function [A, B, C] = df_basecomp(A, B, itercol=true, func=@plus);

  %# function [A, B, C] = df_basecomp(A, B, itercol)
  %# Basic size and metadata compatibility verifications for
  %# two-arguments operations on dataframe. Returns a scalar, a matrix,
  %# or a dataframe. Cell arrays are converted to df. Third output
  %# contains a merge of the metadata.

  %% Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Pascal Dupuis <Pascal.Dupuis@uclouvain.be>
  %%
  %% 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 2, 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,
  %% write to the Free Software Foundation, 51 Franklin Street -
  %% Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
  
  %#
  %# $Id$
  %#

  if (1 == length (itercol)) 
    strict = false;
  else
    strict = itercol(2); itercol = itercol(1);
  endif

  if (iscell (A)) A = dataframe (A); endif
  if (iscell (B)) B = dataframe (B); endif  

  switch (func2str (func))
    case 'bsxfun'
      %# bsxfun compatibility rule: if there is at least one singleton
      %# dim, the smallest is repeated to reach the size of the
      %# greatest. Otherwise, all dims must be equal.
      if (any (size (A)(1:2) ~= size (B)(1:2)))
        if (~any (1 == [size(A) size(B)]))
          error ('bsxfun: both arguments must have the same dim, of one of them must have at least one singleton dim');
        else
          Csize = max ([size(A)(1:2); size(B)(1:2)]);
        endif
      else
        Csize = size (A)(1:2);
      endif
    case 'mldivide'
      if (isscalar (A)) 
        Csize = size (B)(1:2);
      else
        if (size (A, 1) ~= size (B, 1))
          error ("Non compatible row sizes (op1 is %dx%d, op2 is %dx%d)",...
                 size (A), size (B)(1:2));
        endif
        Csize = [size(A, 2) size(B, 2)];
      endif
    otherwise
      %# if strict is set, B may not be non-scalar vs scalar
      if ((~(isscalar (A) || isscalar (B)))||(strict && isscalar (A)))
        if (itercol) %# requires full compatibility
          Csize = size (A)(1:2);
          if (any (Csize - size (B)(1:2)))
            %# disp([size(A) size(B)])
            error ("Non compatible row and columns sizes (op1 is %dx%d, op2 is %dx%d)",...
                   Csize, size (B));
          endif
        else %# compatibility with matrix product
          if (size (A, 2) - size (B, 1))
            error ("Non compatible columns vs. rows size (op1 is %dx%d, op2 is %dx%d)",...
                  size (A)(1:2), size (B)(1:2));
          endif
          Csize = [size(A, 1) size(B, 2)];
        endif
      endif
  endswitch

  if (~(isscalar (A) || isscalar (B)))
    C = [];
    if (isa (A, 'dataframe'))
      if (nargout > 2 && all (Csize == size (A)(1:2)))
        C = df_allmeta (A, Csize);
      endif         
      if (isa (B, 'dataframe'))
        if (nargout > 2 && isempty (C) && all (Csize == size (B)(1:2)))
          C = df_allmeta (B, Csize);
        endif
        if (strict)
          %# compare indexes if both exist
          if (~isempty (A._ridx))
            if (~isempty(B._ridx) && itercol)
              if (any (A._ridx-B._ridx))
                error ("Non compatible indexes");
              endif
            endif
          else
            if (nargout > 2 && itercol) C._ridx = B._ridx; endif
          endif
          
          if (itercol)
            idxB = 1; %# row-row comparison
          else
            idxB = 2; %# row-col comparsion
          endif
          
          if (~isempty (A._name{1})) 
            if (~isempty (B._name{idxB}))
              dummy = ~(strcmp (cellstr (A._name{1}), cellstr (B._name{idxB}))...
                        | (A._over{1}(:)) | (B._over{idxB}(:)));
              if (any (dummy))
                if (itercol)
                  error ("Incompatible row names");
                else
                  error ("Incompatible row vs. column names");
                endif
              endif
              dummy = A._over{1} > B._over{idxB};
              if (any (dummy))
                C._name{1}(dummy) = B._name{idxB}(dummy);
                C._over{1}(dummy) = B._over{idxB}(dummy);
              endif
            endif
          else
            if (nargout > 2)
              C._name{1} = B._name{idxB}; C._over{1} = B._over{idxB};
            endif
          endif
          
          idxB = 3-idxB;
          
          if (~isempty(A._name{2}))
            if (~isempty(B._name{idxB}))
              dummy = ~(strcmp (cellstr (A._name{2}), cellstr (B._name{2}))...
                        | (A._over{2}(:)) | (B._over{2}(:)));
              if (any (dummy))
                if (itercol)
                  error ("Incompatible column vs row names");
                else
                  error ("Incompatible column names");
                endif
              endif
              dummy = A._over{2} > B._over{idxB};
              if (any (dummy))
                C._name{2}(dummy) = B._name{idxB}(dummy);
                C._over{2}(dummy) = B._over{idxB}(dummy);
              endif
            endif
          else
            if (nargout > 2 && ~isempty (B._name{idxB}))
              C._name{2} = B._name{idxB}; C._over{2} = B._over{idxB}; 
            endif
          endif
        endif

        if (isempty (A._src) && nargout > 2 && ~isempty (B._src))
          C._src = B._src;
        endif
        if (isempty (A._cmt) && nargout > 2 && ~isempty (B._cmt))
          C._cmt = B._cmt;
        endif
      else %# B is not a df
        B = dataframe (B);
        if (nargout > 2 && isempty (C))
          C = df_allmeta (A);
        endif
      endif
    else %# A is not a df
      A = dataframe (A);
      if (nargout > 2)
        if (all (Csize == size (B)(1:2)))
          C = df_allmeta (B, Csize);
        else
          C = df_allmeta (B);
        endif         
      endif
    endif
  else %# both arg are  scalar
    if (nargout > 2)
      if (isa (A, 'dataframe')) 
        C = df_allmeta (A);     
      else
        C = df_allmeta (B); 
      endif
    endif
  endif
  
endfunction
