Custom numbering style using the number of Symbols instead of Numbers

Question

Is there any possible way to count by the number of a symbol ? For instant, if I want to print 4 versions of a letter, I assigned \arabic{#1} numbers which shows:

1 2 3 4

What I want is to show like this:

* ** *** **** Or; different symbols instead of for each number. for example:

 * for 1
# for 2 

and etc.

I'm preparing different versions of exam and I want to show version number by symbol instead of number. Thanks in advance.

UPDATE: Even though I've got good responses from experts, However, I'm still unable to do what I exactly need. I guess I couldn't elaborate my question well, that's why I've decided to provide a minimal code. This is my code:

\documentclass[twoside]{article}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{comment}
% set fonts
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{mathpazo}
\usepackage{microtype}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\newcommand{\comm}[1]{}
\ifdef{\myoutput}{}{\def\myoutput{exam}}
\ifdef{\myversion}{}{\def\myversion{2}}

% mcexams options.
\usepackage[output=\myoutput
           ,numberofversions=5
           ,version=\myversion
           ,seed=1
           ,randomizequestions=true
           ,randomizeanswers=true
           ,writeRfile=true
           ]{mcexam}

\usepackage[margin=0.95in]{geometry}
% Packages used for special things
\usepackage{framed,booktabs} 


% Set headers and footers
\usepackage{fancyhdr,lastpage}
\pagestyle{fancy}
\fancyhf{}
\renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0pt} 
\renewcommand{\footrulewidth}{1pt}
\lhead{Name:\hrulefill{}\quad Student ID:\hrulefill{}}
\lfoot{\mctheversion}
\rfoot{Page \thepage\ of \pageref{LastPage}}


\begin{document}
% Exam preamble stuff - this will be printed on every version
\begin{center}
  \bfseries\Huge exam title \\
  \LARGE 

\end{center}

% Show which version is being printed (Concept, Answers, etc.)
\begin{center}\bfseries\Huge\MakeUppercase{\mctheversion}\end{center}

% This only shows on the "Exam" form that students see. So put instructions, etc. here.
\mcifoutput{exam}{
\large\bigskip

\noindent Name: \hrulefill{}\hrulefill{}\hrulefill{}\quad{}Student ID\#: \hrulefill\hrulefill{} \\[.75\baselineskip]



On your scantron, use either a pencil or pen:

} % end if exam



\end{document}

I'll be so grateful if anyone can give me the exact solution to solve this specific issue. I tried to define newcounter or chnaging \mctheversion value but still I get numbers instead of symbols in version. Please look at image below:

Answer 1

Without any packages, just using standard LaTeX code and a 'primitive' \loop.

\documentclass{article}

\newcounter{mycntr}

\makeatletter
\newcommand{\lettersymbols}[1]{%
  \begingroup
  \setcounter{mycntr}{0}
  \loop\unless\ifnum\value{mycntr}=#1
  \mysymbol%
  \addtocounter{mycntr}{1}%
  \repeat
  \endgroup
}
\makeatother

\newcommand{\mysymbol}{\textasteriskcentered}

\begin{document}
\setcounter{section}{5}

\renewcommand{\thesection}{\lettersymbols{\number\value{section}}}

\thesection

\end{document}

Code from OP

The \mctheversion macro is responsible for the output of the version, so just change that accordingly, with \lettersymbols or \repeatedsymbols. Please note, that \MakeUppercase may fail.

