--- a/src/load-save.cc
+++ b/src/load-save.cc
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@
 #include <fstream.h>
 #include <strstream.h>
 
+#include "byte-swap.h"
+#include "data-conv.h"
+#include "float-fmt.h"
 #include "oct-glob.h"
 #include "str-vec.h"
 
@@ -54,26 +57,6 @@
 #include "user-prefs.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
-#if CHAR_BIT != 8
-LOSE! LOSE!
-#endif
-
-#if SIZEOF_SHORT == 2
-#define TWO_BYTE_INT short
-#elif SIZEOF_INT == 2
-#define TWO_BYTE_INT int
-#else
-LOSE! LOSE!
-#endif
-
-#if SIZEOF_INT == 4
-#define FOUR_BYTE_INT int
-#elif SIZEOF_LONG == 4
-#define FOUR_BYTE_INT long
-#else
-LOSE! LOSE!
-#endif
-
 // Used when converting Inf to something that gnuplot can read.
 
 #ifndef OCT_RBV
@@ -88,664 +71,6 @@
     LS_UNKNOWN,
   };
 
-// Not all of the following are currently used.
-
-enum save_type
-  {
-    LS_U_CHAR,
-    LS_U_SHORT,
-    LS_U_INT,
-    LS_CHAR,
-    LS_SHORT,
-    LS_INT,
-    LS_FLOAT,
-    LS_DOUBLE,
-  };
-
-#define swap_1_bytes(x,y)
-
-#define LS_DO_READ(TYPE,swap,data,size,len,stream) \
-  do \
-    { \
-      volatile TYPE *ptr = (TYPE *) data; \
-      stream.read ((TYPE *) ptr, size * len); \
-      if (swap) \
-        swap_ ## size ## _bytes ((char *) ptr, len); \
-      TYPE tmp = ptr[0]; \
-      for (int i = len - 1; i > 0; i--) \
-        data[i] = ptr[i]; \
-      data[0] = tmp; \
-    } \
-  while (0)
-
-// Have to use copy here to avoid writing over data accessed via
-// Matrix::data().
-
-#define LS_DO_WRITE(TYPE,data,size,len,stream) \
-  do \
-    { \
-      char tmp_type = (char) type; \
-      stream.write (&tmp_type, 1); \
-      TYPE *ptr = new TYPE [len]; \
-      for (int i = 0; i < len; i++) \
-        ptr[i] = (TYPE) data[i]; \
-      stream.write ((TYPE *) ptr, size * len); \
-      delete [] ptr ; \
-    } \
-  while (0)
-
-// Loading variables from files.
-
-// But first, some data conversion routines.
-
-// Currently, we only handle conversions for the IEEE types.  To fix
-// that, make more of the following routines work.
-
-#define LS_SWAP_BYTES(i,j) \
-  tmp = t[i]; \
-  t[i] = t[j]; \
-  t[j] = tmp; \
-
-static inline void
-swap_2_bytes (char *t)
-{
-  char tmp;
-  LS_SWAP_BYTES (0, 1);
-}
-
-static inline void
-swap_4_bytes (char *t)
-{
-  char tmp;
-  LS_SWAP_BYTES (0, 3);
-  LS_SWAP_BYTES (1, 2);
-}
-
-static inline void
-swap_8_bytes (char *t)
-{
-  char tmp;
-  LS_SWAP_BYTES (0, 7);
-  LS_SWAP_BYTES (1, 6);
-  LS_SWAP_BYTES (2, 5);
-  LS_SWAP_BYTES (3, 4);
-}
-
-static inline void
-swap_2_bytes (char *t, int len)
-{
-  char *ptr = t;
-  for (int i = 0; i < len; i++)
-    {
-      swap_2_bytes (ptr);
-      ptr += 2;
-    }
-}
-
-static inline void
-swap_4_bytes (char *t, int len)
-{
-  char *ptr = t;
-  for (int i = 0; i < len; i++)
-    {
-      swap_4_bytes (ptr);
-      ptr += 4;
-    }
-}
-
-static inline void
-swap_8_bytes (char *t, int len)
-{
-  char *ptr = t;
-  for (int i = 0; i < len; i++)
-    {
-      swap_8_bytes (ptr);
-      ptr += 8;
-    }
-}
-
-// XXX FIXME XXX -- assumes sizeof (Complex) == 8
-// XXX FIXME XXX -- assumes sizeof (double) == 8
-// XXX FIXME XXX -- assumes sizeof (float) == 4
-
-static void
-IEEE_big_double_to_IEEE_little_double (double *d, int len)
-{
-  swap_8_bytes ((char *) d, len);
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_D_double_to_IEEE_little_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX D float", "IEEE little endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_G_double_to_IEEE_little_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX G float", "IEEE little endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-Cray_to_IEEE_little_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("Cray", "IEEE little endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_big_float_to_IEEE_little_float (float *d, int len)
-{
-  swap_4_bytes ((char *) d, len);
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_D_float_to_IEEE_little_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX D float", "IEEE little endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_G_float_to_IEEE_little_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX G float", "IEEE little endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-Cray_to_IEEE_little_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("Cray", "IEEE little endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_little_double_to_IEEE_big_double (double *d, int len)
-{
-  swap_8_bytes ((char *) d, len);
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_D_double_to_IEEE_big_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX D float", "IEEE big endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_G_double_to_IEEE_big_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX G float", "IEEE big endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-Cray_to_IEEE_big_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("Cray", "IEEE big endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_little_float_to_IEEE_big_float (float *d, int len)
