diff --git a/nxsupport.tcl b/nxsupport.tcl
index a4f8f5e4..6ce650de 100644
--- a/nxsupport.tcl
+++ b/nxsupport.tcl
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Support routines for scripting NeXus files with nxscript.
 #
 # Mark Koennecke, February 2003
+# Mark Koennecke, January 2004
 #==========================================================================
 proc makeFileName args {
     sicsdatanumber incr
@@ -12,13 +13,31 @@ proc makeFileName args {
     return [format "%s%s%5.5d2003%s" $p $pre $num $po] 
 }
 #==========================================================================
+# new version, attending to the new 1000 grouping logic
+proc newFileName args {
+    set ret [catch {nxscript makefilename} msg]
+    if {$ret != 0} {
+	clientput "ERROR: Misconfiguration of file writing variables"
+	clientput "Defaulting filename to emergency.hdf"
+	set fil emergency.hdf
+    } else {
+	set fil $msg
+    }
+    return $fil
+}
+#==========================================================================
 proc writeFloatVar {alias var} {
     set ret [catch {set val [SplitReply [$var]]} val]
     if { $ret != 0} {
 	clientput [format "ERROR: failed to read %s, %s" $var $val]
 	return
     } else {
-	nxscript putfloat $alias [expr $val * 1.0 ]
+	set ret [catch {expr $val * 1.0} val]
+	if { $ret == 0} {
+	    nxscript putfloat $alias [expr $val * 1.0 ]
+	} else {
+	    clientput "ERROR: bad value $val when reading $var"
+	}
     }
 }
 #=========================================================================