append-outputs-as
+] unit-test
+
+[ { } ]
+[
+    [ ] append-outputs
+] unit-test
+
+[ B{ 1 2 3 } ]
+[
+    [ { 1 } { 2 } { 3 } ] B{ } append-outputs-as
+] unit-test
diff --git a/basis/combinators/smart/smart.factor b/basis/combinators/smart/smart.factor
index 7a68cb5c1c..e93d84e394 100644
--- a/basis/combinators/smart/smart.factor
+++ b/basis/combinators/smart/smart.factor
@@ -20,3 +20,9 @@ MACRO: reduce-outputs ( quot operation -- newquot )
 
 : sum-outputs ( quot -- n )
     [ + ] reduce-outputs ; inline
+
+MACRO: append-outputs-as ( quot exemplar -- newquot )
+    [ dup infer out>> ] dip '[ @ _ _ nappend-as ] ;
+
+: append-outputs ( quot -- seq )
+    { } append-outputs-as ; inline
diff --git a/basis/generalizations/generalizations-docs.factor b/basis/generalizations/generalizations-docs.factor
index 9fde1fd1b1..a676be3be8 100644
--- a/basis/generalizations/generalizations-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/generalizations/generalizations-docs.factor
@@ -259,6 +259,55 @@ HELP: mnswap
     }
 } ;
 
+HELP: n*quot
+{ $values
+     { "n" integer } { "seq" sequence }
+     { "seq'" sequence }
+}
+{ $examples
+    { $example "USING: generalizations prettyprint math ;"
+               "3 [ + ] n*quot ."
+               "[ + + + ]"
+    }
+}
+{ $description "Construct a quotation containing the contents of " { $snippet "seq" } " repeated " { $snippet "n"} " times." } ;
+
+HELP: nappend
+{ $values
+     { "n" integer }
+     { "seq" sequence }
+}
+{ $description "Outputs a new sequence consisting of the elements of the top " { $snippet "n" } " sequences from the datastack in turn." }
+{ $errors "Throws an error if any of the sequences contain elements that are not permitted in the sequence type of the first sequence." }
+{ $examples
+    { $example "USING: generalizations prettyprint math ;"
+               "{ 1 2 } { 3 4 } { 5 6 } { 7 8 } 4 nappend ."
+               "{ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 }"
+    }
+} ;
+
+HELP: nappend-as
+{ $values
+     { "n" integer } { "exemplar" sequence }
+     { "seq" sequence }
+}
+{ $description "Outputs a new sequence of type " { $snippet "exemplar" } " consisting of the elements of the top " { $snippet "n" } " sequences from the datastack in turn." }
+{ $errors "Throws an error if any of the sequences contain elements that are not permitted in the sequence type of the first sequence." }
+{ $examples
+    { $example "USING: generalizations prettyprint math ;"
+               "{ 1 2 } { 3 4 } { 5 6 } { 7 8 } 4 V{ } nappend-as ."
+               "V{ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 }"
+    }
+} ;
+
+{ nappend nappend-as } related-words
+
+HELP: ntuck
+{ $values
+     { "n" integer }
+}
+{ $description "A generalization of " { $link tuck } " that can work for any stack depth. The top item will be copied and placed " { $snippet "n" } " items down on the stack." } ;
+
 ARTICLE: "generalizations" "Generalized shuffle words and combinators"
 "The " { $vocab-link "generalizations" } " vocabulary defines a number of stack shuffling words and combinators for use in "
 "macros where the arity of the input quotations depends on an "
@@ -268,6 +317,8 @@ $nl
 { $subsection narray }
 { $subsection nsequence }
 { $subsection firstn }
+{ $subsection nappend }
+{ $subsection nappend-as }
 "Generated stack shuffle operations:"
 { $subsection ndup }
 { $subsection npick }
@@ -275,6 +326,7 @@ $nl
 { $subsection -nrot }
 { $subsection nnip }
 { $subsection ndrop }
+{ $subsection ntuck }
 { $subsection nrev }
 { $subsection mnswap }
 "Generalized combinators:"
diff --git a/basis/generalizations/generalizations-tests.factor b/basis/generalizations/generalizations-tests.factor
index 4eb4c4e686..35e02f08b4 100644
--- a/basis/generalizations/generalizations-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/generalizations/generalizations-tests.factor
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ IN: generalizations.tests
 { 1 2 3 4 2 } [ 1 2 3 4 3 npick ] unit-test
 { 1 2 3 4 3 } [ 1 2 3 4 2 npick ] unit-test
 { 1 2 3 4 4 } [ 1 2 3 4 1 npick ] unit-test
+
 [ 1 1 ndup ] must-infer
 { 1 1 } [ 1 1 ndup ] unit-test
 { 1 2 1 2 } [ 1 2 2 ndup ] unit-test
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ IN: generalizations.tests
 { 4 } [ 1 2 3 4 3 nnip ] unit-test
 [ 1 2 3 4 4 ndrop ] must-infer
 { 0 } [ 0 1 2 3 4 4 ndrop ] unit-test
+[ [ 1 ] 5 ndip ] must-infer
+[ 1 2 3 4 ] [ 2 3 4 [ 1 ] 3 ndip ] unit-test
 
