diff --git a/new b/new
index 59e53d08..887ec4bb 100755
--- a/new
+++ b/new
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 iam=new
 . ./common/test_names
 
-trap "rm -f /tmp/$$.; exit" 0 1 2 3 15
+tmpfile="/tmp/$$."
+trap "rm -f $tmpfile; exit" 0 1 2 3 15
 
 _cleanup()
 {
@@ -26,71 +27,18 @@ usage()
 
 [ $# -eq 0 ] && usage
 tdir=tests/$1
-shift
-
-if [ ! -f $tdir/group ]
-then
-    echo "Creating the $tdir/group index ..."
-    cat <<'End-of-File' >$tdir/group
-# QA groups control
-#
-# define groups and default group owners
-# do not start group name with a digit
-#
-
-# catch-all
-#
-other		some-user-login
-
-# test-group association ... one line per test
-#
-End-of-File
-fi
-
-if [ ! -w $tdir/group ]
-then
-    chmod u+w $tdir/group
-    echo "Warning: making the index file \"$tdir/group\" writeable"
-fi
-
-if make
-then
-    :
-else
-    echo "Warning: make failed -- some tests may be missing"
-fi
 
 i=0
 line=0
 eof=1
-[ -f "$tdir/group" ] || usage
+[ -d "$tdir/" ] || usage
 
 export AWK_PROG="$(type -P awk)"
 [ "$AWK_PROG" = "" ] && { echo "awk not found"; exit; }
 
-for found in `cat $tdir/group | tr - ' ' | $AWK_PROG '{ print $1 }'`
-do
-    line=$((line+1))
-    if [ -z "$found" ] || [ "$found" == "#" ]; then
-        continue
-    elif ! echo "$found" | grep -q "^$VALID_TEST_NAME$"; then
-        # this one is for tests not named by a number
-        continue
-    fi
-    i=$((i+1))
-    id=`printf "%03d" $i`
-    if [ "$id" != "$found" ];then
-	eof=0
-	break
-    fi
-done
-if [ $eof -eq 1 ]; then
-   line=$((line+1))
-   i=$((i+1))
-   id=`printf "%03d" $i`
-fi
-
+id="$(basename "$(./tools/nextid "$1")")"
 echo "Next test id is $id"
+shift
 
 read -p "Append a name to the ID? Test name will be $id-\$name. y,[n]: " -r
 if [[ $REPLY = [Yy] ]]; then
@@ -113,24 +61,9 @@ if [[ $REPLY = [Yy] ]]; then
 		fi
 	done
 
-	# now find where to insert this name
-	eof=1
-	for found in `tail -n +$line $tdir/group | $AWK_PROG '{ print $1 }'`; do
-		found_id=$(echo "$found" | cut -d "-" -f 1 - )
-		line=$((line+1))
-		if [ -z "$found" ] || [ "$found" == "#" ]; then
-			continue
-		elif [ $found_id -gt $id ]; then
-			eof=0
-			break
-		fi
-	done
-	if [ $eof -eq 0 ]; then
-		# If place wasn't found, let $line be the end of the file
-		line=$((line-1))
-	fi
 	id="$id-$name"
 fi
+
 echo "Creating test file '$id'"
 
 if [ -f $tdir/$id ]
@@ -140,6 +73,53 @@ then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+if [ $# -eq 0 ]
+then
+
+    while true
+    do
+	echo -n "Add to group(s) [other] (separate by space, ? for list): "
+	read ans
+	[ -z "$ans" ] && ans=other
+	if [ "X$ans" = "X?" ]
+	then
+	    for d in $SRC_GROUPS; do
+		(cd "tests/$d/" ; ../../tools/mkgroupfile "$tmpfile")
+		l=$(set -n < "$tmpfile" \
+		    -e 's/#.*//' \
+		    -e 's/$/ /' \
+		    -e 's;\(^[0-9][0-9][0-9]\)\(.*$\);\2;p')
+		grpl="$grpl $l"
+	    done
+	    lst=`for word in $grpl; do echo $word; done | sort| uniq `
+	    echo $lst
+	else
+	    # only allow lower cases, spaces, digits and underscore in group
+	    inval=`echo $ans | tr -d '[:lower:][:space:][:digit:]_'`
+	    if [ "$inval" != "" ]; then
+		echo "Invalid characters in group(s): $inval"
+		echo "Only lower cases, digits and underscore are allowed in groups, separated by space"
+		continue
+	    else
+		# remove redundant spaces/tabs
+		ans=`echo "$ans" | sed 's/\s\+/ /g'`
+		break
+	    fi
+	fi
+    done
+else
+    # expert mode, groups are on the command line
+    #
+    (cd "$tdir" ; ../../tools/mkgroupfile "$tmpfile")
+    for g in $*
+    do
+	if ! grep -q "[[:space:]]$g" "$tmpfile"; then
+	    echo "Warning: group \"$g\" not defined in $tdir tests"
+	fi
+    done
+    ans="$*"
+fi
+
 echo -n "Creating skeletal script for you to edit ..."
 
 year=`date +%Y`
@@ -154,7 +134,7 @@ cat <<End-of-File >$tdir/$id
 # what am I here for?
 #
 . ./common/test_names
-_set_seq_and_groups other
+_set_seq_and_groups $ans
 
 trap "_cleanup; exit \\\$status" 0 1 2 3 15
 
@@ -201,56 +181,5 @@ QA output created by $id
 Silence is golden
 End-of-File
 
-if [ $# -eq 0 ]
-then
-
-    while true
-    do
-	echo -n "Add to group(s) [other] (separate by space, ? for list): "
-	read ans
-	[ -z "$ans" ] && ans=other
-	if [ "X$ans" = "X?" ]
-	then
-	    for d in $SRC_GROUPS; do
-		l=$(sed -n < tests/$d/group \
-		    -e 's/#.*//' \
-		    -e 's/$/ /' \
-		    -e 's;\(^[0-9][0-9][0-9]\)\(.*$\);\2;p')
-		grpl="$grpl $l"
-	    done
-	    lst=`for word in $grpl; do echo $word; done | sort| uniq `
-	    echo $lst
-	else
-	    # only allow lower cases, spaces, digits and underscore in group
-	    inval=`echo $ans | tr -d '[:lower:][:space:][:digit:]_'`
-	    if [ "$inval" != "" ]; then
-		echo "Invalid characters in group(s): $inval"
-		echo "Only lower cases, digits and underscore are allowed in groups, separated by space"
-		continue
-	    else
-		# remove redundant spaces/tabs
-		ans=`echo "$ans" | sed 's/\s\+/ /g'`
-		break
-	    fi
-	fi
-    done
-else
-    # expert mode, groups are on the command line
-    #
-    for g in $*
-    do
-	if ! grep -q "[[:space:]]$g" "$tdir/group"; then
-	    echo "Warning: group \"$g\" not defined in $tdir/group"
-	fi
-    done
-    ans="$*"
-fi
-
-echo -n "Adding $id to group index ..."
-head -n $(($line-1)) $tdir/group > /tmp/$$.group
-echo "$id $ans" >> /tmp/$$.group
-tail -n +$((line)) $tdir/group >> /tmp/$$.group
-mv /tmp/$$.group $tdir/group
 echo " done."
-
 exit 0
