--- a/src/ChangeLog	Fri Sep 17 02:59:53 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/ChangeLog	Fri Sep 17 11:42:04 2004 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+2004-09-17  John W. Eaton  <jwe@octave.org>
+
+	* ov-fcn-inline.cc (octave_fcn_inline::octave_fcn_inline):
+	Call eval_string instead of feval ("eval", ...).
+	Construct anonymous function handle to avoid going through the
+	symbol table.
+
+	* ov-fcn-handle.h (octave_fcn_handle::fcn_val): New function.
+	(octave_fcn_handle::octave_fcn_handle (const std:string&)):
+	New constructor.
+
 2004-09-16  John W. Eaton  <jwe@octave.org>
 
 	* parse.y (frob_function): Clear id_name from curr_sym_tab, not

--- a/src/ov-fcn-handle.h	Fri Sep 17 02:59:53 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/ov-fcn-handle.h	Fri Sep 17 11:42:04 2004 +0000
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@
   octave_fcn_handle (void)
     : fcn (), nm () { }
 
+  octave_fcn_handle (const std::string& n)
+    : fcn (), nm (n) { }
+
   octave_fcn_handle (const octave_value& f,  const std::string& n)
     : fcn (f), nm (n) { }
 
@@ -77,6 +80,8 @@
 
   octave_fcn_handle *fcn_handle_value (bool = false) { return this; }
 
+  octave_value fcn_val (void) const { return fcn; }
+
   std::string fcn_name (void) const { return nm; }
 
   bool save_ascii (std::ostream& os, bool& infnan_warned,

--- a/src/ov-fcn-inline.cc	Fri Sep 17 02:59:53 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/ov-fcn-inline.cc	Fri Sep 17 11:42:04 2004 +0000
@@ -58,16 +58,13 @@
 octave_fcn_inline::octave_fcn_inline (const std::string& f,
 				      const string_vector& a,
 				      const std::string& n)
-  : octave_fcn_handle (0, n), iftext (f), ifargs (a)
+  : octave_fcn_handle (n), iftext (f), ifargs (a)
 {
-  // Find a function name that isn't already in the symbol table.
-  std::string fname = unique_symbol_name ("__inline_");
-
   // Form a string representing the function.
 
   OSSTREAM buf;
 
-  buf << "function __retval__ = " << fname << "(";
+  buf << "@(";
 
   for (int i = 0; i < ifargs.length (); i++)
     {
@@ -77,25 +74,23 @@
       buf << ifargs(i);
     }
 
-  buf << ")\n  __retval__ = " << iftext << ";\nendfunction" << OSSTREAM_ENDS;
-
-  // Parse this function and create a user function.
+  buf << ") " << iftext << OSSTREAM_ENDS;
 
-  octave_value eval_args (OSSTREAM_STR (buf));
-
-  feval ("eval", eval_args, 0);
+  int parse_status;
+  octave_value anon_fcn_handle = eval_string (OSSTREAM_STR (buf), true,
+					      parse_status);
 
   OSSTREAM_FREEZE (buf);
 
-  octave_value tmp = lookup_function (fname);
-
-  if (tmp.is_function ())
+  if (parse_status == 0)
     {
-      fcn = tmp;
+      octave_fcn_handle *fh = anon_fcn_handle.fcn_handle_value ();
 
-      clear_function (fname);
+      if (fh)
+	fcn = fh->fcn_val ();
     }
-  else
+
+  if (fcn.is_undefined ())
     error ("inline: unable to define function");
 }