--- a/src/pt-id.cc
+++ b/src/pt-id.cc
@@ -39,41 +39,6 @@
 
 // Symbols from the symbol table.
 
-std::string
-tree_identifier::name (void) const
-{
-  std::string retval;
-  if (sym)
-    retval = sym->name ();
-  return retval;
-}
-
-tree_identifier *
-tree_identifier::define (octave_function *f, unsigned int sym_type)
-{
-  int status = sym->define (f, sym_type);
-  return status ? this : 0;
-}
-
-void
-tree_identifier::document (const std::string& s)
-{
-  if (sym)
-    sym->document (s);
-}
-
-bool
-tree_identifier::is_defined (void)
-{
-  return (sym && sym->is_defined ());
-}
-
-bool
-tree_identifier::is_function (void)
-{
-  return (sym && sym->is_function ());
-}
-
 void
 tree_identifier::eval_undefined_error (void)
 {
@@ -87,65 +52,6 @@
 	     name ().c_str (), l, c);
 }
 
-// Try to find a definition for an identifier.  Here's how:
-//
-//   * If the identifier is already defined and is a function defined
-//     in an function file that has been modified since the last time 
-//     we parsed it, parse it again.
-//
-//   * If the identifier is not defined, try to find a builtin
-//     variable or an already compiled function with the same name.
-//
-//   * If the identifier is still undefined, try looking for an
-//     function file to parse.
-//
-//   * On systems that support dynamic linking, we prefer .oct files,
-//     then .mex files, then .m files.
-
-octave_value
-tree_identifier::do_lookup (bool& script_file_executed, bool exec_script)
-{
-  static octave_value foo;
-
-  script_file_executed = lookup (sym, exec_script);
-
-  return script_file_executed ? foo : sym->def ();
-}
-
-void
-tree_identifier::link_to_global (void)
-{
-  if (sym)
-    {
-      if (! sym->is_linked_to_global ())
-	{
-	  if (sym->is_defined () && sym->is_variable ())
-	    {
-	      std::string nm = sym->name ();
-
-	      warning ("value of local variable `%s' may have changed to match global",
-		       nm.c_str ());
-	    }
-
-	  link_to_global_variable (sym);
-	}
-    }
-}
-
-void
-tree_identifier::mark_as_static (void)
-{
-  if (sym)
-    sym->mark_as_static ();
-}
-
-void
-tree_identifier::mark_as_formal_parameter (void)
-{
-  if (sym)
-    sym->mark_as_formal_parameter ();
-}
-
 octave_value_list
 tree_identifier::rvalue (int nargout)
 {
@@ -156,42 +62,41 @@
   if (error_state)
     return retval;
 
-  bool script_file_executed = false;
+  octave_value_list evaluated_args;
+  bool args_evaluated;
 
-  octave_value val = do_lookup (script_file_executed);
+  octave_value val = sym.find (0, string_vector (), evaluated_args,
+			       args_evaluated);
 
-  if (! script_file_executed)
+  if (val.is_defined ())
     {
-      if (val.is_defined ())
+      // GAGME -- this would be cleaner if we required
+      // parens to indicate function calls.
+      //
+      // If this identifier refers to a function, we need to know
+      // whether it is indexed so that we can do the same thing
+      // for `f' and `f()'.  If the index is present, return the
+      // function object and let tree_index_expression::rvalue
+      // handle indexing.  Otherwise, arrange to call the function
+      // here, so that we don't return the function definition as
+      // a value.
+
+      if (val.is_function () && ! is_postfix_indexed ())
 	{
-	  // GAGME -- this would be cleaner if we required
-	  // parens to indicate function calls.
-	  //
-	  // If this identifier refers to a function, we need to know
-	  // whether it is indexed so that we can do the same thing
-	  // for `f' and `f()'.  If the index is present, return the
-	  // function object and let tree_index_expression::rvalue
-	  // handle indexing.  Otherwise, arrange to call the function
-	  // here, so that we don't return the function definition as
-	  // a value.
+	  octave_value_list tmp_args;
 
-	  if (val.is_function () && ! is_postfix_indexed ())
-	    {
-	      octave_value_list tmp_args;
-
-	      retval = val.do_multi_index_op (nargout, tmp_args);
-	    }
-	  else
-	    {
-	      if (print_result () && nargout == 0)
-		val.print_with_name (octave_stdout, name ());
-
-	      retval = val;
-	    }
+	  retval = val.do_multi_index_op (nargout, tmp_args);
 	}
       else
-	eval_undefined_error ();
+	{
+	  if (print_result () && nargout == 0)
+	    val.print_with_name (octave_stdout, name ());
+
+	  retval = val;
+	}
     }
+  else
+    eval_undefined_error ();
 
   return retval;
 }
@@ -214,15 +119,21 @@
 {
   MAYBE_DO_BREAKPOINT;
 
-  return sym->variable_reference ();
+  return octave_lvalue (&(sym.varref ()));
 }
 
 tree_identifier *
-tree_identifier::dup (symbol_table *sym_tab)
+tree_identifier::dup (symbol_table::scope_id scope)
 {
-  symbol_record *sr = (sym_tab && sym) ? sym_tab->lookup (sym->name ()) : 0;
+  // The new tree_identifier object contains a symbol_record
+  // entry from the duplicated scope.
 
-  tree_identifier *new_id = new tree_identifier (sr, line (), column ());
+  // FIXME -- is this the best way?
+  symbol_table::symbol_record new_sym
+    = symbol_table::find_symbol (sym.name (), scope);
+
+  tree_identifier *new_id
+    = new tree_identifier (new_sym, line (), column ());
 
   new_id->copy_base (*this);