 [ [ 99 ] 1 2 3 4 5 5 nslip ] must-infer
 { 99 1 2 3 4 5 } [ [ 99 ] 1 2 3 4 5 5 nslip ] unit-test
@@ -44,3 +47,9 @@ IN: generalizations.tests
 [ 4 5 1 2 3 ] [ 1 2 3 4 5 2 3 mnswap ] unit-test
 
 [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 ] [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 4 mnswap 4 2 mnswap ] unit-test
+
+[ { 1 2 3 4 } ] [ { 1 } { 2 } { 3 } { 4 } 4 nappend ] unit-test
+[ V{ 1 2 3 4 } ] [ { 1 } { 2 } { 3 } { 4 } 4 V{ } nappend-as ] unit-test
+
+[ 4 nappend ] must-infer
+[ 4 { } nappend-as ] must-infer
diff --git a/basis/generalizations/generalizations.factor b/basis/generalizations/generalizations.factor
index a447d5c706..c6a17df099 100644
--- a/basis/generalizations/generalizations.factor
+++ b/basis/generalizations/generalizations.factor
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 ! Cavazos, Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 USING: kernel sequences sequences.private math math.ranges
-combinators macros quotations fry ;
+combinators macros quotations fry macros locals ;
 IN: generalizations
 
 <<
@@ -78,3 +78,8 @@ MACRO: napply ( quot n -- )
 
 MACRO: mnswap ( m n -- )
     1+ '[ _ -nrot ] <repetition> spread>quot ;
+
+: nappend-as ( n exemplar -- seq )
+    [ narray concat ] dip like ; inline
+
+: nappend ( n -- seq ) narray concat ; inline
diff --git a/basis/pack/pack-tests.factor b/basis/pack/pack-tests.factor
index 1be37292a0..999a952174 100755
--- a/basis/pack/pack-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/pack/pack-tests.factor
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 USING: io io.streams.string kernel namespaces make
-pack strings tools.test ;
+pack strings tools.test pack.private ;
+IN: pack.tests
 
 [ B{ 1 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 } ] [
     { 1 2 3 4 5 }
@@ -37,15 +38,6 @@ pack strings tools.test ;
     "cstiq" [ pack-native ] keep unpack-native
 ] unit-test
 
-[ 2 ] [
-    [ 2 "int" b, ] B{ } make
-    <string-reader> [ "int" read-native ] with-input-stream
-] unit-test
-
-[ "FRAM" ] [ "FRAM\0" [ read-c-string ] with-string-reader ] unit-test
-[ f ] [ "" [ read-c-string ] with-string-reader ] unit-test
-[ 5 ] [ "FRAM\0\u000005\0\0\0\0\0\0\0" [ read-c-string drop read-u64 ] with-string-reader ] unit-test
-
 [ 9 ] [ "iic" packed-length ] unit-test
 [ "iii" read-packed-le ] must-infer
 [ "iii" read-packed-be ] must-infer
@@ -53,3 +45,10 @@ pack strings tools.test ;
 [ "iii" unpack-le ] must-infer
 [ "iii" unpack-be ] must-infer
 [ "iii" unpack-native ] must-infer
+[ "iii" pack ] must-infer
+[ "iii" unpack ] must-infer
+
+: test-pack ( str -- ba )
+    "iii" pack ;
+
+[ test-pack ] must-infer
diff --git a/basis/pack/pack.factor b/basis/pack/pack.factor
index 136deb9ff5..aec4414c71 100755
--- a/basis/pack/pack.factor
+++ b/basis/pack/pack.factor
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 USING: alien alien.c-types arrays assocs byte-arrays io
 io.binary io.streams.string kernel math math.parser namespaces
 make parser prettyprint quotations sequences strings vectors
-words macros math.functions math.bitwise fry ;
+words macros math.functions math.bitwise fry generalizations
+combinators.smart io.streams.byte-array io.encodings.binary
+math.vectors combinators multiline ;
 IN: pack
 
