--- a/src/file-io.cc
+++ b/src/file-io.cc
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "octave-hist.h"
 #include "tree-const.h"
 #include "error.h"
+#include "help.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "pager.h"
 #include "defun.h"

--- a/src/help.cc
+++ b/src/help.cc
@@ -292,9 +292,42 @@
   return keywords;
 }
 
+void
+additional_help_message (ostrstream& output_buf)
+{
+  output_buf
+    << "\n"
+    << "Additional help for builtin functions, operators, and variables\n"
+    << "is available in the on-line version of the manual.\n"
+    << "\n"
+    << "Use the command `help -i <topic>' to search the manual index.\n";
+}
+
+void
+print_usage (const char *string, int just_usage)
+{
+  ostrstream output_buf;
+
+  symbol_record *sym_rec = global_sym_tab->lookup (string, 0, 0);
+  if (sym_rec)
+    {
+      char *h = sym_rec->help ();
+      if (h && *h)
+	{
+	  output_buf << "\n*** " << string << ":\n\n"
+	    << h << "\n";
+
+	  if (! just_usage)
+	    additional_help_message (output_buf);
+	  output_buf << ends;
+	  maybe_page_output (output_buf);
+	}
+    }
+}
+
 static void
-help_syms_list (ostrstream& output_buf, help_list *list,
-		const char *desc)
+display_names_from_help_list (ostrstream& output_buf, help_list *list,
+			      const char *desc)
 {
   int count = 0;
   char **symbols = names (list, count);
@@ -305,26 +338,51 @@
 }
 
 static void
+display_symtab_names (ostrstream& output_buf, char **names,
+		      int count, const char *desc)
+{
+  output_buf << "\n*** " << desc << ":\n\n";
+  if (names && count > 0)
+    list_in_columns (output_buf, names);
+}
+
+static void
 simple_help (void)
 {
   ostrstream output_buf;
 
-  help_syms_list (output_buf, operator_help (), "operators");
+  display_names_from_help_list (output_buf, operator_help (),
+				"operators");
 
-  help_syms_list (output_buf, keyword_help (), "reserved words");
-
-  help_syms_list (output_buf, builtin_text_functions_help (),
-		  "text functions (these names are also reserved)");
+  display_names_from_help_list (output_buf, keyword_help (),
+				"reserved words");
 
-  help_syms_list (output_buf, builtin_mapper_functions_help (),
-		  "mapper functions");
+#ifdef LIST_SYMBOLS
+#undef LIST_SYMBOLS
+#endif
+#define LIST_SYMBOLS(type, msg) \
+  do \
+    { \
+      int count; \
+      char **names = global_sym_tab->list (count, 1, type); \
+      display_symtab_names (output_buf, names, count, msg); \
+      char **ptr = names; \
+      while (*ptr) \
+        delete [] *ptr++; \
+      delete [] names; \
+    } \
+  while (0)
 
-  help_syms_list (output_buf, builtin_general_functions_help (),
-		  "general functions");
+// XXX FIXME XXX -- is this distinction needed?
+  LIST_SYMBOLS (symbol_def::TEXT_FUNCTION,
+		"text functions (these names are also reserved)");
 
-  help_syms_list (output_buf, builtin_variables_help (),
-		  "builtin variables");
-      
+  LIST_SYMBOLS (symbol_def::MAPPER_FUNCTION, "mapper functions");
+
+  LIST_SYMBOLS (symbol_def::BUILTIN_FUNCTION, "general functions");
+
+  LIST_SYMBOLS (symbol_def::BUILTIN_VARIABLE, "builtin variables");
+
 // Also need to list variables and currently compiled functions from
 // the symbol table, if there are any.
 
@@ -416,6 +474,31 @@
   return status;
 }
 
+int
+help_from_list (ostrstream& output_buf, const help_list *list,
+		const char *string, int usage)
+{
+  char *name;
+  while ((name = list->name) != 0)
+    {
+      if (strcmp (name, string) == 0)
+	{
+	  if (usage)
+	    output_buf << "\nusage: ";
+	  else
+	    {
+	      output_buf << "\n*** " << string << ":\n\n";
+	    }
+
+	  output_buf << list->help << "\n";
+
+	  return 1;
+	}
+      list++;
+    }
+  return 0;
+}
+
 DEFUN_TEXT ("help", Fhelp, Shelp, -1, 1,
   "help [-i] [topic ...]\n\
 \n\

--- a/src/help.h
+++ b/src/help.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #if !defined (octave_help_h)
 #define octave_help_h 1
 
+class ostrstream;
+
 typedef struct help_list
 {
   char *name;
@@ -34,6 +36,12 @@
 extern help_list *operator_help (void);
 extern help_list *keyword_help (void);
 
+extern int help_from_list (ostrstream& output_buf,
+			   const help_list *list, const char *string,
+			   int usage);
+
+extern void print_usage (const char *s, int just_usage = 0);
+
 #endif
 
 /*

--- a/src/octave.cc
+++ b/src/octave.cc
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 #include "input.h"
 #include "pager.h"
 #include "lex.h"
+#include "help.h"
 #include "octave.h"
 #include "parse.h"
 #include "unwind-prot.h"

