> each <name_i> with a brace group (\csname doesn't mind category 1 and 2 > characters), since even an ingenious fool has work very hard to get braces > mismatched in arguments, whereas with the current naming scheme this is weird :-) and i thought my learning days on TeX the programs have been over. even \expandafter\show \csname ab{cd\endcsname does work. well, off hand i think you do not only have a good point but also a good solution. frank