 SYMBOL: big-endian
@@ -18,131 +20,77 @@ SYMBOL: big-endian
 
 PRIVATE>
 
-: >endian ( obj n -- str )
-    big-endian get [ >be ] [ >le ] if ; inline
-
-: endian> ( obj -- str )
-    big-endian get [ be> ] [ le> ] if ; inline
-
-GENERIC: b, ( n obj -- )
-M: integer b, ( m n -- ) >endian % ;
-
-! for doing native, platform-dependent sized values
-M: string b, ( n string -- ) heap-size b, ;
-: read-native ( string -- n ) heap-size read endian> ;
-
-! Portable
-: s8, ( n -- ) 1 b, ;
-: u8, ( n -- ) 1 b, ;
-: s16, ( n -- ) 2 b, ;
-: u16, ( n -- ) 2 b, ;
-: s24, ( n -- ) 3 b, ;
-: u24, ( n -- ) 3 b, ;
-: s32, ( n -- ) 4 b, ;
-: u32, ( n -- ) 4 b, ;
-: s64, ( n -- ) 8 b, ;
-: u64, ( n -- ) 8 b, ;
-: s128, ( n -- ) 16 b, ;
-: u128, ( n -- ) 16 b, ;
-: float, ( n -- ) float>bits 4 b, ;
-: double, ( n -- ) double>bits 8 b, ;
-: c-string, ( str -- ) % 0 u8, ;
-
-<PRIVATE
-
-: (>128-ber) ( n -- )
-    dup 0 > [
-        [ HEX: 7f bitand HEX: 80 bitor , ] keep -7 shift
-        (>128-ber)
-    ] [
-        drop
-    ] if ;
-
-PRIVATE>
-
-: >128-ber ( n -- str )
-    [
-        [ HEX: 7f bitand , ] keep -7 shift
-        (>128-ber)
-    ] { } make reverse ;
-
 : >signed ( x n -- y )
     2dup neg 1+ shift 1 = [ 2^ - ] [ drop ] if ;
 
-: read-signed ( n -- str )
-    dup read endian> swap 8 * >signed ;
+: >endian ( obj n -- str )
+    big-endian get [ >be ] [ >le ] if ; inline
 
-: read-unsigned ( n -- m ) read endian> ;
+: unsigned-endian> ( obj -- str )
+    big-endian get [ be> ] [ le> ] if ; inline
 
-: read-s8 ( -- n ) 1 read-signed ;
-: read-u8 ( -- n ) 1 read-unsigned ;
-: read-s16 ( -- n ) 2 read-signed ;
-: read-u16 ( -- n ) 2 read-unsigned ;
-: read-s24 ( -- n ) 3 read-signed ;
-: read-u24 ( -- n ) 3 read-unsigned ;
-: read-s32 ( -- n ) 4 read-signed ;
-: read-u32 ( -- n ) 4 read-unsigned ;
-: read-s64 ( -- n ) 8 read-signed ;
-: read-u64 ( -- n ) 8 read-unsigned ;
-: read-s128 ( -- n ) 16 read-signed ;
-: read-u128 ( -- n ) 16 read-unsigned ;
+: signed-endian> ( obj n -- str )
+    [ unsigned-endian> ] dip >signed ;
 
-: read-float ( -- n )
-    4 read endian> bits>float ;
+GENERIC: >n-byte-array ( obj n -- byte-array )
 
-: read-double ( -- n )
-    8 read endian> bits>double ;
+M: integer >n-byte-array ( m n -- byte-array ) >endian ;
 
-: read-c-string ( -- str/f )
-    "\0" read-until swap and ;
+! for doing native, platform-dependent sized values
+M: string >n-byte-array ( n string -- byte-array ) heap-size >n-byte-array ;
 
-: read-c-string* ( n -- str/f )
-    read [ zero? ] trim-right [ f ] when-empty ;
-
-: (read-128-ber) ( n -- n )
-    read1
-    [ [ 7 shift ] [ 7 clear-bit ] bi* bitor ] keep
-    7 bit? [ (read-128-ber) ] when ;
-    
-: read-128-ber ( -- n )
-    0 (read-128-ber) ;
+: s8>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 1 >n-byte-array ;
+: u8>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 1 >n-byte-array ;
+: s16>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 2 >n-byte-array ;
+: u16>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 2 >n-byte-array ;
+: s24>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 3 >n-byte-array ;
+: u24>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 3 >n-byte-array ;
+: s32>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 4 >n-byte-array ;
+: u32>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 4 >n-byte-array ;
+: s64>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 8 >n-byte-array ;
+: u64>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 8 >n-byte-array ;
+: s128>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 16 >n-byte-array ;
+: u128>byte-array ( n -- byte-array ) 16 >n-byte-array ;
+: write-float ( n -- byte-array ) float>bits 4 >n-byte-array ;
+: write-double ( n -- byte-array ) double>bits 8 >n-byte-array ;
+: write-c-string ( byte-array -- byte-array ) { 0 } B{ } append-as ;
 
