new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ov-scalar.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+/*
+
+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 "defun.h"
+#include "gripes.h"
+#include "oct-obj.h"
+#include "ov-scalar.h"
+#include "ov-typeinfo.h"
+#include "pr-output.h"
+#include "xdiv.h"
+#include "xpow.h"
+
+int octave_scalar::t_id = -1;
+
+const string octave_scalar::t_name ("scalar");
+
+static inline bool
+valid_scalar_indices (const octave_value_list& args)
+{
+  int nargin = args.length ();
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < nargin; i++)
+    if (! args(i).valid_as_scalar_index ())
+      return false;
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+octave_value
+octave_scalar::index (const octave_value_list& idx) const
+{
+  octave_value retval;
+
+  if (valid_scalar_indices (idx))
+    retval = scalar;
+  else
+    {
+      // XXX FIXME XXX -- this doesn't solve the problem of
+      //
+      //   a = 1; a([1,1], [1,1], [1,1])
+      //
+      // and similar constructions.  Hmm...
+
+      octave_value tmp (matrix_value ());
+
+      retval = tmp.index (idx);
+    }
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
+octave_value
+octave_scalar::convert_to_str (void) const
+{
+  octave_value retval;
+
+  if (xisnan (scalar))
+    ::error ("invalid conversion from NaN to character");
+  else
+    {
+      // XXX FIXME XXX -- warn about out of range conversions?
+
+      int i = NINT (scalar);
+      char s[2];
+      s[0] = (char) i;
+      s[1] = '\0';
+      retval = octave_value (s);
+    }
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
+void
+octave_scalar::print (ostream& os)
+{
+  octave_print_internal (os, scalar, false);
+}
+
+/*
+;;; Local Variables: ***
+;;; mode: C++ ***
+;;; End: ***
+*/