How to edit filenames in rc scripts without sed

[broman@peanuts.nosc.mil (Vincent Broman)]

One of the csh features I find useful, and don't know how
to emulate easily in rc, is the variable substitution with
modifiers.  This lets you edit filenames to a certain degree
without execing sed all over the place.  E.g. undoing patches with:

foreach f (*.orig)
  mv $f $f:r
end

is nicer than

for ( f in *.orig ) mv $f `{echo $f | sed -e 's/\.[a-z]*$//'}

I've tried thinking up ways to get this effect by manipulating
the IFS to include '.' but I still get `{echo $f| ...stuff... }

Any ideas how to do basic filename modifications cleanly in rc?

Vincent Broman,  code 572 Bayside                        Phone: +1 619 553 1641
Naval Command Control and Ocean Surveillance Center, RDT&E Div.
San Diego, CA  92152-6147,  USA                          Email: broman@nosc.mil