new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fn-cache.h
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+/*
+
+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 (octave_fn_cache_h)
+#define octave_fn_cache_h 1
+
+#include <string>
+
+#include "Map.h"
+
+class string_vector;
+
+// XXX FIXME XXX -- this should maybe be nested in the
+// octave_fcn_file_name_cache class...
+
+class
+file_name_cache_elt
+{
+public:
+
+  file_name_cache_elt (const string& dir_name = string ())
+    : timestamp (0), fcn_file_names (), fcn_file_names_no_suffix ()
+      { update (dir_name); }
+
+  file_name_cache_elt (const file_name_cache_elt& elt)
+    {
+      timestamp = elt.timestamp;
+      fcn_file_names = elt.fcn_file_names;
+      fcn_file_names_no_suffix = elt.fcn_file_names_no_suffix;
+    }
+
+  file_name_cache_elt& operator = (const file_name_cache_elt& elt)
+    {
+      if (&elt != this)
+	{
+	  timestamp = elt.timestamp;
+	  fcn_file_names = elt.fcn_file_names;
+	  fcn_file_names_no_suffix = elt.fcn_file_names_no_suffix;
+	}
+      return *this;
+    }
+
+  ~file_name_cache_elt (void) { }
+
+  int length (void) { return fcn_file_names.length (); }
+
+  bool update (const string& dir_name);
+
+  // The time we last read this directory.
+  time_t timestamp;
+
+  // The list of file names in this directory.
+  string_vector fcn_file_names;
+
+  // The list of file names in this directory without the .m or .oct
+  // suffixes.
+  string_vector fcn_file_names_no_suffix;
+};
+
+class
+octave_fcn_file_name_cache
+{
+protected:
+
+  octave_fcn_file_name_cache (void)
+    : cache (file_name_cache_elt ())
+      { update (); }
+
+public:
+
+  ~octave_fcn_file_name_cache (void) { }
+
+  bool update (void);
+
+  static string_vector list (bool no_suffix = false);
+
+  static string_vector list_no_suffix (void) { return list (true); }
+
+private:
+
+  static octave_fcn_file_name_cache *instance;
+
+  // An associative array of all the directory names in the load path
+  // and the corresponding cache elements.
+  CHMap<file_name_cache_elt> cache;
+
+  // The list of function file names in the cache.
+  string_vector fcn_file_names;
+
+  // The list of function file names in the cache without the .m or
+  // .oct suffixes.
+  string_vector fcn_file_names_no_suffix;
+
+  string_vector do_list (bool no_suffix);
+};
+
+#endif
+
+/*
+;;; Local Variables: ***
+;;; mode: C++ ***
+;;; End: ***
+*/