Index: error.cc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/octave/src/error.cc,v
retrieving revision 1.121
diff -c -r1.121 error.cc
*** error.cc	30 May 2007 06:35:52 -0000	1.121
--- error.cc	1 Oct 2007 20:08:20 -0000
***************
*** 70,75 ****
--- 70,78 ----
  //updated
  static bool Vquiet_warning = false;
  
+ // TRUE means that Octave will use terminal colors to print error messages
+ static bool Vcolor_error = true;
+ 
  // A structure containing (most of) the current state of warnings.
  static Octave_map warning_options;
  
***************
*** 207,217 ****
--- 210,226 ----
    if (to_beep_or_not_to_beep_p)
      output_buf << "\a";
  
+   if (Vterminal_color)
+     output_buf << "\033[31m";
+ 
    if (name)
      output_buf << name << ": ";
  
    octave_vformat (output_buf, fmt, args);
  
+   if (Vterminal_color)
+     output_buf << "\033[0m";
+ 
    output_buf << std::endl;
  
    // FIXME -- we really want to capture the message before it
Index: input.cc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/octave/src/input.cc,v
retrieving revision 1.182
diff -c -r1.182 input.cc
*** input.cc	18 Sep 2007 18:58:13 -0000	1.182
--- input.cc	1 Oct 2007 20:08:22 -0000
***************
*** 144,149 ****
--- 144,152 ----
  // the next user prompt.
  static bool Vdrawnow_requested = false;
  
+ // TRUE means octave should use terminal colors
+ bool Vterminal_color = false;
+ 
  static void
  do_input_echo (const std::string& input_string)
  {
***************
*** 183,190 ****
    if (line_editing || force_readline)
      {
        bool eof;
  
!       retval = command_editor::readline (s, eof);
  
        if (! eof && retval.empty ())
  	retval = "\n";
--- 186,197 ----
    if (line_editing || force_readline)
      {
        bool eof;
+       std::string prompt = s;
+ 
+       if (Vterminal_color)
+         prompt = "\033[34m" + prompt + "\033[0m";
  
!       retval = command_editor::readline (prompt, eof);
  
        if (! eof && retval.empty ())
  	retval = "\n";
Index: input.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/octave/src/input.h,v
retrieving revision 1.43
diff -c -r1.43 input.h
*** input.h	6 Dec 2006 20:23:19 -0000	1.43
--- input.h	1 Oct 2007 20:08:22 -0000
***************
*** 106,111 ****
--- 106,113 ----
  
  extern octave_time Vlast_prompt_time;
  
+ extern bool Vterminal_color;
+ 
  #endif
  
  /*
Index: octave.cc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/octave/src/octave.cc,v
retrieving revision 1.236
diff -c -r1.236 octave.cc
*** octave.cc	1 Oct 2007 15:59:33 -0000	1.236
--- octave.cc	1 Oct 2007 20:08:23 -0000
***************
*** 124,130 ****
  
  // Usage message
  static const char *usage_string = 
!   "octave [-?HVdfhiqvx] [--debug] [--echo-commands] [--eval CODE]\n\
         [--exec-path path] [--help] [--image-path path] [--info-file file]\n\
         [--info-program prog] [--interactive] [--line-editing] [--no-history] [--no-init-file]\n\
         [--no-line-editing] [--no-site-file] [--no-init-path] [-p path]\n\
--- 124,130 ----
  
  // Usage message
  static const char *usage_string = 
!   "octave [-?HVdfhiqvx] [--color] [--debug] [--echo-commands] [--eval CODE]\n\
         [--exec-path path] [--help] [--image-path path] [--info-file file]\n\
         [--info-program prog] [--interactive] [--line-editing] [--no-history] [--no-init-file]\n\
         [--no-line-editing] [--no-site-file] [--no-init-path] [-p path]\n\
***************
*** 155,162 ****
--- 155,164 ----
  #define PERSIST_OPTION 10
  #define TRADITIONAL_OPTION 11
  #define LINE_EDITING_OPTION 12
+ #define TERMINAL_COLOR_OPTION 13
  long_options long_opts[] =
    {
+     { "color",            prog_args::no_arg,       0, TERMINAL_COLOR_OPTION },
      { "debug",            prog_args::no_arg,       0, 'd' },
      { "braindead",        prog_args::no_arg,       0, TRADITIONAL_OPTION },
      { "echo-commands",    prog_args::no_arg,       0, 'x' },
***************
*** 441,446 ****
--- 443,449 ----
  \n\
  Options:\n\
  \n\
+   --color                 Use terminal colors.\n\
    --debug, -d             Enter parser debugging mode.\n\
    --echo-commands, -x     Echo commands as they are executed.\n\
    --eval CODE             Evaluate CODE.  Exit when done unless --persist.\n\
***************
*** 686,691 ****
--- 689,698 ----
  	  persist = true;
  	  break;
  
+         case TERMINAL_COLOR_OPTION:
+           Vterminal_color = true;
+           break;
+ 
  	default:
  	  usage ();
  	  break;