Syntax|Parse error on code that used to run

[richard]

Hi All, 

This is the problem: 

octave:1>  Y = ["(","'" E00"'",];
parse error:

  syntax error

>>>  Y = ["(","'" E00"'",];
                       ^

I have recently re-installed a debian system and am running 
GNU Octave, version 3.8.1 "x86_64-pc-linux-gnu".

The above code is one line of a script that prepares data for 
entry into a postgresql database. It ran without problems, probably 
through October last year. 

As a first step, I intend to try an earlier version of octave as I 
still have my backup from before the re-install. If there is anything 
else I should try, I will be grateful for any advice. 

Richard A Lough