Greetings Riamus.
The original used
var %r
sockread %r
$replace($regsubex(%r,/[^*]*<div id=result_box dir="ltr">|</div>[^*]*/g,$null),',')
Even though the line of code on the google site just above the line I am targeting is pretty much like the original, it can be narrowed down to just the resulting translation.
I tried to change it to
$regsubex(%r,/[^*]*<span class="hps">|</div>[^*]*/g,$null)
and various other forms with no luck. I haven't used "regex" or any of its siblings for any length of time, and I am unfamiliar with all the "/\/$/%\*" stuff I see in many regex codes.
When I get home I will try the "sockread iswm" thinger you suggested below.