diff --git a/src/gui/interact/ui-coord.hpp b/src/gui/interact/ui-coord.hpp
index 3a07915d1..ec8a335bc 100644
--- a/src/gui/interact/ui-coord.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/interact/ui-coord.hpp
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@
 #include "lib/util.hpp"
 
 //#include <boost/noncopyable.hpp>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <string>
+#include <vector>
 #include <utility>
 //#include <memory>
 
@@ -134,7 +136,7 @@ namespace interact {
       
       // convenience shortcuts to start mutation on a copy...
       
-      Builder path (string pathDefinition) const;
+      Builder path (Literal pathDefinition) const;
       Builder append  (Literal elmID) const;
       Builder prepend (Literal elmID) const;
       
@@ -257,6 +259,13 @@ namespace interact {
       /** @note Builder allowed to manipulate stored data */
       friend class Builder;
       
+      size_t
+      findStartIdx()  const
+        {
+          REQUIRE (not empty());
+          return indexOf (*begin());
+        }
+      
       Literal
       accesComponent (UIPathElm idx)  const
         {
@@ -267,15 +276,68 @@ namespace interact {
       void
       setComponent (size_t idx, Literal newContent)
         {
-          Literal* storage = maybeExpandTo (idx);
+          Literal* storage = expandPosition (idx);
           setContent (storage, newContent);
         }
       
-      size_t
-      findStartIdx()  const
+      
+      /** replace / overwrite existing content starting at given index.
+       * @param idx where to start adding content; storage will be expanded to accommodate
+       * @param newContent either a single element, or several elements delimited by `'/'`
+       * @note - a path sequence will be split at `'/'` and the components _interned_
+       *       - any excess elements will be cleared
+       * @warning need to invoke PathArray::normalise() afterwards
+       */
+      void
+      setTailSequence (size_t idx, Literal newContent)
         {
-          REQUIRE (not empty());
-          return indexOf (*begin());
+          std::vector<Literal> elms;
+          if (not isnil (newContent))
+            {
+              if (not std::strchr (newContent, '/'))
+                {
+                  // single element: just place it as-is
+                  // and remove any further content behind
+                  elms.emplace_back (newContent);
+                }
+              else
+                { // it is actually a sequence of elements,
+                  // which need to be split first, and then
+                  // interned into the global symbol table
+                  string sequence{newContent};
+                  size_t pos = 0;
+                  size_t last = 0;
+                  while (string::npos != (last = sequence.find ('/', pos)))
+                    {
+                      elms.emplace_back (Symbol{sequence.substr(pos, last - pos)});
+                      pos = last + 1;
+                    }
+                  sequence = sequence.substr(pos);
+                  if (not isnil (sequence))
+                    elms.emplace_back (Symbol{sequence});
+            }   }
+          
+          setTailSequence (idx, elms);
+        }
+          
+      /** replace the existing path information with the given elements
+       * @note - storage will possibly be expanded to accommodate
+       *       - the individual path elements will be _interned_ as Symbol
+       *       - any excess elements will be cleared
+       *       - the pathElms can be _empty_ in which case just
+       *         any content starting from `idx` will be cleared
+       * @warning need to invoke PathArray::normalise() afterwards
+       */
+      void
+      setTailSequence (size_t idx, std::vector<Literal>& pathElms)
+        {
+          size_t cnt = pathElms.size();
+          expandPosition (idx + cnt);
+          for (size_t i=0 ; i < cnt; ++i)
+            setContent (expandPosition(idx + i), pathElms[i]);
+          size_t end = size();
+          for (size_t i = idx+cnt; i<end; ++i)
+            setContent (expandPosition(i), nullptr);
         }
       
       
@@ -361,11 +423,15 @@ namespace interact {
         }
       
       
-      /** augment UI coordinates by appending a further component at the end */
+      /** augment UI coordinates by appending a further component at the end.
+       * @note the element might define a sequence of components separated by `'/'`,
+       *       in which case several elements will be appended.
+       */
       Builder
-      append (Literal elmID)
+      append (Literal elm)
         {
-          uic_.setComponent (uic_.size(), elmID);
+          if (not isnil(elm))
+            uic_.setTailSequence (uic_.size(), elm);
           return std::move (*this);
         }
       
@@ -381,11 +447,16 @@ namespace interact {
           return std::move (*this);
         }
       
