diff --git a/lang.txt b/lang.txt
index afd4782..dd9ed99 100644
--- a/lang.txt
+++ b/lang.txt
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
 	default return value for some class methods.
 		::: method -> return what??
-		::* method -> return the new instance
+		:* method -> return the new instance
 		normal method -> return the last evaluated value?
 
 
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ send the message dump to the object pointed to by x with arguments 1, 2, 3.
 
 	(defclass P
 		| x y |
-		(defun ::* new ()
+		(defun :* new ()
 			(set x 1)	
 			(set y 1)	
 			(return self)
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ send the message dump to the object pointed to by x with arguments 1, 2, 3.
 	)
 	(defclass X ::: P
 		| x y |
-		(defun ::* new (a b)
+		(defun :* new (a b)
 			(super:new)
 			x = a
 			y = b
diff --git a/lib/cnode.c b/lib/cnode.c
index 3c30e1b..d5bcbdb 100644
--- a/lib/cnode.c
+++ b/lib/cnode.c
@@ -86,9 +86,14 @@ hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodetrpcolons (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc
 	return make_cnode(hcl, HCL_CNODE_TRPCOLONS, flags, loc, tok);
 }
 
-hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodedcstar (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const  hcl_oocs_t* tok)
+hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodecolonplus (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const  hcl_oocs_t* tok)
 {
-	return make_cnode(hcl, HCL_CNODE_DCSTAR, flags, loc, tok);
+	return make_cnode(hcl, HCL_CNODE_COLONPLUS, flags, loc, tok);
+}
+
+hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodecolonstar (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const  hcl_oocs_t* tok)
+{
+	return make_cnode(hcl, HCL_CNODE_COLONSTAR, flags, loc, tok);
 }
 
 hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodecharlit (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const  hcl_oocs_t* tok, hcl_ooch_t v)
diff --git a/lib/comp.c b/lib/comp.c
index 0d6b972..dfe5dbf 100644
--- a/lib/comp.c
+++ b/lib/comp.c
@@ -2745,10 +2745,11 @@ static int compile_lambda (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_cnode_t* src, int defun)
 		defun_name = HCL_CNODE_CONS_CAR(obj);
 		if (is_in_class_init_scope(hcl))
 		{
-			if ((HCL_CNODE_IS_TRPCOLONS(defun_name) || HCL_CNODE_IS_DCSTAR(defun_name)))
+			if ((HCL_CNODE_IS_TRPCOLONS(defun_name) || HCL_CNODE_IS_COLONSTAR(defun_name)))
 			{
 				/* class method - (defun ::: xxxx () ...) inside class definition */
-				/* class instantiation method - (defun ::* xxxx () ...) inside class definition */
+				/* class method - (defun:+ xxxx() ...) inside class definition */
+				/* class instantiation method - (defun:* xxxx() ...) inside class definition */
 				obj = HCL_CNODE_CONS_CDR(obj);
 				if (!obj)
 				{
diff --git a/lib/hcl-prv.h b/lib/hcl-prv.h
index 4cacbf9..fb06fe7 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-prv.h
+++ b/lib/hcl-prv.h
@@ -187,8 +187,9 @@ enum hcl_tok_type_t
 	HCL_TOK_COLON,     /* : */
 	HCL_TOK_DBLCOLONS, /* :: */
 	HCL_TOK_TRPCOLONS, /* ::: */
-	HCL_TOK_DCSTAR,    /* ::* */
 	HCL_TOK_COLONEQ,   /* := */
+	HCL_TOK_COLONPLUS, /* :+ */
+	HCL_TOK_COLONSTAR, /* :* */
 	HCL_TOK_SEMICOLON, /* ; */
 	HCL_TOK_COMMA,     /* , */
 	HCL_TOK_LPAREN,    /* ( */
@@ -256,7 +257,8 @@ enum hcl_cnode_type_t
 	HCL_CNODE_SUPER,
 	HCL_CNODE_ELLIPSIS,
 	HCL_CNODE_TRPCOLONS,
-	HCL_CNODE_DCSTAR,
+	HCL_CNODE_COLONPLUS, /* :+ */
+	HCL_CNODE_COLONSTAR, /* :* */
 
 	HCL_CNODE_CONS,
 	HCL_CNODE_ELIST, /* empty list */
@@ -279,7 +281,8 @@ typedef enum hcl_cnode_flagt hcl_cnode_flag_t;
 
 #define HCL_CNODE_IS_ELLIPSIS(x) ((x)->cn_type == HCL_CNODE_ELLIPSIS)
 #define HCL_CNODE_IS_TRPCOLONS(x) ((x)->cn_type == HCL_CNODE_TRPCOLONS)
-#define HCL_CNODE_IS_DCSTAR(x) ((x)->cn_type == HCL_CNODE_DCSTAR)
+#define HCL_CNODE_IS_COLONPLUS(x) ((x)->cn_type == HCL_CNODE_COLONPLUS)
+#define HCL_CNODE_IS_COLONSTAR(x) ((x)->cn_type == HCL_CNODE_COLONSTAR)
 
