new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/liboctave/file-ops.h
@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+// file-ops.h                                            -*- C++ -*-
+/*
+
+Copyright (C) 1996 John W. Eaton
+
+This file is part of Octave.
+
+Octave is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any
+later version.
+
+Octave is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with Octave; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the Free
+Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
+
+*/
+
+#if !defined (octave_file_ops_h)
+#define octave_file_ops_h 1
+
+#include <string>
+
+class
+file_stat
+{
+public:
+
+  file_stat (const string& n = string (), bool fl = 1)
+    : file_name (n), follow_links (fl), initialized (false)
+      {
+	if (! file_name.empty ())
+	  update_internal ();
+      }
+
+  file_stat (const file_stat& f)
+    : file_name (f.file_name), follow_links (f.follow_links),
+      initialized (f.initialized) { }
+
+  file_stat& operator = (const file_stat& f)
+    {
+      file_name  = f.file_name;
+      follow_links = f.follow_links;
+      initialized = f.initialized;
+
+      return *this;
+    }
+
+  ~file_stat (void) { }
+
+  void get_stats (bool force = false)
+    {
+      if (! initialized || force)
+        update_internal (force);
+    }
+
+  void get_stats (const string& n, bool force = false)
+    {
+      if (n != file_name || ! initialized  || force)
+	{
+	  initialized = false;
+
+	  file_name = n;
+
+	  update_internal (force);
+	}
+    }
+
+  // File status and info.  These should only be called for objects
+  // that are already properly initialized.
+
+  bool is_blk (void) const;
+  bool is_chr (void) const;
+  bool is_dir (void) const;
+  bool is_fifo (void) const;
+  bool is_lnk (void) const;
+  bool is_reg (void) const;
+  bool is_sock (void) const;
+
+  ino_t ino (void) const { return fs_ino; }
+  dev_t dev (void) const { return fs_dev; }
+
+  nlink_t nlink (void) const { return fs_nlink; }
+
+  uid_t uid (void) const { return fs_uid; }
+  gid_t gid (void) const { return fs_gid; }
+
+  off_t size (void) const { return fs_size; }
+
+  time_t atime (void) const { return fs_atime; }
+  time_t mtime (void) const { return fs_mtime; }
+  time_t ctime (void) const { return fs_ctime; }
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_RDEV)
+  dev_t rdev (void) const { return fs_rdev; }
+#endif
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_BLKSIZE)
+  long blksize (void) const { return fs_blksize; }
+#endif
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_BLOCKS)
+  long blocks (void) const { return fs_blocks; }
+#endif
+
+  string mode_as_string (void) const;
+
+  bool ok (void) const { return initialized && ! fail; }
+
+  operator void* () const { return ok () ? (void *) -1 : (void *) 0; }
+
+  bool exists (void) const { return ok (); }
+
+  string error (void) const { return ok () ? string () : errmsg; }
+
+  // Has the file referenced by this object been modified since TIME?
+  bool is_newer (time_t time) const { return fs_mtime > time; }
+
+private:
+
+  // Name of the file.
+  string file_name;
+
+  // TRUE means follow symbolic links to the ultimate file (stat).
+  // FALSE means get information about the link itself (lstat).
+  bool follow_links;
+
+  // TRUE means we have already called stat.
+  bool initialized;
+
+  // TRUE means the stat for this file failed.
+  bool fail;
+
+  // If a failure occurs, this contains the system error text.
+  string errmsg;
+
+  // file type and permissions
+  mode_t fs_mode;
+
+  // serial number
+  ino_t fs_ino;
+
+  // device number
+  dev_t fs_dev;
+
+  // number of links
+  nlink_t fs_nlink;
+
+  // user ID of owner
+  uid_t fs_uid;
+
+  // group ID of owner
+  gid_t fs_gid;
+
+  // size in bytes, for regular files
+  off_t fs_size;
+
+  // time of last access
+  time_t fs_atime;
+
+  // time of last modification
+  time_t fs_mtime;
+
+  // time of last file status change
+  time_t fs_ctime;
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_RDEV)
+  // device number for special files
+  dev_t fs_rdev;
+#endif
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_BLKSIZE)
+  // best I/O block size
+  long fs_blksize;
+#endif
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_BLOCKS)
+  // number of 512-byte blocks allocated
+  long fs_blocks;
+#endif
+
+  void update_internal (bool force = false);
+};
+
+extern int is_newer (const string&, time_t);
+
+extern int xmkdir (const string&, mode_t);
+extern int xrmdir (const string&);
+extern int xrename (const string&, const string&);
+extern int xmkfifo (const string&, mode_t);
+extern int xumask (mode_t);
+
+#endif
+
+/*
+;;; Local Variables: ***
+;;; mode: C++ ***
+;;; page-delimiter: "^/\\*" ***
+;;; End: ***
+*/