--- a/liboctave/mach-info.h	Fri Jul 12 18:52:41 1996 +0000
+++ b/liboctave/mach-info.h	Sun Jul 14 22:40:35 1996 +0000
@@ -20,25 +20,59 @@
 
 */
 
-#if !defined (octave_float_fmt_h)
-#define octave_float_fmt_h 1
+#if !defined (octave_mach_info_h)
+#define octave_mach_info_h 1
+
+#include <string>
+
+class
+oct_mach_info
+{
+public:
+
+  enum float_format
+    {
+      native,
+      unknown,
+      ieee_little_endian,
+      ieee_big_endian,
+      vax_d,
+      vax_g,
+      cray
+    };
+
+  oct_mach_info (void);
+
+  static float_format native_float_format (void);
+
+  static bool words_big_endian (void);
 
-enum floating_point_format
-  {
-    OCTAVE_IEEE_LITTLE,
-    OCTAVE_IEEE_BIG,
-    OCTAVE_VAX_D,
-    OCTAVE_VAX_G,
-    OCTAVE_CRAY,
-    OCTAVE_UNKNOWN_FLT_FMT
-  };
+  static bool words_little_endian (void);
+
+  static float_format string_to_float_format (const string&);
+
+  static string float_format_as_string (float_format);
+
+private:
+
+  static oct_mach_info *instance;
+
+  void init_float_format (void);
 
-// The floating point format on this system.
-extern floating_point_format native_float_format;
+  void ten_little_endians (void);
+
+  // The floating point format for the current machine.
+  float_format native_float_fmt;
 
-// Initializes the value of native_float_format.  Maybe this should be
-// done automatically using a class with a static member.  Hmm...
-extern int float_format_init (void);
+  // TRUE if the byte order on this system is big endian.
+  bool big_chief;
+
+  // No copying!
+
+  oct_mach_info (const oct_mach_info&);
+
+  oct_mach_info& operator = (const oct_mach_info&);
+};
 
 #endif