--- a/doc/interpreter/var.txi	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/doc/interpreter/var.txi	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 
 @menu
 * Global Variables::            
+* Persistent Variables::        
 * Status of Variables::         
 * Summary of Built-in Variables::  
 * Defaults from the Environment::  
@@ -154,6 +155,47 @@
 
 @DOCSTRING(isglobal)
 
+@node Persistent Variables
+@section Persistent Variables
+@cindex persistent variables
+@cindex @code{persistent} statement
+@cindex variables, persistent
+
+A variable that has been declared @dfn{persistent} within a function
+will retain its contents in memory between subsequent calls to the
+same function. The difference between persistent variables and global
+variables is that persistent variables are local in scope to a
+particular function and are not visible elsewhere.
+
+A variable may be declared persistent using a @code{persistent}
+declaration statement.  The following statements are all persistent
+declarations.
+
+@example
+@group
+persistent a
+persistent a b
+persistent c = 2
+persistent d = 3 e f = 5
+@end group
+@end example
+
+The behavior of persistent variables is equivalent to the behavior of
+static variables in C. The command @code{static} in octave is also
+recognized and is equivalent to @code{persistent}. Unlike global
+variables, every initialization statement will re-initialize the
+variable. For example, after executing the following code
+
+@example
+@group
+persistent pvar = 1
+persistent pvar = 2
+@end group
+@end example
+
+@noindent
+the value of the persistent variable @code{pvar} is 2.
+
 @node Status of Variables
 @section Status of Variables
 

--- a/src/ChangeLog	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/ChangeLog	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+2003-12-22  John W. Eaton  <jwe@bevo.che.wisc.edu>
+
+	* ov-cx-mat.cc (octave_complex_matrix::assign): RHS arg is N-d.
+	* ov-cx-mat.h: Fix decl.
+
+	* ops.h (DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN): New macro.
+	* OPERATORS/op-bm-b.cc, OPERATORS/op-bm-bm.cc,
+	OPERATORS/op-cm-cm.cc, OPERATORS/op-cm-cs.cc,
+	OPERATORS/op-cm-m.cc, OPERATORS/op-cm-s.cc, OPERATORS/op-m-m.cc,
+	OPERATORS/op-m-s.cc: Use it instead of DEFASSIGNOP_FN.
+
 2003-12-19  John W. Eaton  <jwe@bevo.che.wisc.edu>
 
 	* xpow.cc (xpow (double, double)): Avoid apparent GNU libm bug.

--- a/src/OPERATORS/op-bm-b.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/OPERATORS/op-bm-b.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_and, bool_matrix, bool, bool_array, bool, mx_el_and)
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_or, bool_matrix, bool, bool_array, bool, mx_el_or)
 
-DEFASSIGNOP_FN (assign, bool_matrix, bool, assign)
+DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN (assign, bool_matrix, bool, bool_array, assign)
 
 void
 install_bm_b_ops (void)

--- a/src/OPERATORS/op-bm-bm.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/OPERATORS/op-bm-bm.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_or,  bool_matrix, bool_matrix, bool_array, bool_array,
 	       mx_el_or)
 
-DEFASSIGNOP_FN (assign, bool_matrix, bool_matrix, assign)
+DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN (assign, bool_matrix, bool_matrix, bool_array, assign)
 
 void
 install_bm_bm_ops (void)

--- a/src/OPERATORS/op-cm-cm.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/OPERATORS/op-cm-cm.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_and, complex_matrix, complex_matrix, complex_array, complex_array, mx_el_and)
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_or,  complex_matrix, complex_matrix, complex_array, complex_array, mx_el_or)
 
-DEFASSIGNOP_FN (assign, complex_matrix, complex_matrix, assign)
+DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN (assign, complex_matrix, complex_matrix, complex_array, assign)
 
 void
 install_cm_cm_ops (void)

--- a/src/OPERATORS/op-cm-cs.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/OPERATORS/op-cm-cs.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_and, complex_matrix, complex, complex_array, complex, mx_el_and)
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_or,  complex_matrix, complex, complex_array, complex, mx_el_or)
 
