Document Classes ⇒ Making a macro long -- after the fact

[hendrick]

I would like to be able to change a non-\long macro into a \long macro. Here is a toy example of what I am looking to do:

Code: Select all

\def\xxx#1{{\em #1}}
\makeitlong\xxx
\xxx{This is a test\par in two paragraphs.}

(What's missing, of course, is a "\makeitlong" command.)

If you're curious, my actual situation involves using a package (namely, datatool.sty) that defines some commands as ordinary macros when when I need them to be \long macros. Of course I can create a modified version of datatool.sty (called, say, longdata.sty), but I want to share this with others without taking the responsibility of maintaining such a complicated package! I'd rather just \RequirePackage{datatool} and then change the specific commands I need, if that is possible.

Any ideas? Thank you!