called from some other macro, abbreviated:

def defineCount(expr xyz) suffix name =

begingroup

% among other statements

count_ name;

endgroup;

The problem is that I would like to modify the contents of 'name' before it is used in 'count'.

I tried several solutions as for example:

save name; string newname; newname := str name & "extension";

count_ newname;

but then newname is not accepted. The error message is:

>> unknown string newname

! Equation cannot be performed (unknown string=numeric).

and occurs

count_->(SUFFIX0):=incr.counter_;

                                    countnames_[(SUFFIX0)]:=str(SUFFI...

Directly changing name (because assignment to a suffix is possible):

name := str name & "extension";

gives a similar error.

Nor did encapsulating of 'defineCount' with an outer calling macro where the extension as added work for me.