--- a/scripts/plot/box.m
+++ b/scripts/plot/box.m
@@ -17,11 +17,12 @@
 ## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 ## -*- texinfo -*-
-## @deftypefn  {Function File} {} box
-## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} box ("on")
-## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} box ("off")
+## @deftypefn  {Function File} {} box on
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} box off
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} box
 ## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} box (@var{hax}, @dots{})
-## Control the display of a border around the plot.
+## Control the display of a border around the current axis.
+##
 ## The argument may be either @code{"on"} or @code{"off"}.  If it is
 ## omitted, the current box state is toggled.
 ##
@@ -34,10 +35,14 @@
 
 function box (varargin)
 
-  [ax, varargin, nargs] = __plt_get_axis_arg__ ("box", varargin{:});
+  [hax, varargin, nargs] = __plt_get_axis_arg__ ("box", varargin{:});
 
+  if (isempty (hax))
+    hax = gca ();
+  endif
+  
   if (nargs == 0)
-    box_state = get (ax, "box");
+    box_state = get (hax, "box");
     if (strcmp (box_state, "on"))
       box_state = "off";
     else
@@ -60,6 +65,6 @@
     print_usage ();
   endif
 
-  set (ax, "box", box_state);
+  set (hax, "box", box_state);
 
 endfunction

--- a/scripts/plot/grid.m
+++ b/scripts/plot/grid.m
@@ -17,83 +17,98 @@
 ## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 ## -*- texinfo -*-
-## @deftypefn  {Function File} {} grid (@var{arg})
-## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} grid ("minor", @var{arg2})
+## @deftypefn  {Function File} {} grid
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} grid on
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} grid off
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} grid minor
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} grid minor on
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} grid minor off
 ## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} grid (@var{hax}, @dots{})
-## Force the display of a grid on the plot.
-## The argument may be either @code{"on"}, or @code{"off"}.
+## Control the display of grid lines on a plot.
+##
+## The function input may be either @code{"on"}, or @code{"off"}.
 ## If it is omitted, the current grid state is toggled.
 ##
-## If @var{arg} is @code{"minor"} then the minor grid is toggled.  When
-## using a minor grid a second argument @var{arg2} is allowed, which can
-## be either @code{"on"} or @code{"off"} to explicitly set the state of
-## the minor grid.
+## If the first argument is @code{"minor"} then all further commands
+## modify the minor grid rather than the major grid.
 ##
 ## If the first argument is an axis handle, @var{hax}, operate on the
 ## specified axis object.
-## @seealso{plot}
+##
+## To control the grid lines for an individual axis use the @code{set}
+## function.  For example,
+##
+## @example
+## set (gca, "ygrid", "on");
+## @end example
+## @seealso{box}
 ## @end deftypefn
 
 ## Author: jwe
 
 function grid (varargin)
 
-  [ax, varargin, nargs] = __plt_get_axis_arg__ ("grid", varargin{:});
+  [hax, varargin, nargs] = __plt_get_axis_arg__ ("grid", varargin{:});
 
-  grid_on = (strcmp (get (ax, "xgrid"), "on")
-             && strcmp (get (ax, "ygrid"), "on")
-             && strcmp (get (ax, "zgrid"), "on"));
-
-  minor_on = (strcmp (get (ax, "xminorgrid"), "on")
-              && strcmp (get (ax, "yminorgrid"), "on")
-              && strcmp (get (ax, "zminorgrid"), "on"));
-
+  if (isempty (hax))
+    hax = gca ();
+  endif
+  
   if (nargs > 2)
     print_usage ();
-  elseif (nargs == 0)
+  endif
+
+  grid_on = (   strcmp (get (hax, "xgrid"), "on")
+             && strcmp (get (hax, "ygrid"), "on")
+             && strcmp (get (hax, "zgrid"), "on"));
+
+  minor_on = (   strcmp (get (hax, "xminorgrid"), "on")
+              && strcmp (get (hax, "yminorgrid"), "on")
+              && strcmp (get (hax, "zminorgrid"), "on"));
+
+  if (nargs == 0)
     grid_on = ! grid_on;
   else
     x = varargin{1};
-    if (ischar (x))
-      if (strcmpi (x, "off"))
-        grid_on = false;
-      elseif (strcmpi (x, "on"))
-        grid_on = true;
-      elseif (strcmpi (x, "minor"))
-        if (nargs == 2)
-          x2 = varargin{2};
-          if (strcmpi (x2, "on"))
-            minor_on = true;
-            grid_on = true;
-          elseif (strcmpi (x2, "off"))
-            minor_on = false;
-          else
-            print_usage ();
-          endif
+    if (! ischar (x))
+      error ("grid: argument must be a string");
+    endif
+    if (strcmpi (x, "off"))
+      grid_on = false;
+    elseif (strcmpi (x, "on"))
+      grid_on = true;
+    elseif (strcmpi (x, "minor"))
+      if (nargs == 2)
+        x2 = varargin{2};
+        if (strcmpi (x2, "on"))
+          minor_on = true;
+          grid_on = true;
+        elseif (strcmpi (x2, "off"))
+          minor_on = false;
         else
-           minor_on = ! minor_on;
-           if (minor_on)
-             grid_on = true;
-           endif
+          print_usage ();
         endif
       else
-        print_usage ();
+        minor_on = ! minor_on;
+        if (minor_on)
+          grid_on = true;
+        endif
       endif
     else
-      error ("grid: argument must be a string");
+      print_usage ();
     endif
   endif
 
