--- a/src/ov-struct.cc	Thu Aug 13 11:52:07 2009 +0200
+++ b/src/ov-struct.cc	Thu Aug 13 15:51:57 2009 +0200
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@
   error ("%s cannot be indexed with %c", nm.c_str (), t);
 }
 
-static void
-gripe_failed_assignment (void)
+void
+octave_struct::gripe_failed_assignment (void)
 {
   error ("assignment to structure element failed");
 }
@@ -254,6 +254,43 @@
 }
 
 octave_value
+octave_struct::dotasgn (const octave_value_list& idx, const octave_value& rhs)
+{
+  octave_value retval;
+
+  assert (idx.length () == 1);
+
+  std::string key = idx(0).string_value ();
+
+  if (rhs.is_cs_list ())
+    {
+      Cell tmp_cell = Cell (rhs.list_value ());
+
+      // The shape of the RHS is irrelevant, we just want
+      // the number of elements to agree and to preserve the
+      // shape of the left hand side of the assignment.
+
+      if (numel () == tmp_cell.numel ())
+        tmp_cell = tmp_cell.reshape (dims ());
+
+      map.assign (key, tmp_cell);
+    }
+  else
+    // Regularize a null matrix if stored into a struct component.
+    map.assign (key, rhs.storable_value ());
+
+  if (! error_state)
+    {
+      count++;
+      retval = octave_value (this);
+    }
+  else
+    gripe_failed_assignment ();
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
+octave_value
 octave_struct::subsasgn (const std::string& type,
 			 const std::list<octave_value_list>& idx,
 			 const octave_value& rhs)
@@ -456,7 +493,8 @@
 	      }
 	    else
 	      {
-		if (t_rhs.is_map())
+		if (t_rhs.is_map()
+                    || (is_object () && t_rhs.is_object ()))
 		  {
 		    Octave_map rhs_map = t_rhs.map_value ();
 
@@ -498,36 +536,7 @@
 
 	case '.':
 	  {
-	    octave_value_list key_idx = idx.front ();
-
-	    assert (key_idx.length () == 1);
-
-	    std::string key = key_idx(0).string_value ();
-
-	    if (t_rhs.is_cs_list ())
-	      {
-		Cell tmp_cell = Cell (t_rhs.list_value ());
-
-		// The shape of the RHS is irrelevant, we just want
-		// the number of elements to agree and to preserve the
-		// shape of the left hand side of the assignment.
-
-		if (numel () == tmp_cell.numel ())
-		  tmp_cell = tmp_cell.reshape (dims ());
-
-		map.assign (key, tmp_cell);
-	      }
-	    else
-              // Regularize a null matrix if stored into a struct component.
-	      map.assign (key, t_rhs.storable_value ());
-
-	    if (! error_state)
-	      {
-		count++;
-		retval = octave_value (this);
-	      }
-	    else
-	      gripe_failed_assignment ();
+            retval = dotasgn (idx.front (), t_rhs);
 	  }
 	  break;