>: If we are going to add any new modifiers I think we should seriously
>: consider multiple char modifier names. Like make's -d command line
>: option.  Eg. the assignment modifiers ::= ::!= ::+= ::?= all burn only
>: a single option char ':'.

>Hm.  I've been thinking about this.  How about a concept of `named transform
>functions', allowing more than just one character?  For instance, for the

Sounds fine by me, the principle is the same - the initial char that
indicates how the rest of the modifier should be treated.

>A punctuation character is the easiest (and probably least conflicting)
>choice for this kind of substitution operator.  All of !, ?, >, %, &, and *
>come to mind as possible such operator characters; I'm not sure which are
>already in use on other bmake derivatives.

'%' is already used in sysV style old=new modifiers eg. 
${VAR:%=prefix-%-suffix}
turns every word in VAR into prefix-word-suffix.

'>' is ok though.

--sjg