PV Names Begining with Numbers

[BJO@aotv2.atdiv.lanl.gov]

For our application (upgrade of LANSCE control system to EPICS) we have a real
need for process variable names that begin with a number.  My current
understanding is that the major impediment to this is that when the database
building tools (dct, atdb, etc.) look at a link field, they use the first
character of the field contents to determine whether it is a hardware address
("#"), a process variable link (isalpha), or a constant.  The first character
of the PV name also appears to be used to detect deleted records.

Has anyone else examined the feasiblity of allowing process variable names to
begin with a number?  Are there other implications that we haven't discovered?

                                                Thanks,

                                                Eric Bjorklund
                                                AOT-6,  MSH820
                                                LANL

                                                bjo@lanl.gov