-{
-  swap_4_bytes ((char *) d, len);
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_D_float_to_IEEE_big_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX D float", "IEEE big endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_G_float_to_IEEE_big_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX G float", "IEEE big endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-Cray_to_IEEE_big_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("Cray", "IEEE big endian format");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_little_double_to_VAX_D_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("IEEE little endian", "VAX D");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_big_double_to_VAX_D_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("IEEE big endian", "VAX D");
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_G_double_to_VAX_D_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX G float", "VAX D");
-}
-
-static void
-Cray_to_VAX_D_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("Cray", "VAX D");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_little_float_to_VAX_D_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("IEEE little endian", "VAX D");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_big_float_to_VAX_D_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("IEEE big endian", "VAX D");
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_G_float_to_VAX_D_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX G float", "VAX D");
-}
-
-static void
-Cray_to_VAX_D_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("Cray", "VAX D");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_little_double_to_VAX_G_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("IEEE little endian", "VAX G");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_big_double_to_VAX_G_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("IEEE big endian", "VAX G");
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_D_double_to_VAX_G_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX D float", "VAX G");
-}
-
-static void
-Cray_to_VAX_G_double (double * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX G float", "VAX G");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_little_float_to_VAX_G_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("IEEE little endian", "VAX G");
-}
-
-static void
-IEEE_big_float_to_VAX_G_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("IEEE big endian", "VAX G");
-}
-
-static void
-VAX_D_float_to_VAX_G_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX D float", "VAX G");
-}
-
-static void
-Cray_to_VAX_G_float (float * /* d */, int /* len */)
-{
-  gripe_data_conversion ("VAX G float", "VAX G");
-}
-
-static void
-do_double_format_conversion (double *data, int len,
-			     floating_point_format fmt)
-{
-  switch (native_float_format)
-    {
-    case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-      switch (fmt)
-	{
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-	  IEEE_big_double_to_IEEE_little_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-	  VAX_D_double_to_IEEE_little_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-	  VAX_G_double_to_IEEE_little_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_CRAY:
-	  Cray_to_IEEE_little_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	default:
-	  gripe_unrecognized_float_fmt ();
-	  break;
-	}
-      break;
-
-    case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-      switch (fmt)
-	{
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-	  IEEE_little_double_to_IEEE_big_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-	  VAX_D_double_to_IEEE_big_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-	  VAX_G_double_to_IEEE_big_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_CRAY:
-	  Cray_to_IEEE_big_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	default:
-	  gripe_unrecognized_float_fmt ();
-	  break;
-	}
-      break;
-
-    case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-      switch (fmt)
-	{
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-	  IEEE_little_double_to_VAX_D_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-	  IEEE_big_double_to_VAX_D_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-	  VAX_G_double_to_VAX_D_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_CRAY:
-	  Cray_to_VAX_D_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	default:
-	  gripe_unrecognized_float_fmt ();
-	  break;
-	}
-      break;
-
-    case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-      switch (fmt)
-	{
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-	  IEEE_little_double_to_VAX_G_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-	  IEEE_big_double_to_VAX_G_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-	  VAX_D_double_to_VAX_G_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_CRAY:
-	  Cray_to_VAX_G_double (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	default:
