How to stop the Matlab from rearranging symbolic variables?

Question

This symbolic expression in Matlab

syms x y;
f = x * y * y

returns

f =

x*y^2

How can I stop Matlab from simplifying the expression and let it remain as x * y * y? I'm trying to print the steps of a calculation this way, so reordering the terms causes confusion.

Answer 1

A workaround that I can think of, is something like this:

str = 'f = x * y * y' ;

Then

eval(str);

will perform the operation you want and you can still use str for presenting it.