--- a/src/strfns.cc
+++ b/src/strfns.cc
@@ -143,6 +143,193 @@
   return retval;
 }
 
+DEFUN (strcmp, args, ,
+  "-*- texinfo -*-\n\
+@deftypefn {Function File} {} strcmp (@var{s1}, @var{s2})\n\
+Return 1 if the character strings @var{s1} and @var{s2} are the same,\n\
+and 0 otherwise.\n\
+@strong{Caution:}  For compatibility with @sc{Matlab}, Octave's strcmp\n\
+function returns 1 if the strings are equal, and 0 otherwise.  This is\n\
+just the opposite of the corresponding C library function.\n\
+@end deftypefn")
+{
+  if (args.length () != 2)
+    {
+      usage ("strcmp (S, T)");
+      return octave_value();
+    }
+
+  octave_value retval = false;
+
+  bool s1_string = args(0).is_string ();
+  bool s1_cell = args(0).is_cell ();
+  bool s2_string = args(1).is_string ();
+  bool s2_cell = args(1).is_cell ();
+
+  if (s1_string && s2_string) // must match exactly in all dimensions
+    {
+      const dim_vector dv1 = args(0).dims ();
+      const dim_vector dv2 = args(1).dims ();
+
+      if (dv1.length () == dv2.length ())
+	{
+	  for (int i = 0; i < dv1.length (); i++)
+	    if (dv1(i) != dv2(i))
+	      return retval;
+
+	  if (dv1(0) == 0)
+	    retval = true;
+	  else
+	    {
+	      charNDArray s1 = args(0).char_array_value ();
+	      charNDArray s2 = args(1).char_array_value ();
+
+	      for (int i = 0; i < dv1.numel (); i++)
+		if (s1(i) != s2(i))
+		  return retval;
+
+	      retval = true;
+	    }
+	}
+    }
+  else if ((s1_string && s2_cell) || (s1_cell && s2_string))
+    {
+      string_vector str;
+      Cell cell;
+      int r;
+
+      if (s1_string)
+	{
+	  str = args(0).all_strings ();
+	  r = args(0).rows ();
+	  cell = args(1).cell_value ();
+	}
+      else
+	{
+	  str = args(1).all_strings ();
+	  r = args(1).rows ();
+	  cell = args(0).cell_value ();
+	}
+
+      if (r == 1) // broadcast the string
+	{
+	  boolNDArray output (cell.dimensions);
+
+	  for (int i = 0; i < cell.length (); i++)
+	    if (cell(i).is_string ())
+	      output(i) = (cell(i).string_value () == str[0]);
+	    else
+	      output(i) = false;
+
+	  retval = octave_value (output);
+	}
+      else if (r > 1)
+	{
+	  if (cell.length () == 1) // broadcast the cell
+	    {
+	      const dim_vector& dv = dim_vector (r, 1);
+	      boolNDArray output (dv);
+
+	      if (cell(0).is_string ())
+		{
+		  const string str2 = cell(0).string_value ();
+
+		  for (int i = 0; i < r; i++)
+		    output(i) = (str[i] == str2);
+		}
+	      else
+		{
+		  for (int i = 0; i < r; i++)
+		    output(i) = false;
+		}
+
+	      retval = octave_value (output);
+	    }
+	  else // must match in all dimensions
+	    {
+	      boolNDArray output (cell.dimensions);
+
+	      if (cell.length () == r)
+		{
+		  for (int i = 0; i < r; i++)
+		    if (cell(i).is_string ())
+		      output(i) = (str[i] == cell(i).string_value ());
+		    else
+		      output(i) = false;
+		  retval = octave_value (output);
+		}
+	    }
+	}
+    }
+  else if (s1_cell && s2_cell)
+    {
+      Cell cell1;
+      Cell cell2;
+
+      int r1 = args(0).numel ();
+      int r2;
+
+      if (r1 == 1) // make the singleton cell2
+	{
+	  cell1 = args(1).cell_value ();
+	  cell2 = args(0).cell_value ();
+	  r1 = cell1.length ();
+	  r2 = 1;
+	}
+      else
+	{
+	  cell1 = args(0).cell_value ();
+	  cell2 = args(1).cell_value ();
+	  r2 = cell2.length ();
+	}
+
+      const dim_vector size1 = cell1.dimensions;
+      const dim_vector size2 = cell2.dimensions;
+
+      boolNDArray output (size1);
+      
+      if (r2 == 1) // broadcast cell2
+	if (! cell2(0).is_string ())
+	  for (int i = 0; i < r1; i++)
+	    output(i) = false;
+	else
+	  {
+	    const string str2 = cell2(0).string_value ();
+
+	    for (int i = 0; i < r1; i++)
+	      if (cell1(i).is_string ())
+		{
+		  const string str1 = cell1(i).string_value ();
+		  output(i) = (str1 == str2);
+		}
+	      else
+		output(i) = false;
+	  }
+      else
+	{
+	  if (size1 != size2)
+	    {
+	      error ("strcmp: nonconformant cell arrays");
+	      return octave_value ();
+	    }
+      
+	  for (int i = 0; i < r1; i++)
+	    if (cell1(i).is_string () && cell2(i).is_string ())
+	      {
+		const string str1 = cell1(i).string_value ();
+		const string str2 = cell2(i).string_value ();
+		output(i) = (str1 == str2);
+	      }
+	    else
+	      output(i) = false;
+	}
+
+      retval = octave_value (output);
+    }
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
 /*
 ;;; Local Variables: ***
 ;;; mode: C++ ***