new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/genprops.awk
@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+## This script is used to generate the graphics.h file from graphics.h.in.
+##
+## Lines between the BEGIN_PROPERTIES and END_PROPERTIES markers have
+## one of the following formats:
+##
+##   TYPE NAME
+##   TYPE NAME QUALIFIERS
+##   mutable TYPE NAME
+##   mutable TYPE NAME QUALIFIERS
+##
+## For each property, we generate a declaration for the property.
+##
+## If QUALIFIERS is omitted, we generate the following functions directly
+## in the class declaration:
+##
+##   TYPE get_NAME (void) const { return NAME; }
+##   void set_NAME (const TYPE& val) { NAME = val; }
+##   void set_NAME (const octave_value& val) { set_NAME (TYPE (val)); }
+##
+## If present, the QUALIFIERS string may include any of the characters
+## g, G, m, s, S, o, O, which have the following meanings:
+##
+##   g:  There is a custom inline definition for the get function,
+##       so we don't emit one.
+##
+##   G:  There is a custom extern definition for the get function,
+##       so we emit only the declaration.
+##
+##   s:  There is a custom inline definition for the type-specific set
+##       function, so we don't emit one.
+##
+##   S:  There is a custom extern definition for the type-specific set
+##       function, so we emit only the declaration.
+##
+##   o:  There is a custom inline definition for the octave_value version
+##       of the set function, so we don't emit one.
+##
+##   O:  There is a custom extern definition for the octave_value version
+##       of the set function, so we emit only the declaration.
+##
+##   m:  Add the line
+##
+##         set_NAMEmode ("manual");
+##
+##       to the type-specific set function.
+##
+## The 'o' and 'O' qualifiers are only useful when the the property type
+## is something other than octave_value.
+
+function emit_decls ()
+{
+  if (idx > 0)
+      print "private:\n";
+
+  for (i = 1; i <= idx; i++)
+      printf ("  %s%s %s;\n", mutable[i] ? "mutable " : "", type[i], name[i]);
+
+  if (idx > 0)
+      print "\npublic:\n";
+
+  for (i = 1; i <= idx; i++)
+  {
+      if (emit_get[i])
+      {
+	  printf ("  %s get_%s (void) const", type[i], name[i]);
+
+	  if (emit_get[i] == "defn")
+	      printf (" { return %s; }\n", name[i]);
+	  else
+	      printf (";\n");
+      }
+  }
+
+  if (idx > 0)
+      printf ("\n");
+
+  for (i = 1; i <= idx; i++)
+  {
+      if (emit_set[i])
+      {
+	  printf ("  void set_%s (const %s& val)", name[i], type[i]);
+
+	  if (emit_set[i] == "defn")
+	  {
+	      printf ("\n  {\n    if (! error_state)\n      {\n        %s = val;\n",
+		      name[i]);
+	      if (mode[i])
+		  printf ("        set_%smode (\"manual\");\n", name[i]);
+	      printf ("        mark_modified ();\n      }\n  }\n\n");
+	  }
+	  else
+	      printf (";\n");
+      }
+
+      if (emit_ov_set[i])
+      {
+	  printf ("  void set_%s (const octave_value& val)", name[i]);
+
+	  if (emit_ov_set[i] == "defn")
+	      printf (" { set_%s (%s (val)); }\n\n", name[i], type[i]);
+	  else
+	      printf (";\n");
+      }
+  }
+
+  if (idx > 0)
+      print "\nprivate:";
+}
+
+BEGIN {
+    printf ("// DO NOT EDIT!  Generated automatically by genprops.awk.\n\n");
+}
+
+/BEGIN_PROPERTIES/ {
+    gather = 1;
+    idx = 0;
+    next;
+}
+
+/END_PROPERTIES/ {
+    emit_decls();
+    gather = 0;
+    next;
+}
+
+{
+  if (gather)
+    {
+      if (NF < 2 || NF > 4)
+	next;
+
+      idx++;
+
+      field = 1;
+
+      if ($field == "mutable")
+      {
+	  mutable[idx] = 1;
+	  field++;
+      }
+      else
+	  mutable[idx] = 0;
+
+      type[idx] = $(field++);
+      name[idx] = $(field++);
+
+      mode[idx] = 0;
+      emit_get[idx] = "defn";
+      emit_set[idx] = "defn";
+      if (type[idx] == "octave_value")
+	  emit_ov_set[idx] = "";
+      else
+	  emit_ov_set[idx] = "defn";
+
+      if (NF == field)
+        {
+	    quals = $field;
+
+	    if (index (quals, "m"))
+		mode[idx] = 1;
+
+	    ## There is a custom inline definition for the get function,
+	    ## so we don't emit anything.
+	    if (index (quals, "g"))
+		emit_get[idx] = "";
+
+	    ## There is a custom extern definition for the get function,
+	    ## but we still emit the declaration.
+	    if (index (quals, "G"))
+		emit_get[idx] = "decl";
+
+	    ## There is a custom inline definition for the set function,
+	    ## so we don't emit anything.
+	    if (index (quals, "s"))
+		emit_set[idx] = "";
+
+	    ## There is a custom extern definition for the set function,
+	    ## but we still emit the declaration.
+	    if (index (quals, "S"))
+		emit_set[idx] = "decl";
+
+	    if (type[idx] != "octave_value")
+	    {
+		## The 'o' and 'O' qualifiers are only useful when the
+		## the property type is something other than an
+		## octave_value.
+
+		## There is a custom inline definition for the
+		## octave_value version of the set function, so we
+		## don't emit anything.
+		if (index (quals, "o"))
+		    emit_ov_set[idx] = "";
+
+		## There is a custom extern definition for the
+		## octave_value version of the set function, but we
+		## still emit the declaration.
+		if (index (quals, "O"))
+		    emit_ov_set[idx] = "decl";
+	    }
+        }
+
+    }
+  else
+      print $0;
+}
\ No newline at end of file