 <PRIVATE
 
 CONSTANT: pack-table
     H{
-        { CHAR: c s8, }
-        { CHAR: C u8, }
-        { CHAR: s s16, }
-        { CHAR: S u16, }
-        { CHAR: t s24, }
-        { CHAR: T u24, }
-        { CHAR: i s32, }
-        { CHAR: I u32, }
-        { CHAR: q s64, }
-        { CHAR: Q u64, }
-        { CHAR: f float, }
-        { CHAR: F float, }
-        { CHAR: d double, }
-        { CHAR: D double, }
+        { CHAR: c s8>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: C u8>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: s s16>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: S u16>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: t s24>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: T u24>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: i s32>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: I u32>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: q s64>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: Q u64>byte-array }
+        { CHAR: f write-float }
+        { CHAR: F write-float }
+        { CHAR: d write-double }
+        { CHAR: D write-double }
     }
 
 CONSTANT: unpack-table
     H{
-        { CHAR: c read-s8 }
-        { CHAR: C read-u8 }
-        { CHAR: s read-s16 }
-        { CHAR: S read-u16 }
-        { CHAR: t read-s24 }
-        { CHAR: T read-u24 }
-        { CHAR: i read-s32 }
-        { CHAR: I read-u32 }
-        { CHAR: q read-s64 }
-        { CHAR: Q read-u64 }
-        { CHAR: f read-float }
-        { CHAR: F read-float }
-        { CHAR: d read-double }
-        { CHAR: D read-double }
+        { CHAR: c [ 8 signed-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: C [ unsigned-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: s [ 16 signed-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: S [ unsigned-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: t [ 24 signed-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: T [ unsigned-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: i [ 32 signed-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: I [ unsigned-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: q [ 64 signed-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: Q [ unsigned-endian> ] }
+        { CHAR: f [ unsigned-endian> bits>float ] }
+        { CHAR: F [ unsigned-endian> bits>float ] }
+        { CHAR: d [ unsigned-endian> bits>double ] }
+        { CHAR: D [ unsigned-endian> bits>double ] }
     }
 
 CONSTANT: packed-length-table
@@ -163,11 +111,19 @@ CONSTANT: packed-length-table
         { CHAR: D 8 }
     }
 
-MACRO: pack ( seq str -- quot )
-    [ pack-table at 1quotation '[ _ @ ] ] [ ] 2map-as concat
-    '[ _ B{ } make ] ;
+MACRO: pack ( str -- quot )
+    [ pack-table at '[ _ execute ] ] { } map-as
+    '[ _ spread ]
+    '[ _ input<sequence ]
+    '[ _ B{ } append-outputs-as ] ;
 
 PRIVATE>
+
+: ch>packed-length ( ch -- n )
+    packed-length-table at ; inline
+
+: packed-length ( str -- n )
+    [ ch>packed-length ] sigma ;
  
 : pack-native ( seq str -- seq )
     [ set-big-endian pack ] with-scope ; inline
@@ -180,9 +136,14 @@ PRIVATE>
 
 <PRIVATE
 
+: start/end ( seq -- seq1 seq2 )
+    [ 0 [ + ] accumulate nip dup ] keep v+ ; inline
+
 MACRO: unpack ( str -- quot )
-    [ unpack-table at 1quotation '[ @ , ] ] { } map-as concat
-    '[ [ _ { } make ] with-string-reader ] ;
+    [ [ ch>packed-length ] { } map-as start/end ]
+    [ [ unpack-table at '[ @ ] ] { } map-as ] bi
+    [ '[ [ _ _ ] dip <slice> @ ] ] 3map
+    '[ _ cleave ] '[ _ output>array ] ;
 
 PRIVATE>
 
@@ -195,9 +156,6 @@ PRIVATE>
 : unpack-le ( seq str -- seq )
     [ big-endian off unpack ] with-scope ; inline
 
-: packed-length ( str -- n )
-    [ packed-length-table at ] sigma ;
-
 ERROR: packed-read-fail str bytes ;
 
 <PRIVATE