If I'm going to move from %(name)fmt to ${name} I need a place for the fmt format. Given the error prone nature of %(name) should have been %(name)s Howabout adding the format inside the {} for example: ${name:format} You can then have $name ${name} ${name:s} $name and ${name} work as you have already decided. ${name:format} allows the format to control the substitution. Barry