--- a/src/ChangeLog	Thu Nov 18 05:20:52 1999 +0000
+++ b/src/ChangeLog	Thu Nov 18 06:17:08 1999 +0000
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 1999-11-17  John W. Eaton  <jwe@bevo.che.wisc.edu>
 
-	* symtab.cc (symbol_record::symbol_def::type_as_string): New function.
+	* symtab.cc (symbol_record::type_as_string): New function.
 
 	* symtab.cc (symbol_record::which): New functions.
 	* help.cc (do_which): New functions.
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 	(builtin_help): Use them.
 
 	* help.cc (do_type): New function.
+	(symbol_record::type): New function.
 	(Ftype): Use them.
 
 	* help.cc (print_symbol_type): Delete.

--- a/src/help.cc	Thu Nov 18 05:20:52 1999 +0000
+++ b/src/help.cc	Thu Nov 18 06:17:08 1999 +0000
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@
 #include "parse.h"
 #include "pathsearch.h"
 #include "procstream.h"
-#include "pt-pr-code.h"
 #include "sighandlers.h"
 #include "symtab.h"
 #include "syswait.h"
@@ -802,89 +801,7 @@
   symbol_record *sym_rec = lookup_by_name (name, 0);
 
   if (sym_rec && sym_rec->is_defined ())
-    {
-      if (sym_rec->is_user_function ())
-	{
-	  octave_value tmp = sym_rec->def ();
-		  
-	  octave_function *defn = tmp.function_value ();
-
-	  string fn = defn ? defn->fcn_file_name () : string ();
-
-	  if (pr_orig_txt && ! fn.empty ())
-	    {
-	      ifstream fs (fn.c_str (), ios::in);
-
-	      if (fs)
-		{
-		  if (pr_type_info && ! quiet)
-		    os << name << " is the function defined from: "
-		       << fn << "\n\n";
-
-		  char ch;
-
-		  while (fs.get (ch))
-		    os << ch;
-		}
-	      else
-		os << "unable to open `" << fn << "' for reading!\n";
-	    }
-	  else
-	    {
-	      if (pr_type_info && ! quiet)
-		os << name << " is a user-defined function:\n\n";
-
-	      tree_print_code tpc (os, "", pr_orig_txt);
-
-	      defn->accept (tpc);
-	    }
-	}
-
-      // XXX FIXME XXX -- this code should be shared with
-      // Fwhich.
-
-      else if (sym_rec->is_text_function ())
-	os << name << " is a built-in text-function\n";
-      else if (sym_rec->is_builtin_function ())
-	os << name << " is a built-in function\n";
-      else if (sym_rec->is_user_variable ()
-	       || sym_rec->is_builtin_variable ()
-	       || sym_rec->is_builtin_constant ())
-	{
-	  octave_value defn = sym_rec->def ();
-
-	  int var_ok = 1;
-
-	  if (! error_state)
-	    {
-	      if (pr_type_info && ! quiet)
-		{
-		  if (var_ok)
-		    {
-		      os << name;
-
-		      if (sym_rec->is_user_variable ())
-			os << " is a user-defined variable\n";
-		      else if (sym_rec->is_builtin_variable ())
-			os << " is a built-in variable\n";
-		      else if (sym_rec->is_builtin_constant ())
-			os << " is a built-in constant\n";
-		      else
-			panic_impossible ();
-		    }
-		  else
-		    os << "type: `" << name << "' has unknown type!\n";
-		}
-
-	      defn.print_raw (os, true);
-
-	      if (pr_type_info)
-		os << "\n";
-	    }
-	}
-      else
-	error ("type: `%s' has unknown type!", name.c_str ());
-    }
+    sym_rec->type (os, pr_type_info, quiet, pr_orig_txt);
   else
     {
       string ff = fcn_file_in_path (name);

--- a/src/symtab.cc	Thu Nov 18 05:20:52 1999 +0000
+++ b/src/symtab.cc	Thu Nov 18 06:17:08 1999 +0000
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <climits>
 
 #include <iomanip.h>
+#include <fstream.h>
 
 #include "glob-match.h"
 #include "str-vec.h"
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "oct-lvalue.h"
 #include "ov.h"
 #include "pager.h"
+#include "pt-pr-code.h"
 #include "symtab.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "variables.h"
@@ -81,6 +83,60 @@
   return retval;
 }
 
+void
+SYMBOL_DEF::type (ostream& os, const string& name, bool pr_type_info,
+		  bool quiet, bool pr_orig_txt)
+{
+  if (is_user_function ())
+    {
+      octave_function *defn = definition.function_value ();
+
+      string fn = defn ? defn->fcn_file_name () : string ();
+
+      if (pr_orig_txt && ! fn.empty ())
+	{
+	  ifstream fs (fn.c_str (), ios::in);
+
+	  if (fs)
+	    {
+	      if (pr_type_info && ! quiet)
+		os << name << " is the " << type_as_string ()
+		   << " defined from: " << fn << "\n\n";
+
+	      char ch;
+
+	      while (fs.get (ch))
+		os << ch;
+	    }
+	  else
+	    os << "unable to open `" << fn << "' for reading!\n";
+	}
+      else
+	{
+	  if (pr_type_info && ! quiet)
+	    os << name << " is a " << type_as_string () << ":\n\n";
+
+	  tree_print_code tpc (os, "", pr_orig_txt);
+
+	  defn->accept (tpc);
+	}
+    }
+  else if (is_user_variable ()
+	   || is_builtin_variable ()
+	   || is_builtin_constant ())
+    {
+      if (pr_type_info && ! quiet)
+	os << name << " is a " << type_as_string () << "\n";
+
+      definition.print_raw (os, true);
+
+      if (pr_type_info)
+	os << "\n";
+    }
+  else
+    os << name << " is a " << type_as_string () << "\n";
+}
+
 string
 SYMBOL_DEF::which (const string& name)
 {
@@ -508,7 +564,7 @@
       return sr;
     }
   else if (warn)
-    warning ("lookup: symbol`%s' not found", nm.c_str ());
+    warning ("lookup: symbol `%s' not found", nm.c_str ());
 
   return 0;
 }

--- a/src/symtab.h	Thu Nov 18 05:20:52 1999 +0000
+++ b/src/symtab.h	Thu Nov 18 06:17:08 1999 +0000
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@
 
     string type_as_string (void) const;
 
+    void type (ostream& os, const string& name, bool pr_type_info,
+	       bool quiet, bool pr_orig_txt);
+
     string which (const string& name);
 
     void which (ostream& os, const string& name);
@@ -317,6 +320,9 @@
   string type_as_string (void) const
     { return definition->type_as_string (); }
 
+  void type (ostream& os, bool pr_type_info, bool quiet, bool pr_orig_txt)
+    { definition->type (os, name (), pr_type_info, quiet, pr_orig_txt); }
+
   string which (void) { return definition->which (name ()); }
 
   void which (ostream& os) { definition->which (os, name ()); }