-      /** augment UI coordinates to define a complete local path */
+      /**
+       * augment UI coordinates to define a complete local path
+       * @param pathDef a path, possibly with multiple components separated by `'/'`
+       * @note any existing path definition is completely replaced by the new path
+       */
       Builder
-      path (string pathDefinition)
+      path (Literal pathDef)
         {
-          UNIMPLEMENTED ("set path");
+          uic_.setTailSequence (UIC_PART, pathDef);
+          return std::move (*this);
         }
     };
   
@@ -448,7 +519,7 @@ namespace interact {
    *       resulting components will be stored/retrieved as Symbol
    */
   inline UICoord::Builder
-  UICoord::path (string pathDefinition)  const
+  UICoord::path (Literal pathDefinition)  const
     {
       return Builder(*this).path (pathDefinition);
     }
diff --git a/src/lib/path-array.hpp b/src/lib/path-array.hpp
index 8a0071fa7..5e3beedbd 100644
--- a/src/lib/path-array.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/path-array.hpp
@@ -201,14 +201,19 @@ namespace lib {
         resizeTo (size_t cnt)
           {
             if (cnt > size())
-              { // copy to expanded storage
-                auto target = new const char* [cnt+1];
-                auto pos = std::copy (storage_, storage_+1+size(), target);
-                for ( ; pos < target+1+cnt; ++pos)
-                  *pos = nullptr;
+              { // need more storage
                 if (storage_)
-                  delete[] storage_;
-                storage_ = reinterpret_cast<PStorage> (target);
+                  { // copy content to new expanded storage
+                    auto target = new const char* [cnt+1];
+                    auto pos = std::copy (storage_, storage_+1+size(), target);
+                    for ( ; pos < target+1+cnt; ++pos)
+                      *pos = nullptr;
+                    delete[] storage_;
+                    storage_ = reinterpret_cast<PStorage> (target);
+                  }
+                else // allocate and init empty
+                  storage_ = new Literal [cnt+1];
+                
                 size (storage_) = cnt;
                 return;
               }
@@ -453,7 +458,7 @@ namespace lib {
        * @return pointer to the storage, either existing or reallocated
        */
       Literal*
-      maybeExpandTo (size_t idx)
+      expandPosition (size_t idx)
         {
           if (chunk_size <= idx and size() <= idx)
             tail_.resizeTo(idx+1 - chunk_size);
diff --git a/tests/gui/interact/ui-coord-test.cpp b/tests/gui/interact/ui-coord-test.cpp
index eb794c132..6b440ea56 100644
--- a/tests/gui/interact/ui-coord-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/gui/interact/ui-coord-test.cpp
@@ -275,23 +275,23 @@ namespace test {
           CHECK ("α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == uic.getPath());
           
           uic = uic.prepend("perspective");
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:?[perspective]-panel.*. /α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:?[perspective]-panel.*. /α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == string(uic));
           CHECK ("?[perspective]-panel.*. " == uic.getComp());
           CHECK ("α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == uic.getPath());
           
           uic = uic.prepend("win");
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:win[perspective]-panel.*. /α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:win[perspective]-panel.*. /α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == string(uic));
           CHECK ("win[perspective]-panel.*. " == uic.getComp());
           CHECK ("α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == uic.getPath());
           
           uic = uic.persp("");
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:win[*]-panel.*. /α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:win[*]-panel.*. /α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == string(uic));
           CHECK ("win[*]-panel.*. " == uic.getComp());
           CHECK ("α/β/γ/δ/ε/λ/ον" == uic.getPath());
           CHECK (12 == uic.size());
           
           uic = uic.path(" ");
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:win[*]-panel.*. / " == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:win[*]-panel.*. / " == string(uic));
           CHECK ("win[*]-panel.*. " == uic.getComp());
           CHECK (" " == uic.getPath());
           CHECK (6 == uic.size());
@@ -299,39 +299,39 @@ namespace test {
           VERIFY_ERROR (INDEX_BOUNDS, uic[UIC_PART+1]);
           
           uic = uic.path(nullptr);
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:win[*]-panel.*. " == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:win[*]-panel.*. " == string(uic));
           CHECK ("win[*]-panel.*. " == uic.getComp());
           CHECK ("" == uic.getPath());
           CHECK (5 == uic.size());
           VERIFY_ERROR (INDEX_BOUNDS, uic[UIC_PART]);
           
