newbie question re expand



Wolfgang said:
> I don't think that it makes sense to boldly change the 
> default behaviour after thirty years or so because of 
> anyone's taste and habits ..., especially since it 
> is so simple for the user to change things. Besides, I think 
> that it is important and more gratifying for the user to 
> learn how to change things.

I disagree.  Defaults should be set so that new users can have a good
experience "out of the box".  The c1/d1 variable name problem is very
common for new users -- and even experienced users hit it sometimes.
Customization is a good thing, but not a substitute for doing things
right in the first place.

I support Jim's proposal (though I might prefer something shorter, e.g.
%i1, %o1, %t1).  The % prefix is established for special names like %,
%i, %pi, %e.  Something like %i[1] is nicer in theory, but can't be
fixed with a simple patch, and anyway it is unusual to use anything but
a fixed number.

       -s