Instead of trying to devise unnecessary workarounds to problems with special chars, rather try and write your script correctly in the first place. Read http://www.peterre.com/characters.html.
thats a way arround it as well dude it always will be a way arround it there is no correct way its not cause someone has written it down that it is a correct way ! it nice way but its a way arround it just the same as mine :p
A write way would be an index way of tcl it self !
like: largs or something what ever then you would be able to say that it is the best way but this is scripting so i don't thing there is a write way on the other hand best way is in every ones opinion depending what you know and what is easyest to understand for your self
So concluding this there is no write way to solve this only suggestions that are ways arround it