var upcRE = RegExp(String("_"*9, "+#_#",
	lhd.keys.concat("|","(",")")*6, "_#_#_",
	rhd.keys.concat("|","(",")")*6, "#_#", "_"*9)),
    digits=lhd.copy().extend(rhd);

fcn parseBarCode2(barcode){	// --> 12 digits
   if(not (upcRE.search(barcode) or upcRE.search(barcode.reverse()))) return(False);
   upcRE.matched[1,*] // ( (a,b), "_#_####","_##___#", 10 more digit patterns )
   .apply(digits.get)
}