diff --git a/src/editor/simple/editor.js b/src/editor/simple/editor.js
index 1a3dabf92..a2ddc80b3 100644
--- a/src/editor/simple/editor.js
+++ b/src/editor/simple/editor.js
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ function draw_lins(g,ci) {
 		    if(!msg) {
 			if(f.template)
 			    conc.lins.push({fun:f.fun,args:f.args,lin:s});
-			else f.lin=s;
+			else { f.lin=s; f.eb_lin=null; }
 			reload_grammar(g);
 		    }
 		    cont(msg);
diff --git a/src/editor/simple/example_based.js b/src/editor/simple/example_based.js
index 20c9d2ade..f38f657c7 100644
--- a/src/editor/simple/example_based.js
+++ b/src/editor/simple/example_based.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ function exb_state(g,ci) {
 	return "("+lincat.cat+","+lincat.type+")"
     }
     function show_lin(lin) {
-	return "("+lin.fun+","+lin.lin+")"
+	return "("+lin.fun+","+(lin.eb_lin||"?")+")"
     }
     function show_funs(funs) { return show_list(show_fun,funs) }
     function show_lincats(lincats) { return show_list(show_lincat,lincats); }
@@ -88,11 +88,19 @@ function exb_linbuttons(g,ci,f) {
     var fun=f.fun;
     var eb=example_based[ci];
     var exb_output;
-    function fill_example(tree) {
-	exb_output.innerHTML="";
-	if(f.template) conc.lins.push({fun:f.fun,args:f.args,lin:tree});
-	else f.lin=s;
-	ask_possibilities(g,ci)
+    function fill_example(maybetree) {
+	var tree=maybetree.Just
+	if(tree) {
+	    if(f.template)
+		conc.lins.push({fun:f.fun,args:f.args,
+				lin:tree[0],eb_lin:tree[1]});
+	    else {
+		f.lin=tree[0];
+		f.eb_lin=tree[1];
+	    }
+	    ask_possibilities(g,ci)
+	}
+	else exb_output.innerHTML="Bug: no tree found"
     }
     function show_example(example){
 	exb_output.innerHTML="";
@@ -104,7 +112,9 @@ function exb_linbuttons(g,ci,f) {
 	    exb_output.innerHTML="...";
 	    //server.parse({from:"ParseEng",cat:cat,input:s},fill_example)
 	    exb_call(g,ci,"abstract_example",
-		     {cat:cat,input:s,abstract:example[0]},
+		     {cat:cat,input:s,
+		      params:"["+f.args.join(",")+"]",
+		      abstract:example[0]},
 		     fill_example)
 	}
     }
diff --git a/src/example-based/ExampleDemo.hs b/src/example-based/ExampleDemo.hs
index b26a9b4b1..b64d1d7a2 100644
--- a/src/example-based/ExampleDemo.hs
+++ b/src/example-based/ExampleDemo.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-module ExampleDemo (Environ,initial,getNext, provideExample, testThis,mkFuncWithArg,searchGoodTree)
+module ExampleDemo (Environ,initial,getNext, provideExample, testThis,mkFuncWithArg,searchGoodTree,isMeta)
   where
 
 import PGF
diff --git a/src/example-based/ExampleService.hs b/src/example-based/ExampleService.hs
index 0d105c746..165caccba 100644
--- a/src/example-based/ExampleService.hs
+++ b/src/example-based/ExampleService.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 module ExampleService(cgiMain,newPGFCache) where
 import Data.Map(fromList)
+import Data.Char(isDigit)
+import Data.Maybe(fromJust)
 import PGF
 import GF.Compile.ToAPI
 import Network.CGI
@@ -31,18 +33,23 @@ doProvideExample cache environ =
      fun <- getCId "fun"
      parsePGF <- readParsePGF cache
      pgf <- liftIO . readCache cache =<< getInp "grammar"
-     let Just s = E.provideExample environ fun parsePGF pgf lang
-     outputJSONP s
+     let Just (e,s) = E.provideExample environ fun parsePGF pgf lang
+         res = (showExpr [] e,s)
+     liftIO $ logError $ "proveExample ... = "++show res
+     outputJSONP res
 
 doAbstractExample cache environ =
   do example <- getInp "input"
-     Just abs <- readInput "abstract"
+     Just params <- readInput "params"
+     absstr <- getInp "abstract"
+     Just abs <- return $ readExpr absstr
+     liftIO $ logError $ "abstract = "++showExpr [] abs
      Just cat <- readInput "cat"
      let t = mkType [] cat []
      parsePGF <- readParsePGF cache
      let lang:_ = languages parsePGF
-     Just (e,_) <- liftIO $ abstractExample parsePGF environ lang t abs example
-     outputJSONP (exprToAPI e)
+     ae <- liftIO $ abstractExample parsePGF environ lang t abs example
+     outputJSONP (fmap (\(e,_)->(exprToAPI (instExpMeta params e),e)) ae)
 
 abstractExample parsePGF env lang cat abs example =
     E.searchGoodTree env abs (parse parsePGF lang cat example)
@@ -77,20 +84,36 @@ instance JSON CId where
     readJSON = (readResult =<<) . readJSON
 
 instance JSON Expr where
-   showJSON = showJSON . show
-   readJSON = (readResult =<<) . readJSON
+   showJSON = showJSON . showExpr []
+   readJSON = (m2r . readExpr =<<) . readJSON
+
+m2r = maybe (Error "read failed") Ok
 
 readResult s = case reads s of
                  (x,r):_ | lex r==[("","")] -> Ok x
                  _ -> Error "read failed"
 
-
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 --            cat  lincat  fun  lin       fun  cat    cat
 environ :: ([(CId, CId)],[(CId, Expr)],[((CId, CId), [CId])]) -> E.Environ
-environ (lincats,lins,funs) =
+environ (lincats,lins0,funs) =
     E.initial (fromList lincats) concmap fs allfs
   where
     concmap = fromList lins
     allfs = map E.mkFuncWithArg funs
     fs = [E.mkFuncWithArg f | f@((fn,_),_)<-funs, fn `elem` cns]
-    cns = map fst lins
\ No newline at end of file
+    cns = map fst lins
+    lins = filter (not . E.isMeta .snd) lins0
+
+
+instExpMeta :: [CId] -> Expr -> Expr
+instExpMeta ps = fromJust . readExpr . instMeta ps . showExpr []
+
+instMeta :: [CId] -> String -> String
+instMeta ps s =
+  case break (=='?') s of
+    (s1,'?':s2) ->
+       case span isDigit s2 of
+         (s21@(_:_),s22) -> s1++show (ps!!(read s21-1))++instMeta ps s22
+         ("",s22) -> s1++'?':instMeta ps s22
+    (_,_) -> s