new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ov-base.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,261 @@
+/*
+
+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 (__GNUG__)
+#pragma implementation
+#endif
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include <config.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "lo-ieee.h"
+
+#include "gripes.h"
+#include "oct-map.h"
+#include "ops.h"
+#include "ov-base.h"
+#include "ov-scalar.h"
+#include "ov-re-mat.h"
+#include "ov-complex.h"
+#include "ov-cx-mat.h"
+#include "ov-ch-mat.h"
+#include "ov-str-mat.h"
+#include "ov-range.h"
+
+int octave_base_value::t_id = -1;
+
+const string octave_base_value::t_name ("<unknown type>");
+
+octave_value
+octave_base_value::index (const octave_value_list&) const
+{
+  string nm = type_name ();
+  error ("can't perform indexing operations for %s type", nm.c_str ());
+  return octave_value ();
+}
+
+idx_vector
+octave_base_value::index_vector (void) const
+{
+  string nm = type_name ();
+  error ("%s type invalid as index value", nm.c_str ());
+  return idx_vector ();
+}
+
+octave_value
+octave_base_value::struct_elt_val (const string&) const
+{
+  string nm = type_name ();
+  error ("can't perform structure reference operations for %s type",
+	 nm.c_str ());
+  return octave_value ();
+}
+
+octave_value&
+octave_base_value::struct_elt_ref (const string&)
+{
+  static octave_value foo;
+  string nm = type_name ();
+  error ("can't perform structure reference operations for %s type",
+	 nm.c_str ());
+  return foo;
+}
+
+octave_value
+octave_base_value::convert_to_str (void) const
+{
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::convert_to_str ()",
+			type_name ());
+  return octave_value ();
+}
+
+void
+octave_base_value::convert_to_row_or_column_vector (void)
+{
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg
+    ("octave_base_value::convert_to_row_or_column_vector ()",
+     type_name ());
+}
+
+void
+octave_base_value::print (ostream&)
+{
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::print()", type_name ());
+}
+
+double
+octave_base_value::double_value (bool) const
+{
+  double retval = octave_NaN;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::double_value ()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+Matrix
+octave_base_value::matrix_value (bool) const
+{
+  Matrix retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::matrix_value()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+Complex
+octave_base_value::complex_value (bool) const
+{
+  Complex retval (octave_NaN, octave_NaN);
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::complex_value()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+ComplexMatrix
+octave_base_value::complex_matrix_value (bool) const
+{
+  ComplexMatrix retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::complex_matrix_value()",
+			type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+charMatrix
+octave_base_value::char_matrix_value (bool) const
+{
+  charMatrix retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::char_matrix_value()",
+			type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+charMatrix
+octave_base_value::all_strings (void) const
+{
+  charMatrix retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::all_strings()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+string
+octave_base_value::string_value (void) const
+{
+  string retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::string_value()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+Range
+octave_base_value::range_value (void) const
+{
+  Range retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::range_value()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+Octave_map
+octave_base_value::map_value (void) const
+{
+  Octave_map retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::map_value()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+octave_value
+octave_base_value::not (void) const
+{
+  octave_value retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::not()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+octave_value
+octave_base_value::uminus (void) const
+{
+  octave_value retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::uminus()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+octave_value
+octave_base_value::transpose (void) const
+{
+  octave_value retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::transpose()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+octave_value
+octave_base_value::hermitian (void) const
+{
+  octave_value retval;
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::hermitian()", type_name ());
+  return retval;
+}
+
+void
+octave_base_value::increment (void)
+{
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::increment()", type_name ());
+}
+
+void
+octave_base_value::decrement (void)
+{
+  gripe_wrong_type_arg ("octave_base_value::decrement()", type_name ());
+}
+
+static octave_value *
+matrix_conv (const octave_value&)
+{
+  return new octave_matrix ();
+}
+
+static octave_value *
+complex_matrix_conv (const octave_value&)
+{
+  return new octave_complex_matrix ();
+}
+
+static octave_value *
+string_conv (const octave_value&)
+{
+  return new octave_char_matrix_str ();
+}
+
+void
+install_base_type_conversions (void)
+{
+  INSTALL_ASSIGNCONV (octave_base_value, octave_scalar, octave_matrix);
+  INSTALL_ASSIGNCONV (octave_base_value, octave_matrix, octave_matrix);
+  INSTALL_ASSIGNCONV (octave_base_value, octave_complex, octave_complex_matrix);
+  INSTALL_ASSIGNCONV (octave_base_value, octave_complex_matrix, octave_complex_matrix);
+  INSTALL_ASSIGNCONV (octave_base_value, octave_range, octave_matrix);
+  INSTALL_ASSIGNCONV (octave_base_value, octave_char_matrix_str, octave_char_matrix_str);
+
+  INSTALL_WIDENOP (octave_base_value, octave_matrix, matrix_conv);
+  INSTALL_WIDENOP (octave_base_value, octave_complex_matrix, complex_matrix_conv);
+  INSTALL_WIDENOP (octave_base_value, octave_char_matrix_str, string_conv);
+}
+
+/*
+;;; Local Variables: ***
+;;; mode: C++ ***
+;;; End: ***
+*/