new to octave - need help with running user-defined function files

[Theresa Bullard]

Dear Octave List,

I am new to Octave and have loaded everything successfully and am able 
to run built-in functions and such, but I seem to be having trouble 
with getting Octave to see and run any user-defined functions. I've 
read the online manual sections dealing with this but am not clear on a 
couple points.

1. what is the appropriate syntax to use for changing LOADPATH once 
Octave is running?

2. Since I haven't figured out how to add another path for Octave to 
search in for function files, I've placed the files in one of the paths 
that is already in DEFAULT_LOADPATH 
(/usr/local/share/octave/2.1.71/site/m//), and when I use the built in 
function 'file_in_loadpath(filename)' it keeps returning empty results 
for the all of the new user-defined function files I've downloaded or 
that I've created myself. Whereas if I search for octave functions in 
the same directory path it will find them. From the manual it seems 
like I can add new function or script files even while Octave is 
running and as soon as I call the new function from the command line it 
should search the directories and then compile it on the fly, if needed 
(based on time-stamp). Is this true? If so, why is it not able to see 
these new function files or script files I've put into the default 
paths? Is there a way to force compile all these functions?

Any clarification or suggestions for getting started here is much 
appreciated. I'm running Octave through X-11 in Mac OSX (10.3.9)

Thanks,
Theresa



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