--- a/libinterp/corefcn/graphics.cc	Thu Oct 03 19:09:00 2013 +0200
+++ b/libinterp/corefcn/graphics.cc	Wed Oct 02 19:52:39 2013 -0400
@@ -1927,22 +1927,6 @@
   return m;
 }
 
-graphics_handle::graphics_handle (const octave_value& a)
-  : val (octave_NaN)
-{
-  if (a.is_empty ())
-    /* do nothing */;
-  else
-    {
-      double tval = a.double_value ();
-
-      if (! error_state)
-        val = tval;
-      else
-        error ("invalid graphics handle");
-    }
-}
-
 // Set properties given as a cs-list of name, value pairs.
 
 void

--- a/libinterp/corefcn/graphics.in.h	Thu Oct 03 19:09:00 2013 +0200
+++ b/libinterp/corefcn/graphics.in.h	Wed Oct 02 19:52:39 2013 -0400
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@
 #include <string>
 
 #include "caseless-str.h"
-#include "lo-ieee.h"
 
 #include "gripes.h"
+#include "oct-handle.h"
 #include "oct-map.h"
 #include "oct-mutex.h"
 #include "oct-refcount.h"
@@ -53,107 +53,7 @@
 #define OCTAVE_DEFAULT_FONTNAME "*"
 #endif
 
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-class graphics_handle
-{
-public:
-  graphics_handle (void) : val (octave_NaN) { }
-
-  graphics_handle (const octave_value& a);
-
-  graphics_handle (int a) : val (a) { }
-
-  graphics_handle (double a) : val (a) { }
-
-  graphics_handle (const graphics_handle& a) : val (a.val) { }
-
-  graphics_handle& operator = (const graphics_handle& a)
-  {
-    if (&a != this)
-      val = a.val;
-
-    return *this;
-  }
-
-  ~graphics_handle (void) { }
-
-  double value (void) const { return val; }
-
-  octave_value as_octave_value (void) const
-  {
-    return ok () ? octave_value (val) : octave_value (Matrix ());
-  }
-
-  // Prefix increment/decrement operators.
-  graphics_handle& operator ++ (void)
-  {
-    ++val;
-    return *this;
-  }
-
-  graphics_handle& operator -- (void)
-  {
-    --val;
-    return *this;
-  }
-
-  // Postfix increment/decrement operators.
-  const graphics_handle operator ++ (int)
-  {
-    graphics_handle old_value = *this;
-    ++(*this);
-    return old_value;
-  }
-
-  const graphics_handle operator -- (int)
-  {
-    graphics_handle old_value = *this;
-    --(*this);
-    return old_value;
-  }
-
-  bool ok (void) const { return ! xisnan (val); }
-
-private:
-  double val;
-};
-
-inline bool
-operator == (const graphics_handle& a, const graphics_handle& b)
-{
-  return a.value () == b.value ();
-}
-
-inline bool
-operator != (const graphics_handle& a, const graphics_handle& b)
-{
-  return a.value () != b.value ();
-}
-
-inline bool
-operator < (const graphics_handle& a, const graphics_handle& b)
-{
-  return a.value () < b.value ();
-}
-
-inline bool
-operator <= (const graphics_handle& a, const graphics_handle& b)
-{
-  return a.value () <= b.value ();
-}
-
-inline bool
-operator >= (const graphics_handle& a, const graphics_handle& b)
-{
-  return a.value () >= b.value ();
-}
-
-inline bool
-operator > (const graphics_handle& a, const graphics_handle& b)
-{
-  return a.value () > b.value ();
-}
+typedef octave_handle graphics_handle;
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 

--- a/libinterp/corefcn/module.mk	Thu Oct 03 19:09:00 2013 +0200
+++ b/libinterp/corefcn/module.mk	Wed Oct 02 19:52:39 2013 -0400
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
   corefcn/mxarray.in.h \
   corefcn/oct-errno.h \
   corefcn/oct-fstrm.h \
+  corefcn/oct-handle.h \
   corefcn/oct-hdf5.h \
   corefcn/oct-hist.h \
   corefcn/oct-iostrm.h \

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/libinterp/corefcn/oct-handle.h	Wed Oct 02 19:52:39 2013 -0400
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+/*
+
+Copyright (C) 2007-2012 John W. Eaton
+
+This file is part of Octave.
+
+Octave is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at your
+option) any later version.
+
+Octave is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with Octave; see the file COPYING.  If not, see
+<http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+*/
+
+#if !defined (octave_handle_h)
+#define octave_handle_h 1
+
+#include "dMatrix.h"
+#include "lo-ieee.h"
+
+#include "ov.h"
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class octave_handle
+{
+public:
+  octave_handle (void) : val (octave_NaN) { }
+
+  octave_handle (const octave_value& a)
+    : val (octave_NaN)
+  {
+    if (a.is_empty ())
+      /* do nothing */;
+    else
+      {
+        double tval = a.double_value ();
+
+        if (! error_state)
+          val = tval;
+        else
+          error ("invalid handle");
+      }
+  }
+
+  octave_handle (int a) : val (a) { }
+
+  octave_handle (double a) : val (a) { }
+
+  octave_handle (const octave_handle& a) : val (a.val) { }
+
+  octave_handle& operator = (const octave_handle& a)
+  {
+    if (&a != this)
+      val = a.val;
+
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  ~octave_handle (void) { }
+
+  double value (void) const { return val; }
+
+  octave_value as_octave_value (void) const
+  {
+    return ok () ? octave_value (val) : octave_value (Matrix ());
+  }
+
+  // Prefix increment/decrement operators.
+  octave_handle& operator ++ (void)
+  {
+    ++val;
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  octave_handle& operator -- (void)
+  {
+    --val;
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  // Postfix increment/decrement operators.
+  const octave_handle operator ++ (int)
+  {
+    octave_handle old_value = *this;
+    ++(*this);
+    return old_value;
+  }
+
+  const octave_handle operator -- (int)
+  {
+    octave_handle old_value = *this;
+    --(*this);
+    return old_value;
+  }
+
+  bool ok (void) const { return ! xisnan (val); }
+
+private:
+  double val;
+};
+
+inline bool
+operator == (const octave_handle& a, const octave_handle& b)
+{
+  return a.value () == b.value ();
+}
+
+inline bool
+operator != (const octave_handle& a, const octave_handle& b)
+{
+  return a.value () != b.value ();
+}
+
+inline bool
+operator < (const octave_handle& a, const octave_handle& b)
+{
+  return a.value () < b.value ();
+}
+
+inline bool
+operator <= (const octave_handle& a, const octave_handle& b)
+{
+  return a.value () <= b.value ();
+}
+
+inline bool
+operator >= (const octave_handle& a, const octave_handle& b)
+{
+  return a.value () >= b.value ();
+}
+
+inline bool
+operator > (const octave_handle& a, const octave_handle& b)
+{
+  return a.value () > b.value ();
+}
+
+#endif