--- /dev/null
+## Copyright (C) 2006-2012 Keith Goodman
+##
+## 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/>.
+
+## -*- texinfo -*-
+## @deftypefn {Command} {} mkoctfile [-options] file @dots{}
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {[@var{output}, @var{status} =} mkoctfile (@dots{})
+##
+## The @code{mkoctfile} function compiles source code written in C,
+## C++, or Fortran. Depending on the options used with @code{mkoctfile}, the
+## compiled code can be called within Octave or can be used as a stand-alone
+## application.
+##
+## @code{mkoctfile} can be called from the shell prompt or from the Octave
+## prompt. Calling it from the Octave prompt simply delegates the
+## call to the shell prompt. The output is stored in the @var{output}
+## variable and the exit status in the @var{status} variable.
+##
+## @code{mkoctfile} accepts the following options, all of which are optional
+## except for the file name of the code you wish to compile:
+##
+## @table @samp
+## @item -I DIR
+## Add the include directory DIR to compile commands.
+##
+## @item -D DEF
+## Add the definition DEF to the compiler call.
+##
+## @item -l LIB
+## Add the library LIB to the link command.
+##
+## @item -L DIR
+## Add the library directory DIR to the link command.
+##
+## @item -M
+## @itemx --depend
+## Generate dependency files (.d) for C and C++ source files.
+##
+## @item -R DIR
+## Add the run-time path to the link command.
+##
+## @item -Wl,@dots{}
+## Pass flags though the linker like "-Wl,-rpath=@dots{}".
+## The quotes are needed since commas are interpreted as command
+## separators.
+##
+## @item -W@dots{}
+## Pass flags though the compiler like "-Wa,OPTION".
+##
+## @item -c
+## Compile but do not link.
+##
+## @item -g
+## Enable debugging options for compilers.
+##
+## @item -o FILE
+## @itemx --output FILE
+## Output file name. Default extension is .oct
+## (or .mex if @samp{--mex} is specified) unless linking
+## a stand-alone executable.
+##
+## @item -p VAR
+## @itemx --print VAR
+## Print the configuration variable VAR@. Recognized variables are:
+##
+## @example
+## ALL_CFLAGS FFTW3F_LIBS
+## ALL_CXXFLAGS FLIBS
+## ALL_FFLAGS FPICFLAG
+## ALL_LDFLAGS INCFLAGS
+## BLAS_LIBS LAPACK_LIBS
+## CC LDFLAGS
+## CFLAGS LD_CXX
+## CPICFLAG LD_STATIC_FLAG
+## CPPFLAGS LFLAGS
+## CXX LIBCRUFT
+## CXXFLAGS LIBOCTAVE
+## CXXPICFLAG LIBOCTINTERP
+## DEPEND_EXTRA_SED_PATTERN LIBS
+## DEPEND_FLAGS OCTAVE_LIBS
+## DL_LD OCTAVE_LINK_DEPS
+## DL_LDFLAGS OCT_LINK_DEPS
+## EXEEXT RDYNAMIC_FLAG
+## F77 READLINE_LIBS
+## F77_INTEGER_8_FLAG SED
+## FFLAGS XTRA_CFLAGS
+## FFTW3_LDFLAGS XTRA_CXXFLAGS
+## FFTW3_LIBS
+## FFTW3F_LDFLAGS
+##
+## @end example
+##
+## @item --link-stand-alone
+## Link a stand-alone executable file.
+##
+## @item --mex
+## Assume we are creating a MEX file. Set the default output extension
+## to ".mex".
+##
+## @item -s
+## @itemx --strip
+## Strip the output file.
+##
+## @item -v
+## @itemx --verbose
+## Echo commands as they are executed.
+##
+## @item file
+## The file to compile or link. Recognized file types are
+##
+## @example
+## @group
+## .c C source
+## .cc C++ source
+## .C C++ source
+## .cpp C++ source
+## .f Fortran source (fixed form)
+## .F Fortran source (fixed form)
+## .f90 Fortran source (free form)
+## .F90 Fortran source (free form)
+## .o object file
+## .a library file
+## @end group
+## @end example
+##
+## @end table
+## @end deftypefn
+
+function [output, status] = mkoctfile (varargin)
+
+ bindir = octave_config_info ("bindir");
+
+ shell_script = fullfile (bindir, "mkoctfile");
+
+ cmd = cstrcat ("\"", shell_script, "\"");
+ for i = 1:nargin
+ cmd = cstrcat (cmd, " \"", varargin{i}, "\"");
+ endfor
+
+ [sys, out] = system (cmd);
+
+ if (nargout > 0)
+ [output, status] = deal (out, sys);
+ else
+ printf ("%s", out);
+ endif
+
+ if (sys == 127)
+ warning ("unable to find mkoctfile in expected location: `%s'",
+ shell_script);
+
+ warning ("mkoctfile exited with failure status");
+ endif
+
+endfunction