   if (grid_on)
-    set (ax, "xgrid", "on", "ygrid", "on", "zgrid", "on");
+    set (hax, "xgrid", "on", "ygrid", "on", "zgrid", "on");
     if (minor_on)
-      set (ax, "xminorgrid", "on", "yminorgrid", "on", "zminorgrid", "on");
+      set (hax, "xminorgrid", "on", "yminorgrid", "on", "zminorgrid", "on");
     else
-      set (ax, "xminorgrid", "off", "yminorgrid", "off", "zminorgrid", "off");
+      set (hax, "xminorgrid", "off", "yminorgrid", "off", "zminorgrid", "off");
     endif
   else
-    set (ax, "xgrid", "off", "ygrid", "off", "zgrid", "off");
-    set (ax, "xminorgrid", "off", "yminorgrid", "off", "zminorgrid", "off");
+    set (hax, "xgrid", "off", "ygrid", "off", "zgrid", "off",
+              "xminorgrid", "off", "yminorgrid", "off", "zminorgrid", "off");
   endif
 
 endfunction

--- a/scripts/plot/hold.m
+++ b/scripts/plot/hold.m
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@
 
 ## -*- texinfo -*-
 ## @deftypefn  {Command} {} hold
-## @deftypefnx {Command} {} hold @var{state}
+## @deftypefnx {Command} {} hold on
+## @deftypefnx {Command} {} hold off
+## @deftypefnx {Command} {} hold all
 ## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} hold (@var{hax}, @dots{})
 ## Toggle or set the "hold" state of the plotting engine which determines
 ## whether new graphic objects are added to the plot or replace the existing
@@ -30,13 +32,13 @@
 ## on a single graph.
 ##
 ## @item hold all
-## Retain plot line color, line style, data and settings so that subsequent
+## Retain plot line color, line style, data, and settings so that subsequent
 ## plot commands are displayed on a single graph with the next line color and
 ## style.
 ##
 ## @item hold off
-## Clear plot and restore default graphics settings before each new plot
-## command.  (default).
+## Restore default graphics settings which clear the graph and reset axis
+## properties before each new plot command.  (default).
 ##
 ## @item hold
 ## Toggle the current hold state.
@@ -46,26 +48,30 @@
 ## only for the given axis handle.
 ##
 ## To query the current hold state use the @code{ishold} function.
-## @seealso{ishold, cla, newplot, clf}
+## @seealso{ishold, cla, clf, newplot}
 ## @end deftypefn
 
 function hold (varargin)
 
-  if (nargin > 0 && numel (varargin{1}) == 1 && ishandle (varargin{1})
+  if (nargin > 0 && isscalar (varargin{1}) && ishandle (varargin{1})
       && strcmp (get (varargin{1}, "type"), "axes"))
-    [ax, varargin, nargs] = __plt_get_axis_arg__ ("hold", varargin{:});
-    fig = get (ax, "parent");
+    [hax, varargin, nargs] = __plt_get_axis_arg__ ("hold", varargin{:});
+    if (isempty (hax))
+      hax = gca ();
+    endif
+    ## FIXME: Should this be ancestor (hax, "parent")?
+    hfig = get (hax, "parent");
   elseif (nargin > 0 && numel (varargin{1}) > 1 && ishandle (varargin{1}))
     print_usage ();
   else
-    ax = gca ();
-    fig = gcf ();
+    hax = gca ();
+    hfig = gcf ();
     nargs = numel (varargin);
   endif
 
   hold_all = false;
   if (nargs == 0)
-    turn_hold_off = ishold (ax);
+    turn_hold_off = ishold (hax);
   elseif (nargs == 1)
     state = varargin{1};
     if (ischar (state))
@@ -85,18 +91,36 @@
   endif
 
   if (turn_hold_off)
-    set (ax, "nextplot", "replace");
+    set (hax, "nextplot", "replace");
   else
-    set (ax, "nextplot", "add");
-    set (fig, "nextplot", "add");
+    set (hax, "nextplot", "add");
+    set (hfig, "nextplot", "add");
   endif
-  set (ax, "__hold_all__", hold_all);
+  set (hax, "__hold_all__", hold_all);
 
 endfunction
 
 
 %!demo
 %! clf;
+%! t = linspace (0, 2*pi, 100);
+%! plot (t, sin (t));
+%! hold on;
+%! plot (t, cos (t));
+%! title ({'hold on', '2 plots shown on same graph'});
+%! hold off;
+
+%!demo
+%! clf;
+%! t = linspace (0, 2*pi, 100);
+%! plot (t, sin (t));
+%! hold all;
+%! plot (t, cos (t));
+%! title ({'hold all', '2 plots shown on same graph with linestyle also preserved'});
+%! hold off;
+
+%!demo
+%! clf;
 %! A = rand (100);
 %! [X, Y] = find (A > 0.9);
 %! imshow (A);
@@ -143,7 +167,7 @@
 %! colorbar ('SouthOutside');
 %! title ('Test script for some plot functions');
 
-##hold on
+## hold on test
 %!test
 %! hf = figure ("visible", "off");
 %! unwind_protect
@@ -159,7 +183,7 @@
 %!   close (hf);
 %! end_unwind_protect
 
-##hold off
+## hold off test
 %!test
 %! hf = figure ("visible", "off");
 %! unwind_protect