--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2008-11-25  Jaroslav Hajek  <highegg@gmail.com>
+
+	* ov.cc (octave_value::is_equal): New member function.
+	* ov.h: Declare it.
+	* pt-select.cc (tree_switch_case::label_matches): Call
+	octave_value::is_equal.
+
 2008-11-25  Jaroslav Hajek  <highegg@gmail.com>
 
 	* ov-base.h (octave_base_value::type_conv_info): New class.

--- a/src/ov.cc
+++ b/src/ov.cc
@@ -1223,6 +1223,25 @@
   return retval;
 }
 
+bool
+octave_value::is_equal (const octave_value& test) const
+{
+  bool retval = false;
+
+  // If there is no op_eq for these types, we can't compare values.
+
+  if (rows () == test.rows () && columns () == test.columns ())
+    {
+      octave_value tmp = do_binary_op (octave_value::op_eq, *this, test);
+
+      // Empty array also means a match.
+      if (! error_state && tmp.is_defined ())
+	retval = tmp.is_true () || tmp.is_empty ();
+    }
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
 Cell
 octave_value::cell_value (void) const
 {

--- a/src/ov.h
+++ b/src/ov.h
@@ -574,6 +574,10 @@
   bool is_true (void) const
     { return rep->is_true (); }
 
+  // Do two constants match (in a switch statement)?
+  
+  bool is_equal (const octave_value&) const;
+
   // Are the dimensions of this constant zero by zero?
 
   bool is_zero_by_zero (void) const

--- a/src/pt-select.cc
+++ b/src/pt-select.cc
@@ -152,27 +152,6 @@
 }
 
 
-// Compare two octave values, returning true if equal, false if not
-// FIXME --- should be member or friend of octave_value class.
-
-static bool
-equal (const octave_value& val, const octave_value& test)
-{
-  bool retval = false;
-
-  // If there is no op_eq for these types, we can't compare values.
-
-  if (val.rows () == test.rows () && val.columns () == test.columns ())
-    {
-      octave_value tmp = do_binary_op (octave_value::op_eq, val, test);
-
-      if (! error_state && tmp.is_defined ())
-	retval = tmp.is_true ();
-    }
-
-  return retval;
-}
-
 bool
 tree_switch_case::label_matches (const octave_value& val)
 {
@@ -188,7 +167,7 @@
 	    {
 	      for (octave_idx_type j = 0; j < cell.columns (); j++)
 		{
-		  bool match = equal (val, cell(i,j));
+		  bool match = val.is_equal (cell(i,j));
 
 		  if (error_state)
 		    return false;
@@ -199,7 +178,7 @@
 	}
       else
 	{
-	  bool match = equal (val, label_value);
+	  bool match = val.is_equal (label_value);
 
 	  if (error_state)
 	    return false;