--- a/src/pr-output.cc
+++ b/src/pr-output.cc
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include "pr-output.h"
 #include "mappers.h"
 #include "pager.h"
+#include "help.h"
 #include "error.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "defun.h"

--- a/src/sysdep.cc
+++ b/src/sysdep.cc
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 
 #include "tree-const.h"
 #include "octave.h"
+#include "help.h"
 #include "input.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "oct-obj.h"

--- a/src/variables.cc
+++ b/src/variables.cc
@@ -772,218 +772,6 @@
   return (sr && sr->is_text_function ());
 }
 
-/*
- * Help stuff.
- */
-help_list *
-builtin_mapper_functions_help (void)
-{
-#if 0
-  int count = 0;
-  builtin_mapper_functions *mfptr;
-
-  mfptr = mapper_functions;
-  while (mfptr->name)
-    {
-      count++;
-      mfptr++;
-    }
-
-  if (count == 0)
-    return 0;
-
-  help_list *hl = new help_list [count+1];
-
-  int i = 0;
-  mfptr = mapper_functions;
-  while (mfptr->name)
-    {
-      hl[i].name = mfptr->name;
-      hl[i].help = mfptr->help_string;
-      i++;
-      mfptr++;
-    }
-
-  hl[count].name = 0;
-  hl[count].help = 0;
-
-  return hl;
-#endif
-
-  return 0;
-}
-
-help_list *
-builtin_general_functions_help (void)
-{
-#if 0
-  int count = 0;
-  builtin_general_functions *gfptr;
-
-  gfptr = general_functions;
-  while (gfptr->name)
-    {
-      count++;
-      gfptr++;
-    }
-
-  if (count == 0)
-    return 0;
-
-  help_list *hl = new help_list [count+1];
-
-  int i = 0;
-  gfptr = general_functions;
-  while (gfptr->name)
-    {
-      hl[i].name = gfptr->name;
-      hl[i].help = gfptr->help_string;
-      i++;
-      gfptr++;
-    }
-
-  hl[count].name = 0;
-  hl[count].help = 0;
-
-  return hl;
-#endif
-
-  return 0;
-}
-
-help_list *
-builtin_text_functions_help (void)
-{
-#if 0
-  int count = 0;
-  builtin_text_functions *tfptr;
-
-  tfptr = text_functions;
-  while (tfptr->name)
-    {
-      count++;
-      tfptr++;
-    }
-
-  if (count == 0)
-    return 0;
-
-  help_list *hl = new help_list [count+1];
-
-  int i = 0;
-  tfptr = text_functions;
-  while (tfptr->name)
-    {
-      hl[i].name = tfptr->name;
-      hl[i].help = tfptr->help_string;
-      i++;
-      tfptr++;
-    }
-
-  hl[count].name = 0;
-  hl[count].help = 0;
-
-  return hl;
-#endif
-
-  return 0;
-}
-
-help_list *
-builtin_variables_help (void)
-{
-#if 0
-  int count = 0;
-
-  builtin_string_variables *svptr;
-
-  svptr = string_variables;
-  while (svptr->name)
-    {
-      count++;
-      svptr++;
-    }
-
-  if (count == 0)
-    return 0;
-
-  help_list *hl = new help_list [count+1];
-
-  int i = 0;
-  svptr = string_variables;
-  while (svptr->name)
-    {
-      hl[i].name = svptr->name;
-      hl[i].help = svptr->help_string;
-      i++;
-      svptr++;
-    }
-
-  hl[count].name = 0;
-  hl[count].help = 0;
-
-  return hl;
-#endif
-
-  return 0;
-}
-
-int
-help_from_list (ostrstream& output_buf, const help_list *list,
-		const char *string, int usage)
-{
-  char *name;
-  while ((name = list->name) != 0)
-    {
-      if (strcmp (name, string) == 0)
-	{
-	  if (usage)
-	    output_buf << "\nusage: ";
-	  else
-	    {
-	      output_buf << "\n*** " << string << ":\n\n";
-	    }
-
-	  output_buf << list->help << "\n";
-
-	  return 1;
-	}
-      list++;
-    }
-  return 0;
-}
-
-void
-additional_help_message (ostrstream& output_buf)
-{
-  output_buf
-    << "\n"
-    << "Additional help for builtin functions, operators, and variables\n"
-    << "is available in the on-line version of the manual.\n"
-    << "\n"
-    << "Use the command `help -i <topic>' to search the manual index.\n";
-}
-
-void
-print_usage (const char *string, int just_usage)
-{
-  ostrstream output_buf;
-
-  help_list *gf_help_list = builtin_general_functions_help ();
-  help_list *tf_help_list = builtin_text_functions_help ();
-  help_list *mf_help_list = builtin_mapper_functions_help ();
-
-  if (help_from_list (output_buf, gf_help_list, string, 1)
-      || help_from_list (output_buf, tf_help_list, string, 1)
-      || help_from_list (output_buf, mf_help_list, string, 1))
-    {
-      if (! just_usage)
-	additional_help_message (output_buf);
-      output_buf << ends;
-      maybe_page_output (output_buf);
-    }
-}
-
 void
 install_builtin_variables (void)
 {