Re: Problem and solution: Patch for new "stats" command

[Hans-Bernhard B. <HBB...@t-...>]

Ethan Merritt wrote:

> Of course a string is required.  It is going to become the
> first N characters of a longer string.  

Erm, no.  It's going to become the first N characters of a variable name.

> How could it be anything other than a string itself?

By being a (partial) variable name.  And I don't we ever quote a 
variable name in gnuplot.

>>> There is a reason for the equality sign, though:
>>> it indicates that the next token is the prefix -
>>> because we have chosen to make the prefix
>>> optional. 

So find a different way of signalling that.  It could be as simple as 
changing the default from "no variables created" to "GPSTAT_* variables 
created, so that part of the syntax would become
	
	{ | novariables | prefix <name> }

(wherein leaving out the argument would turn on variables, and if you 
don't want them, you have to turn them off explicitly}

Or leave the default at "novar", and make the syntax

	{ | variables | prefix <name> }

Or have no default at all, and make it

	{ {no}variables | prefix <name> }