\documentclass[twoside]{article}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{comment}
% set fonts
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{mathpazo}
\usepackage{microtype}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\newcommand{\comm}[1]{}
\ifdef{\myoutput}{}{\def\myoutput{exam}}
\ifdef{\myversion}{}{\def\myversion{2}}


\newcommand{\mysymbol}{\textasteriskcentered}


\newcount\mycntr

\newcommand{\repeatedsymbols}[1]{%
  \begingroup
  \mycntr=0
  \loop\unless\ifnum\mycntr=#1%
  \mysymbol%
  \advance\mycntr by 1
  \repeat
  \endgroup
}



\newcommand{\lettersymbols}[1]{%
  \ifcase#1
  \or
  \textasteriskcentered
  \or
  \textdollar
  \or
  \textdagger
  \or
  \textsection
  \or
  \textsterling
  \fi
}


% mcexams options.
\usepackage[output=\myoutput
           ,numberofversions=5
           ,version=\myversion,
           ,seed=1
           ,randomizequestions=true
           ,randomizeanswers=true
           ,writeRfile=true
           ]{mcexam}

\usepackage[margin=0.95in]{geometry}
% Packages used for special things
\usepackage{framed,booktabs} 


% Set headers and footers
\usepackage{fancyhdr,lastpage}
\pagestyle{fancy}
\fancyhf{}
\renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0pt} 
\renewcommand{\footrulewidth}{1pt}
\lhead{Name:\hrulefill{}\quad Student ID:\hrulefill{}}
\lfoot{\mctheversion}
\rfoot{Page \thepage\ of \pageref{LastPage}}


\AtBeginDocument{%
  \renewcommand{\mctheversion}{\lettersymbols{\value{mcversion}}}
%  \renewcommand{\mctheversion}{\repeatedsymbols{\value{mcversion}}}
}


\begin{document}

% Exam preamble stuff - this will be printed on every version
\begin{center}
  \bfseries\Huge exam title \\
  \LARGE 

\end{center}

% Show which version is being printed (Concept, Answers, etc.)
\begin{center}\bfseries\Huge\mctheversion\end{center}

% This only shows on the "Exam" form that students see. So put instructions, etc. here.
\mcifoutput{exam}{
\large\bigskip

\noindent Name: \hrulefill{}\hrulefill{}\hrulefill{}\quad{}Student ID\#: \hrulefill\hrulefill{} \\[.75\baselineskip]



On your scantron, use either a pencil or pen:

} % end if exam



\end{document}

Answer 2

You can easily do it with xparse:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewExpandableDocumentCommand{\numsym}{m}
 {
  \int_compare:nTF { \use:c { c@#1 } > \tl_count:N \c_majid_numsym_tl }
   {
    \use:c { @ctrerr }
   }
   {
    \tl_item:Nn \c_majid_numsym_tl { \use:c { c@#1 } }
   }
 }

\tl_const:Nn \c_majid_numsym_tl
 {% add to the list using the same format {<command>}
  {*}{\#}{@}{!}{?}
 }
\ExplSyntaxOff

\newcounter{test}
\renewcommand{\thetest}{\numsym{test}}

\begin{document}

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\end{document}

Repeating a symbol is even easier:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewExpandableDocumentCommand{\repsym}{mm}
 {
  \prg_replicate:nn { \use:c { c@#2 } } { #1 }
 }
\ExplSyntaxOff

\newcounter{test}
\renewcommand{\thetest}{\repsym{*}{test}}

\begin{document}

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\stepcounter{test}\arabic{test}: \thetest

\end{document}

Answer 3

I do not know if this already exists but it is easy to build something of this sort. Of course, you need to make the list of symbols longer if you want to go to higher values.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgffor}
\newcommand{\nbullets}[1]{%
\foreach \X in {1,...,#1}
{\textbullet}}
\def\lstsyms{{"","*","\#","@","!","?"}}
\newcommand{\numsymbol}[1]{%
\pgfmathparse{\lstsyms[#1]}%
\pgfmathresult
}

\begin{document}
3:\nbullets{3}, 7:\nbullets{7}

\renewcommand{\labelenumi}{\nbullets{\value{enumi}}}
\begin{enumerate}
 \item first
 \item second
 \item third
 \item last 
\end{enumerate}

1:\numsymbol{1}, 2:\numsymbol{2}, 3:\numsymbol{3}
\end{document}