--- a/src/ChangeLog	Fri Jun 13 15:08:26 2003 +0000
+++ b/src/ChangeLog	Fri Jun 13 19:16:38 2003 +0000
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 2003-06-13  John W. Eaton  <jwe@bevo.che.wisc.edu>
 
+	* parse.y (frob_function, parse_fcn_file): Handle help_buf as
+	stack of strings.
+	* lex.l ({CCHAR}): Handle help_buf as stack of strings.
+	Store text returned from grab_help_text in help_buf here.
+	(reset_parser): Handle help_buf as stack of strings.
+	(prep_for_nested_function): Push empty string onto help_buf stack.
+	(grab_help_text): Return help text instead of storing it in help_buf.
+	* parse.h, parse.y (help_buf): Now a stack of strings.
+
 	* oct-stream.cc (printf_value_cache::string_value): Don't attempt
 	to extract values when none are available.
 

--- a/src/lex.l	Fri Jun 13 15:08:26 2003 +0000
+++ b/src/lex.l	Fri Jun 13 19:16:38 2003 +0000
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@
 static void prep_for_nested_function (void);
 static std::string plot_style_token (const std::string& s);
 static symbol_record *lookup_identifier (const std::string& s);
-static void grab_help_text (void);
+static std::string grab_help_text (void);
 static bool match_any (char c, const char *s);
 static bool next_token_is_sep_op (void);
 static bool next_token_is_bin_op (bool spc_prev);
@@ -628,15 +628,25 @@
 %} 
 
 {CCHAR} {
-    if (help_buf.empty ()
+    std::string help_txt;
+
+    if (! help_buf.empty ())
+      help_txt = help_buf.top ();
+
+    if (help_txt.empty ()
 	&& lexer_flags.beginning_of_function
 	&& nesting_level.none ())
       {
 	lexer_flags.beginning_of_function = false;
 
-	grab_help_text ();
-
-	octave_comment_buffer::append (help_buf);
+	std::string txt = grab_help_text ();
+
+	if (! help_buf.empty ())
+	  help_buf.pop ();
+
+	help_buf.push (txt);
+
+	octave_comment_buffer::append (txt);
       }
     else
       {
@@ -883,7 +893,8 @@
     yyrestart (stdin);
 
   // Clear the buffer for help text.
-  help_buf.resize (0);
+  while (! help_buf.empty ())
+    help_buf.pop ();
 
   // Reset other flags.
   lexer_flags.init ();
@@ -1105,6 +1116,7 @@
 prep_for_nested_function (void)
 {
   lexer_flags.parsing_nested_function = 1;
+  help_buf.push (std::string ());
   prep_for_function ();
   // We're still only expecting one end token for this set of functions.
   end_tokens_expected--;
@@ -1378,16 +1390,15 @@
     sr->define (octave_value ());
 }
 
-// Grab the help text from an function file.  Always overwrites the
-// current contents of help_buf.
+// Grab the help text from an function file.
 
 // XXX FIXME XXX -- gobble_leading_white_space() in parse.y
 // duplicates some of this code!
 
-static void
+static std::string
 grab_help_text (void)
 {
-  help_buf.resize (0);
+  std::string buf;
 
   bool begin_comment = true;
   bool in_comment = true;
@@ -1412,7 +1423,7 @@
 
       if (in_comment)
 	{
-	  help_buf += static_cast<char> (c);
+	  buf += static_cast<char> (c);
 
 	  if (c == '\n')
 	    {
@@ -1445,6 +1456,8 @@
 
   if (c)
     yyunput (c, yytext);
+
+  return buf;
 }
 
 // Return 1 if the given character matches any character in the given

--- a/src/parse.h	Fri Jun 13 15:08:26 2003 +0000
+++ b/src/parse.h	Fri Jun 13 19:16:38 2003 +0000
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
+#include <stack>
+
 extern void reset_parser (void);
 extern int yylex (void);
 extern int yyparse (void);
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@
 extern int current_input_column;
 
 // Buffer for help text snagged from function files.
-extern std::string help_buf;
+extern std::stack<std::string> help_buf;
 
 // TRUE means we are using readline.
 extern bool line_editing;

--- a/src/parse.y	Fri Jun 13 15:08:26 2003 +0000
+++ b/src/parse.y	Fri Jun 13 19:16:38 2003 +0000
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
 int current_input_column = 1;
 
 // Buffer for help text snagged from function files.
-std::string help_buf;
+std::stack<std::string> help_buf;
 
 // Buffer for comments appearing before a function statement.
 static std::string fcn_comment_header;
@@ -2621,13 +2621,15 @@
 
   id->define (fcn, symbol_record::USER_FUNCTION);
 
-  id->document (help_buf);
-
-  help_buf.resize (0);
+  if (! help_buf.empty ())
+    {
+      id->document (help_buf.top ());
+      help_buf.pop ();
+    }
 
   if (lexer_flags.parsing_nested_function < 0)
     lexer_flags.parsing_nested_function = 0;
-  
+
   return fcn;
 }
 
@@ -3343,9 +3345,12 @@
 
 	  reset_parser ();
 
-	  help_buf = gobble_leading_white_space (ffile, true, true, true);
-
-	  octave_comment_buffer::append (help_buf);
+	  std::string txt
+	    = gobble_leading_white_space (ffile, true, true, true);
+
+	  help_buf.push (txt);
+
+	  octave_comment_buffer::append (txt);
 
 	  // XXX FIXME XXX -- this should not be necessary.
 	  gobble_leading_white_space (ffile, false, true, false);