--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-class.cc
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-class.cc
@@ -2103,47 +2103,33 @@
   return retval;
 }
 
-DEFUN (methods, args, nargout,
+DEFUN (__methods__, args, ,
   "-*- texinfo -*-\n\
-@deftypefn  {Built-in Function} {} methods (@var{x})\n\
-@deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {} methods (\"classname\")\n\
-Return a cell array containing the names of the methods for the\n\
-object @var{x} or the named class.\n\
+@deftypefn  {Built-in Function} {} __methods__ (@var{x})\n\
+@deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {} __methods__ (\"classname\")\n\
+Internal function.\n\
+\n\
+Implements @code{methods} for Octave class objects and classnames.\n\
+@seealso{methods}\n\
 @end deftypefn")
 {
   octave_value retval;
 
-  if (args.length () == 1)
-    {
-      octave_value arg = args(0);
-
-      std::string class_name;
+  // Input validation has already been done in methods.m.
+  octave_value arg = args(0);
 
-      if (arg.is_object ())
-        class_name = arg.class_name ();
-      else if (arg.is_string ())
-        class_name = arg.string_value ();
-      else
-        error ("methods: expecting object or class name as argument");
+  std::string class_name;
 
-      if (! error_state)
-        {
-          string_vector sv = load_path::methods (class_name);
-
-          if (nargout == 0)
-            {
-              octave_stdout << "Methods for class " << class_name << ":\n\n";
+  if (arg.is_object ())
+    class_name = arg.class_name ();
+  else if (arg.is_string ())
+    class_name = arg.string_value ();
 
-              sv.list_in_columns (octave_stdout);
-
-              octave_stdout << std::endl;
-            }
-          else
-            retval = Cell (sv);
-        }
+  if (! error_state)
+    {
+      string_vector sv = load_path::methods (class_name);
+      retval = Cell (sv);
     }
-  else
-    print_usage ();
 
   return retval;
 }

rename from scripts/java/javamethods.m
rename to scripts/deprecated/javamethods.m
--- a/scripts/java/javamethods.m
+++ b/scripts/deprecated/javamethods.m
@@ -23,10 +23,17 @@
 ## Return the methods of a Java object or Java class in the form of a cell 
 ## array of strings.  If no output is requested, print the result to the
 ## standard output.
-## @seealso{javafields, java_invoke, javaMethod, javaObject}
+## @seealso{methods, javafields, java_invoke, javaMethod, javaObject}
 ## @end deftypefn
 
 function mtd_names = javamethods (classname)
+
+  persistent warned = false;
+  if (! warned)
+    warned = true;
+    warning ("Octave:deprecated-function",
+             "javamethods is obsolete and will be removed from a future version of Octave, please use methods instead");
+  endif
   
   if (nargin != 1)
     print_usage ();

--- a/scripts/deprecated/module.mk
+++ b/scripts/deprecated/module.mk
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@
   deprecated/cut.m \
   deprecated/error_text.m \
   deprecated/isstr.m \
-  deprecated/javafields.m \
   deprecated/java_get.m \
   deprecated/java_new.m \
   deprecated/java_set.m \
+  deprecated/javafields.m \
+  deprecated/javamethods.m \
   deprecated/polyderiv.m \
   deprecated/setstr.m \
   deprecated/shell_cmd.m \

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/general/methods.m
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+## Copyright (C) 2012 Rik Wehbring
+##
+## 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 3 of the License, 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, see
+## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+## -*- texinfo -*-
+## @deftypefn  {Built-in Function} {} methods (@var{obj})
+## @deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {} methods ("@var{classname}")
+## @deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {@var{mtds} =} methods (@dots{})
+##
+## Return a cell array containing the names of the methods for the
+## object @var{obj} or the named class @var{classname}.
+## @var{obj} may be an Octave class object or a Java object.
+##
+## @seealso{fieldnames}
+## @end deftypefn
+
+function mtds = methods (obj)
+  
+  if (nargin != 1)
+    print_usage ();
+  endif
+  
+  if (isobject (obj))
+    ## Call internal C++ function for Octave objects
+    mtds_list = __methods__ (obj);
+  elseif (ischar (obj))
+    ## Could be a classname for an Octave class or Java class.
+    ## Try Octave class first.
+    mtds_list = __methods__ (obj);
+    if (isempty (mtds_list))
+      mtds_str = java_invoke ("org.octave.ClassHelper", "getMethods", obj);
+      mtds_list = strsplit (mtds_str, ';');
+    endif
+  elseif (isjava (obj))
+    mtds_str = java_invoke ("org.octave.ClassHelper", "getMethods", obj);
+    mtds_list = strsplit (mtds_str, ';');
+  else
+    error ("methods: Invalid input argument");
+  endif
+
+  if (nargout == 0)
+    classname = ifelse (ischar (obj), obj, class (obj));
+    printf ("Methods for class %s:\n", classname);
+    disp (list_in_columns (mtds_list));
+  else
+    mtds = mtds_list;
+  endif
+
+endfunction
+
+
+## test Octave classname
+%!test
+%! mtds = methods ("ftp");
+%! assert (mtds{1}, "ascii");
+
+## test Java classname
+%!testif HAVE_JAVA 
+%! mtds = methods ("java.lang.Double");
+%! search = strfind (mtds, "java.lang.Double valueOf");
+%! assert (! isempty ([search{:}]));
+

--- a/scripts/general/module.mk
+++ b/scripts/general/module.mk
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
   general/isvector.m \
   general/loadobj.m \
   general/logspace.m \
+  general/methods.m \
   general/nargchk.m \
   general/narginchk.m \
   general/nargoutchk.m \

--- a/scripts/java/module.mk
+++ b/scripts/java/module.mk
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
   java/javaaddpath.m \
   java/javaclasspath.m \
   java/javamem.m \
-  java/javamethods.m \
   java/javarmpath.m \
   java/listdlg.m \
   java/msgbox.m \