           uic = uic.append(nullptr);
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:win[*]-panel.*. " == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:win[*]-panel.*. " == string(uic));
           CHECK ("win[*]-panel.*. " == uic.getComp());
           CHECK ("" == uic.getPath());
           CHECK (5 == uic.size());
           
           uic = uic.append("*");
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:win[*]-panel.*. " == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:win[*]-panel.*. " == string(uic));
           CHECK ("win[*]-panel.*. " == uic.getComp());
           CHECK ("" == uic.getPath());
           CHECK (5 == uic.size());
           
           uic = uic.append("**");
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:win[*]-panel.*. /**" == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:win[*]-panel.*. /**" == string(uic));
           CHECK ("win[*]-panel.*. " == uic.getComp());
           CHECK ("**" == uic.getPath());
           CHECK ("**" == uic[UIC_PART]);
           CHECK (6 == uic.size());
           
           uic = uic.tab("");
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:win[*]-panel.*.*/**" == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:win[*]-panel.*.*/**" == string(uic));
           CHECK ("win[*]-panel.*.*" == uic.getComp());
           CHECK ("**" == uic.getPath());
           CHECK (6 == uic.size());
           
           uic = uic.path("");
-          CHECK ("UI:UI:win[*]-panel" == string(uic));
+          CHECK ("UI:win[*]-panel" == string(uic));
           CHECK ("win[*]-panel" == uic.getComp());
           CHECK ("" == uic.getPath());
           CHECK (3 == uic.size());
diff --git a/wiki/thinkPad.ichthyo.mm b/wiki/thinkPad.ichthyo.mm
index 708013a61..341d36b66 100644
--- a/wiki/thinkPad.ichthyo.mm
+++ b/wiki/thinkPad.ichthyo.mm
@@ -3914,13 +3914,13 @@
 <node COLOR="#338800" CREATED="1506887647152" ID="ID_1069521621" MODIFIED="1506887654873" TEXT="String representation">
 <icon BUILTIN="button_ok"/>
 </node>
-<node BACKGROUND_COLOR="#eee5c3" COLOR="#990000" CREATED="1506906671372" ID="ID_458222870" MODIFIED="1506906680445" TEXT="Builder">
-<icon BUILTIN="pencil"/>
+<node COLOR="#338800" CREATED="1506906671372" ID="ID_458222870" MODIFIED="1506919618620" TEXT="Builder">
+<icon BUILTIN="button_ok"/>
 <node COLOR="#338800" CREATED="1506906657270" ID="ID_1234040290" MODIFIED="1506906687339" TEXT="builder functions">
 <icon BUILTIN="button_ok"/>
 </node>
-<node BACKGROUND_COLOR="#eee5c3" COLOR="#990000" CREATED="1506906664501" ID="ID_1257993809" MODIFIED="1506906689283" TEXT="mutator functions">
-<icon BUILTIN="flag-yellow"/>
+<node COLOR="#338800" CREATED="1506906664501" ID="ID_1257993809" MODIFIED="1506919612697" TEXT="mutator functions">
+<icon BUILTIN="button_ok"/>
 </node>
 </node>
 <node BACKGROUND_COLOR="#eee5c3" COLOR="#990000" CREATED="1506181727069" ID="ID_467120404" MODIFIED="1506181737140" TEXT="lokale Pr&#xe4;dikate">
@@ -3976,8 +3976,8 @@
 <node COLOR="#338800" CREATED="1506182009518" ID="ID_138248232" MODIFIED="1506906630089" TEXT="verify_basics">
 <icon BUILTIN="button_ok"/>
 </node>
-<node BACKGROUND_COLOR="#eee5c3" COLOR="#990000" CREATED="1506182009519" ID="ID_1637725534" MODIFIED="1506906649946" TEXT="verify_builder">
-<icon BUILTIN="pencil"/>
+<node COLOR="#338800" CREATED="1506182009519" ID="ID_1637725534" MODIFIED="1506919626951" TEXT="verify_builder">
+<icon BUILTIN="button_ok"/>
 </node>
 <node BACKGROUND_COLOR="#eee5c3" COLOR="#990000" CREATED="1506182009519" ID="ID_542761230" MODIFIED="1506182101802" TEXT="verify_comparisons">
 <icon BUILTIN="flag-yellow"/>