-DEFASSIGNOP_FN (assign, complex_matrix, complex, assign)
+DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN (assign, complex_matrix, complex, complex_array, assign)
 
 void
 install_cm_cs_ops (void)

--- a/src/OPERATORS/op-cm-m.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/OPERATORS/op-cm-m.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_and, complex_matrix, matrix, complex_array, array, mx_el_and)
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_or,  complex_matrix, matrix, complex_array, array, mx_el_or)
 
-DEFASSIGNOP_FN (assign, complex_matrix, matrix, assign)
+DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN (assign, complex_matrix, matrix, complex_array, assign)
 
 void
 install_cm_m_ops (void)

--- a/src/OPERATORS/op-cm-s.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/OPERATORS/op-cm-s.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_and, complex_matrix, scalar, complex_array, scalar, mx_el_and)
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_or,  complex_matrix, scalar, complex_array, scalar, mx_el_or)
 
-DEFASSIGNOP_FN (assign, complex_matrix, scalar, assign)
+DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN (assign, complex_matrix, scalar, complex_array, assign)
 
 void
 install_cm_s_ops (void)

--- a/src/OPERATORS/op-m-m.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/OPERATORS/op-m-m.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_and, matrix, matrix, array, array, mx_el_and)
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_or,  matrix, matrix, array, array, mx_el_or)
 
-DEFASSIGNOP_FN (assign, matrix, matrix, assign)
+DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN (assign, matrix, matrix, array, assign)
 
 void
 install_m_m_ops (void)

--- a/src/OPERATORS/op-m-s.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/OPERATORS/op-m-s.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_and, matrix, scalar, array, scalar, mx_el_and)
 DEFNDBINOP_FN (el_or, matrix, scalar, array, scalar, mx_el_or)
 
-DEFASSIGNOP_FN (assign, matrix, scalar, assign)
+DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN (assign, matrix, scalar, array, assign)
 
 void
 install_m_s_ops (void)

--- a/src/help.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/help.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -279,6 +279,9 @@
   { "if",
     "Begin an if block.", },
 
+  { "persistent",
+    "Declare variables as persistent.", },
+
   { "return",
     "Return from a function.", },
 

--- a/src/ops.h	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/ops.h	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -155,6 +155,15 @@
     return octave_value (); \
   }
 
+#define DEFNDASSIGNOP_FN(name, t1, t2, e, f) \
+  ASSIGNOPDECL (name) \
+  { \
+    CAST_BINOP_ARGS (octave_ ## t1&, const octave_ ## t2&); \
+ \
+    v1.f (idx, v2.e ## _value ()); \
+    return octave_value (); \
+  }
+
 #define DEFASSIGNANYOP_FN(name, t1, f) \
   ASSIGNOPDECL (name) \
   { \

--- a/src/ov-cx-mat.cc	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/ov-cx-mat.cc	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -84,14 +84,14 @@
 
 void
 octave_complex_matrix::assign (const octave_value_list& idx,
-			       const ComplexMatrix& rhs)
+			       const ComplexNDArray& rhs)
 {
   octave_base_matrix<ComplexNDArray>::assign (idx, rhs);
 }
 
 void
 octave_complex_matrix::assign (const octave_value_list& idx,
-			       const Matrix& rhs)
+			       const NDArray& rhs)
 {
   int len = idx.length ();
 

--- a/src/ov-cx-mat.h	Tue Jan 06 17:20:55 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/ov-cx-mat.h	Tue Jan 06 19:31:57 2004 +0000
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@
 
   octave_value *try_narrowing_conversion (void);
 
-  void assign (const octave_value_list& idx, const ComplexMatrix& rhs);
+  void assign (const octave_value_list& idx, const ComplexNDArray& rhs);
 
-  void assign (const octave_value_list& idx, const Matrix& rhs);
+  void assign (const octave_value_list& idx, const NDArray& rhs);
 
   bool is_complex_matrix (void) const { return true; }