--- a
+++ b/functions/adminfunc/plugin_urlread.m
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+function [output,status] = plugin_urlread(urlChar,method,params)
+%URLREAD Returns the contents of a URL as a string.
+%   S = URLREAD('URL') reads the content at a URL into a string, S.  If the
+%   server returns binary data, the string will contain garbage.
+%
+%   S = URLREAD('URL','method',PARAMS) passes information to the server as
+%   part of the request.  The 'method' can be 'get', or 'post' and PARAMS is a 
+%   cell array of param/value pairs.
+%
+%   [S,STATUS] = URLREAD(...) catches any errors and returns 1 if the file
+%   downloaded successfully and 0 otherwise.
+%
+%   Examples:
+%   s = urlread('http://www.mathworks.com')
+%   s = urlread('ftp://ftp.mathworks.com/README')
+%   s = urlread(['file:///' fullfile(prefdir,'history.m')])
+% 
+%   From behind a firewall, use the Preferences to set your proxy server.
+%
+%   See also URLWRITE.
+
+%   Adapted by A. Delorme from 
+%   Matthew J. Simoneau, 13-Nov-2001
+%   Copyright 1984-2011 The MathWorks, Inc.
+%   $Revision: 1.3.2.12 $ $Date: 2011/09/03 22:43:00 $
+
+% This function requires Java.
+if ~usejava('jvm')
+   error(message('MATLAB:urlread:NoJvm'));
+end
+
+if exist('OCTAVE_VERSION', 'builtin') == 0
+    import('com.mathworks.mlwidgets.io.InterruptibleStreamCopier');
+
+    % Be sure the proxy settings are set.
+    com.mathworks.mlwidgets.html.HTMLPrefs.setProxySettings
+end
+
+
+
+% Check number of inputs and outputs.
+if ~ischar(urlChar)
+    error('MATLAB:urlread:InvalidInput','The first input, the URL, must be a character array.');
+end
+if (nargin > 1) && ~strcmpi(method,'get') && ~strcmpi(method,'post')
+    error('MATLAB:urlread:InvalidInput','Second argument must be either "get" or "post".');
+end
+
+% Do we want to throw errors or catch them?
+if nargout == 2
+    catchErrors = true;
+else
+    catchErrors = false;
+end
+
+% Set default outputs.
+output = '';
+status = 0;
+
+% GET method.  Tack param/value to end of URL.
+if (nargin > 1) && strcmpi(method,'get')
+    if mod(length(params),2) == 1
+        error('MATLAB:urlread:InvalidInput','Invalid parameter/value pair arguments.');
+    end
+    for i=1:2:length(params)
+        if (i == 1), separator = '?'; else separator = '&'; end
+        param = char(java.net.URLEncoder.encode(params{i}));
+        value = char(java.net.URLEncoder.encode(params{i+1}));
+        urlChar = [urlChar separator param '=' value];
+    end
+end
+
+% Create a urlConnection.
+[urlConnection,errorid,errormsg] = plugin_urlreadwrite(mfilename,urlChar);
+if isempty(urlConnection)
+    if catchErrors, return
+    else error(errorid,errormsg);
+    end
+end
+urlConnection.setReadTimeout(5000); % timeout in 5 seconds
+
+% POST method.  Write param/values to server.
+if (nargin > 1) && strcmpi(method,'post')
+    try
+        urlConnection.setDoOutput(true);
+        urlConnection.setRequestProperty( ...
+            'Content-Type','application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
+        printStream = java.io.PrintStream(urlConnection.getOutputStream);
+        for i=1:2:length(params)
+            if (i > 1), printStream.print('&'); end
+            param = char(java.net.URLEncoder.encode(params{i}));
+            value = char(java.net.URLEncoder.encode(params{i+1}));
+            printStream.print([param '=' value]);
+        end
+        printStream.close;
+    catch
+        if catchErrors, return
+        else error('MATLAB:urlread:ConnectionFailed','Could not POST to URL.');
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+% Read the data from the connection.
+try
+    inputStream = urlConnection.getInputStream;
+    byteArrayOutputStream = java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
+    % This StreamCopier is unsupported and may change at any time.
+    isc = InterruptibleStreamCopier.getInterruptibleStreamCopier;
+    isc.copyStream(inputStream,byteArrayOutputStream);
+    inputStream.close;
+    byteArrayOutputStream.close;
+    output = native2unicode(typecast(byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray','uint8'),'UTF-8');
+catch
+    if catchErrors, return
+    else error('MATLAB:urlread:ConnectionFailed','Error downloading URL. Your network connection may be down or your proxy settings improperly configured.');
+    end
+end
+
+status = 1;