--- a/src/pt-plot.cc
+++ b/src/pt-plot.cc
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include "tree-cmd.h"
 #include "tree-const.h"
 #include "tree-plot.h"
+#include "load-save.h"
 #include "help.h"
 #include "error.h"
 #include "utils.h"
@@ -806,10 +807,10 @@
 	  switch (ndim)
 	    {
 	    case 2:
-	      t.save (file);
+	      save_ascii_data (file, t);
 	      break;
 	    case 3:
-	      t.save_three_d (file, parametric);
+	      save_three_d (file, t, parametric);
 	      break;
 	    default:
 	      panic_impossible ();

--- a/src/tc-rep.cc
+++ b/src/tc-rep.cc
@@ -1512,124 +1512,6 @@
   return retval;
 }
 
-int
-tree_constant_rep::save (ostream& os, int mark_as_global, int precision)
-{
-  switch (type_tag)
-    {
-    case scalar_constant:
-    case matrix_constant:
-    case complex_scalar_constant:
-    case complex_matrix_constant:
-    case string_constant:
-    case range_constant:
-      if (mark_as_global)
-	os << "# type: global ";
-      else
-	os << "# type: ";
-      break;
-    case magic_colon:
-    default:
-      break;
-    }
-
-  long old_precision = os.precision ();
-  os.precision (precision);
-
-  switch (type_tag)
-    {
-    case scalar_constant:
-      os << "scalar\n"
-	 << scalar << "\n";
-      break;
-    case matrix_constant:
-      os << "matrix\n"
-	 << "# rows: " << rows () << "\n"
-	 << "# columns: " << columns () << "\n"
-	 << *matrix ;
-      break;
-    case complex_scalar_constant:
-      os << "complex scalar\n"
-	 << *complex_scalar << "\n";
-      break;
-    case complex_matrix_constant:
-      os << "complex matrix\n"
-	 << "# rows: " << rows () << "\n"
-	 << "# columns: " << columns () << "\n"
-	 << *complex_matrix ;
-      break;
-    case string_constant:
-      os << "string\n"
-	 << "# length: " << strlen (string) << "\n"
-	 << string << "\n";
-      break;
-    case range_constant:
-      {
-	os << "range\n"
-	   << "# base, limit, increment\n"
-	   << range->base () << " "
-	   << range->limit () << " "
-	   << range->inc () << "\n";
-      }
-      break;
-    case magic_colon:
-    default:
-      panic_impossible ();
-      break;
-    }
-
-  os.precision (old_precision);
-
-// Really want to return 1 only if write is successful.
-  return 1;
-}
-
-int
-tree_constant_rep::save_three_d (ostream& os, int parametric)
-{
-  int nr = rows ();
-  int nc = columns ();
-
-  switch (type_tag)
-    {
-    case matrix_constant:
-      os << "# 3D data...\n"
-	 << "# type: matrix\n"
-	 << "# total rows: " << nr << "\n"
-	 << "# total columns: " << nc << "\n";
-
-      if (parametric)
-	{
-	  int extras = nc % 3;
-	  if (extras)
-	    warning ("ignoring last %d columns", extras);
-
-	  for (int i = 0; i < nc-extras; i += 3)
-	    {
-	      os << matrix->extract (0, i, nr-1, i+2);
-	      if (i+3 < nc-extras)
-		os << "\n";
-	    }
-	}
-      else
-	{
-	  for (int i = 0; i < nc; i++)
-	    {
-	      os << matrix->extract (0, i, nr-1, i);
-	      if (i+1 < nc)
-		os << "\n";
-	    }
-	}
-      break;
-    default:
-      ::error ("for now, I can only save real matrices in 3D format");
-      return 0;
-      break;
-    }
-// Really want to return 1 only if write is successful.
-  return 1;
-}
-
 double
 tree_constant_rep::double_value (void) const
 {

--- a/src/utils.cc
+++ b/src/utils.cc
@@ -157,6 +157,46 @@
     stream.putback ((char) c);
 } 
 
+#if 0
+
+// XXX UNTESTED XXX
+
+// Read input until a given character is read.  Returns characters
+// read in a new string that must be freed by the caller.
+
+char *
+read_until (istream& stream, char character)
+{
+  int grow_size = 8;
+  int limit = grow_size;
+  char *buf = new char [limit];
+  char *bp = buf;
+
+ get_more:
+  is.getline (bp, limit, character);
+
+  if (is.gcount () == 0)
+    {
+      delete [] buf;
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+  if (is.gcount () == limit && buf[limit-1] != '\0')
+    {
+      char *tmp = new char [limit + grow_size];
+      strcpy (tmp, buf);
+      delete [] buf;
+      buf = tmp;
+      bp = tmp + limit - 1;
+      limit += grow_size;
+      grow_size *= 2;
+      goto get_more;
+    }
+
+  return buf;
+}
+#endif
+
 char **
 pathstring_to_vector (char *pathstring)
 {

--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -38,20 +38,31 @@
 
 extern char *strsave (const char *);
 extern char *strconcat (const char *, const char *);
+
 extern void discard_until (istream&, char);
+
+#if 0
+extern char *read_until (istream&, char);
+#endif
+
 extern char *file_in_path (const char *, const char *);
 extern char *fcn_file_in_path (const char *);
 extern char *oct_file_in_path (const char *);
+
 extern char **pathstring_to_vector (char *pathstring);
+
 extern void jump_to_top_level (void);
+
 extern int almost_match (const char *std, const char *s,
 			 int min_match_len = 1, int case_sens = 1);
 extern int keyword_almost_match (const char **std, int *min_len,
 				 const char *s, int min_toks_to_match,
 				 int max_toks);
+
 extern char **get_fcn_file_names (int& ffl_len, const char *dir,
 				  int no_suffix); 
 extern char **get_fcn_file_names (int& ffl_len, int no_suffix);
+
 extern int NINT (double x);
 extern double D_NINT (double x);
 

--- a/src/variables.h
+++ b/src/variables.h
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@
 extern void force_link_to_function (const char *s);
 
 extern int is_builtin_variable (const char *name);
-extern int is_text_function_name (const char *s);
+extern int is_text_function_name (const char *name);
+extern int is_globally_visible (const char *name);
 
 extern tree_fvc *is_valid_function (const tree_constant&, char *,
 				    int warn = 0);