--- a/main/general/deal.m	Sat Mar 29 13:26:08 2003 +0000
+++ b/main/general/deal.m	Mon Mar 31 20:28:10 2003 +0000
@@ -18,23 +18,44 @@
 ## Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
 ##
 
-## deal    Split the input vector into the corresponding number of output
-##         parameters.  Possible usage: in functions where several input
-##         arguments can be gathered to a single argument.
+## [...] = deal(...)
 ##
-##         [...] = deal(v)
-##         v - input vector.
-##         [x1, x2, ..., xn] - outputs, each contains a single element of
-##                             the vector v.
+##   Copy the input parameters into the corresponding output parameters.  
+##   E.g., [a,b,c]=deal(x,y,z) is equivalent to a=x; b=y; c=z;
+##  
+## [...] = deal(v)
 ##
+##   Split the input vector into the corresponding output parameters.
+##   E.g., [a,b,c]=deal([1,2,3]) is equivalent to a=1; b=2; c=3;
+##
+##   NOTE: this is not compatible behaviour.  When converting code to
+##   run under octave, use a=b=c=X instead of [a,b,c] = deal(X).
 
 ## Author: Ariel Tankus.
 ## Created: 13.11.98.
+## Almost completely replaced by Paul Kienzle and Etienne Grossman.
 
 ## pre 2.1.39 function [...] = deal(v)
-function [varargout] = deal(v) ## pos 2.1.39
+function [varargout] = deal(varargin) ## pos 2.1.39
 
-for i=1:nargout
-  ## pre 2.1.39     vr_val(v(i));
-  varargout{i} = v(i); ## pos 2.1.39
-end
+  if (nargin == 0)
+    usage("[a,b,c,d]=deal(x,y,z,a)");
+  elseif (nargin == 1)
+    persistent warn = 1;
+    if warn 
+      warning("[a,b,c]=deal(X) is not the same as a=b=c=X"); 
+      warn = 0;
+    endif
+    v = varargin{1};
+    for i=1:nargout
+      ## pre 2.1.39     vr_val(v(i));
+      varargout{i} = v(i); ## pos 2.1.39
+    end
+  elseif nargin == nargout;
+    ## pre 2.1.39  this needs a loop
+    varargout = varargin; ## pos 2.1.39
+  else
+    error("deal should have one input for each output");
+  endif
+
+endfunction

--- a/main/time/datestr.m	Sat Mar 29 13:26:08 2003 +0000
+++ b/main/time/datestr.m	Mon Mar 31 20:28:10 2003 +0000
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@
 			  "Jul";"Aug";"Sep";"Oct";"Nov";"Dec"];
   global __time_names = ["AM";"PM"];
   for i=1:rows(V)
-    [Y, M, D, h, m, s] = deal(V(i,:));
+    Y=V(i,1); M=V(i,2); D=V(i,3);
+    h=V(i,4); m=V(i,5); s=V(i,6);
     Y2 = rem(Y,100);
     switch (code)
       case { 0, 'dd-mmm-yyyy HH:MM:SS' }