-	  gripe_unrecognized_float_fmt ();
-	  break;
-	}
-      break;
-
-    default:
-      panic_impossible ();
-    }
-}
-
-static void
-do_float_format_conversion (float *data, int len,
-			    floating_point_format fmt)
-{
-  switch (native_float_format)
-    {
-    case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-      switch (fmt)
-	{
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-	  IEEE_big_float_to_IEEE_little_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-	  VAX_D_float_to_IEEE_little_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-	  VAX_G_float_to_IEEE_little_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_CRAY:
-	  Cray_to_IEEE_little_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	default:
-	  gripe_unrecognized_float_fmt ();
-	  break;
-	}
-      break;
-
-    case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-      switch (fmt)
-	{
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-	  IEEE_little_float_to_IEEE_big_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-	  VAX_D_float_to_IEEE_big_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-	  VAX_G_float_to_IEEE_big_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_CRAY:
-	  Cray_to_IEEE_big_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	default:
-	  gripe_unrecognized_float_fmt ();
-	  break;
-	}
-      break;
-
-    case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-      switch (fmt)
-	{
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-	  IEEE_little_float_to_VAX_D_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-	  IEEE_big_float_to_VAX_D_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-	  VAX_G_float_to_VAX_D_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_CRAY:
-	  Cray_to_VAX_D_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	default:
-	  gripe_unrecognized_float_fmt ();
-	  break;
-	}
-      break;
-
-    case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-      switch (fmt)
-	{
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE:
-	  IEEE_little_float_to_VAX_G_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG:
-	  IEEE_big_float_to_VAX_G_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_D:
-	  VAX_D_float_to_VAX_G_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_VAX_G:
-	  break;
-
-	case OCTAVE_CRAY:
-	  Cray_to_VAX_G_float (data, len);
-	  break;
-
-	default:
-	  gripe_unrecognized_float_fmt ();
-	  break;
-	}
-      break;
-
-    default:
-      panic_impossible ();
-    }
-}
-
-static void
-read_doubles (istream& is, double *data, save_type type, int len,
-	      int swap, floating_point_format fmt)
-{
-  switch (type)
-    {
-    case LS_U_CHAR:
-      LS_DO_READ (unsigned char, swap, data, 1, len, is);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_U_SHORT:
-      LS_DO_READ (unsigned TWO_BYTE_INT, swap, data, 2, len, is);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_U_INT:
-      LS_DO_READ (unsigned FOUR_BYTE_INT, swap, data, 4, len, is);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_CHAR:
-      LS_DO_READ (signed char, swap, data, 1, len, is);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_SHORT:
-      LS_DO_READ (TWO_BYTE_INT, swap, data, 2, len, is);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_INT:
-      LS_DO_READ (FOUR_BYTE_INT, swap, data, 4, len, is);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_FLOAT:
-      {
-	volatile float *ptr = (float *) data;
-	is.read (data, 4 * len);
-	do_float_format_conversion ((float *) data, len, fmt);
-	float tmp = ptr[0];
-	for (int i = len - 1; i > 0; i--)
-	  data[i] = ptr[i];
-	data[0] = tmp;
-      }
-      break;
-
-    case LS_DOUBLE:
-      is.read (data, 8 * len);
-      do_double_format_conversion (data, len, fmt);
-      break;
-
-    default:
-      is.clear (ios::failbit|is.rdstate ());
-      break;
-    }
-}
-
-static void
-write_doubles (ostream& os, const double *data, save_type type, int len)
-{
-  switch (type)
-    {
-    case LS_U_CHAR:
-      LS_DO_WRITE (unsigned char, data, 1, len, os);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_U_SHORT:
-      LS_DO_WRITE (unsigned TWO_BYTE_INT, data, 2, len, os);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_U_INT:
-      LS_DO_WRITE (unsigned FOUR_BYTE_INT, data, 4, len, os);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_CHAR:
-      LS_DO_WRITE (signed char, data, 1, len, os);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_SHORT:
-      LS_DO_WRITE (TWO_BYTE_INT, data, 2, len, os);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_INT:
-      LS_DO_WRITE (FOUR_BYTE_INT, data, 4, len, os);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_FLOAT:
-      LS_DO_WRITE (float, data, 4, len, os);
-      break;
-
-    case LS_DOUBLE:
-      {
-	char tmp_type = (char) type;
-	os.write (&tmp_type, 1);
-	os.write (data, 8 * len);
-      }
-      break;
-
-    default:
-      error ("unrecognized data format requested");
-      break;
-    }
-}
-
 // Return nonzero if S is a valid identifier.
 
 static int