 #define HCL_CNODE_IS_SYMBOL(x) ((x)->cn_type == HCL_CNODE_SYMBOL)
 #define HCL_CNODE_IS_SYMBOL_PLAIN(x) ((x)->cn_type == HCL_CNODE_SYMBOL && (x)->u.symbol.syncode == 0)
@@ -1777,7 +1780,8 @@ hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodeself (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, con
 hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodesuper (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_oocs_t* tok);
 hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodeellipsis (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_oocs_t* tok);
 hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodetrpcolons (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_oocs_t* tok);
-hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodedcstar (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_oocs_t* tok);
+hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodecolonplus (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_oocs_t* tok);
+hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodecolonstar (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_oocs_t* tok);
 hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodecharlit (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_oocs_t* tok, hcl_ooch_t v);
 hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodebchrlit (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_oocs_t* tok, hcl_oob_t v);
 hcl_cnode_t* hcl_makecnodesymbol (hcl_t* hcl, int flags, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_oocs_t* tok);
diff --git a/lib/print.c b/lib/print.c
index e33bff0..787c582 100644
--- a/lib/print.c
+++ b/lib/print.c
@@ -817,7 +817,8 @@ void hcl_dumpcnode (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_cnode_t* cnode, int newline)
 			case HCL_CNODE_SUPER:
 			case HCL_CNODE_ELLIPSIS:
 			case HCL_CNODE_TRPCOLONS:
-			case HCL_CNODE_DCSTAR:
+			case HCL_CNODE_COLONSTAR:
+			case HCL_CNODE_COLONPLUS:
 				hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_FATAL, " %.*js ", HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKLEN(cnode), HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKPTR(cnode));
 				break;
 
diff --git a/lib/read.c b/lib/read.c
index b7e6375..cf4be6c 100644
--- a/lib/read.c
+++ b/lib/read.c
@@ -1432,8 +1432,12 @@ static int feed_process_token (hcl_t* hcl)
 			frd->obj = hcl_makecnodetrpcolons(hcl, 0, TOKEN_LOC(hcl), TOKEN_NAME(hcl));
 			goto auto_xlist;
 
-		case HCL_TOK_DCSTAR:
-			frd->obj = hcl_makecnodedcstar(hcl, 0, TOKEN_LOC(hcl), TOKEN_NAME(hcl));
+		case HCL_TOK_COLONPLUS:
+			frd->obj = hcl_makecnodecolonplus(hcl, 0, TOKEN_LOC(hcl), TOKEN_NAME(hcl));
+			goto auto_xlist;
+
+		case HCL_TOK_COLONSTAR:
+			frd->obj = hcl_makecnodecolonstar(hcl, 0, TOKEN_LOC(hcl), TOKEN_NAME(hcl));
 			goto auto_xlist;
 
 		case HCL_TOK_SMPTRLIT:
@@ -1652,8 +1656,9 @@ static delim_token_t delim_token_tab[] =
 
 	{ ":",        1, HCL_TOK_COLON }, /* key-value separator in dictionary */
 	{ ":=",       2, HCL_TOK_COLONEQ }, /* assignment */
+	{ ":+",       2, HCL_TOK_COLONPLUS },
+	{ ":*",       2, HCL_TOK_COLONSTAR }, /* class instantiation method */
 	{ "::",       2, HCL_TOK_DBLCOLONS },
-	{ "::*",      3, HCL_TOK_DCSTAR },   /* class instantiation method */
 	{ ":::",      3, HCL_TOK_TRPCOLONS  }, /* superclass, class variables, class methods */
 
 	{ ";",        1, HCL_TOK_SEMICOLON }
diff --git a/t/class-5001.err b/t/class-5001.err
index 6436ff0..4ae97c6 100644
--- a/t/class-5001.err
+++ b/t/class-5001.err
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ defclass B | x y | {
 };
 
 defclass X ::: B | a b | {
-	defun ::* new(t) {
+	defun :* new(t) {
 		| a |
 		set self.a t;
 		set a 100;
diff --git a/t/fun-01.hcl b/t/fun-01.hcl
index f2eb65c..0f9d972 100644
--- a/t/fun-01.hcl
+++ b/t/fun-01.hcl
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ if (= k 70) {
 ## --------------------------------------
 
 defclass A | a b c | {
-	defun ::* newInstance(x y z) {
+	defun :* newInstance(x y z) {
 		(set a x)
 		(set b y)
 		(set c z)
diff --git a/t/insta-01.hcl b/t/insta-01.hcl
index ee6c55f..1154cf7 100644
--- a/t/insta-01.hcl
+++ b/t/insta-01.hcl
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 defclass A | a b c |  {
 
-	defun ::* newInstance(x y z) {
+	defun:*newInstance(x y z) {
 		set a x;
 		set b y;
 		set c z;
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ defclass A | a b c |  {
 
 defclass B ::: A | d e f | {
 
-	defun ::* newInstance(x y z) {
+	defun:*newInstance(x y z) {
 		super:newInstance (* x 2) (* y 2) (* z 2);
 		set d x;
 		set e y;
diff --git a/t/insta-02.hcl b/t/insta-02.hcl
index 3152f1f..e25b362 100644
--- a/t/insta-02.hcl
+++ b/t/insta-02.hcl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 set t (
 	class | x | {
-		defun ::* make() { set x 1234; return self; };
+		defun :* make() { set x 1234; return self; };
 		defun get-x() { return x };
 	}
 );
diff --git a/t/var-01.hcl b/t/var-01.hcl
index 7580616..7b15b09 100644
--- a/t/var-01.hcl
+++ b/t/var-01.hcl
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
 (defclass T
 	| j |
 
-	(defun ::* new()
+	(defun :* new()
 		(set j 99)
 		(return self)
 	)
diff --git a/t/var-5001.err b/t/var-5001.err
index bd4ea4a..c69935c 100644
--- a/t/var-5001.err
+++ b/t/var-5001.err
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 defclass A | a | {
-	defun ::* init1() {
+	defun :* init1() {
 		| b |
 		set b (+ 1 2);
 		set a b;
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ defclass A | a | {
 		printf ">>> %d\n" j;
 	}
 
-	defun ::* init2() {
+	defun :* init2() {
 		| b |
 		set b (+ 10 20);
 		set a b;