complete rewrite of eval/exec patch
diff --git a/docs/advanced.rst b/docs/advanced.rst
index a13bc2b..2a0e268 100644
--- a/docs/advanced.rst
+++ b/docs/advanced.rst
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@
 
 The macro :func:`PYBIND11_OVERLOAD_PURE` should be used for pure virtual
 functions, and :func:`PYBIND11_OVERLOAD` should be used for functions which have
-a default implementation. 
+a default implementation.
 
 There are also two alternate macros :func:`PYBIND11_OVERLOAD_PURE_NAME` and
 :func:`PYBIND11_OVERLOAD_NAME` which take a string-valued name argument
@@ -1612,32 +1612,38 @@
 .. [#f4] http://www.sphinx-doc.org
 .. [#f5] http://github.com/pybind/python_example
 
-Calling Python from C++
-=======================
+Evaluating Python expressions from strings and files
+====================================================
 
-Pybind11 also allows to call python code from C++. Note that this code assumes, that the intepreter is already initialized.
+pybind11 provides the :func:`eval` and :func:`eval_file` functions to evaluate
+Python expressions and statements. The following example illustrates how they
+can be used.
+
+Both functions accept a template parameter that describes how the argument
+should be interpreted. Possible choices include ``eval_expr`` (isolated
+expression), ``eval_single_statement`` (a single statement, return value is
+always ``none``), and ``eval_statements`` (sequence of statements, return value
+is always ``none``).
 
 .. code-block:: cpp
 
-	// get the main module, so we can access and declare stuff
-	py::module main_module = py::module::import("__main__");
-	
-	//get the main namespace, so I can declare variables
-	py::object main_namespace = main_module.attr("__dict__");
+    // At beginning of file
+    #include <pybind11/eval.h>
 
-    //now execute code
-	py::exec(
-		"print('Hello World1!')\n"
-		"print('Other Data');",
-        main_namespace);	    
+    ...
 
-    //execute a single statement
-    py::exec_statement("x=42", main_namespace);
+    // Evaluate in scope of main module
+    py::object scope = py::module::import("__main__").attr("__dict__");
 
-    //ok, now I want to get the result of a statement, we'll use x in this example
-    py::object res = py::eval("x");
-    std:cout <<  "Yielded: " << res.cast<int>() << std::endl;
-    
-    //or we can execute a file within the same content
-    py::exec_file("my_script.py", main_namespace);
-    
+    // Evaluate an isolated expression
+    int result = py::eval("my_variable + 10", scope).cast<int>();
+
+    // Evaluate a sequence of statements
+    py::eval<py::eval_statements>(
+        "print('Hello')\n"
+        "print('world!');",
+        scope);
+
+    // Evaluate the statements in an separate Python file on disk
+    py::eval_file("script.py", scope);
+
diff --git a/docs/reference.rst b/docs/reference.rst
index e3fe018..7edc43a 100644
--- a/docs/reference.rst
+++ b/docs/reference.rst
@@ -244,26 +244,4 @@
 .. function:: name::name(const char *value)
 
     Used to specify the function name
-    
-Calling Python from C++
-=======================
-
-.. function:: eval(str string, object global = object(), object local = object())
-     
-     Evaluate a statement, i.e. one that does not yield None. 
-     The return value the result of the expression. It throws pybind11::error_already_set if the commands are invalid.
-     
-.. function:: exec(str string, object global = object(), object local = object())
-
-     Execute a set of statements. The return value the result of the code. It throws pybind11::error_already_set if the commands are invalid.
-     
-.. function:: exec_statement(str string, object global = object(), object local = object())
-    
-     Execute a single statement. The return value the result of the code. It throws pybind11::error_already_set if the commands are invalid.
-     
-.. function:: exec_file(str filename, object global = object(), object local = object())     
-     
-     Execute a file. The function exec_file will throw std::invalid_argument if the file cannot be opened.
-     The return value the result of the code. It throws pybind11::error_already_set if the commands are invalid and
-     std::invalid_argument if the file cannot be opened.
 
diff --git a/example/example18.cpp b/example/example18.cpp
index f85675d..8fdab81 100644
--- a/example/example18.cpp
+++ b/example/example18.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-    example/example18.cpp -- Usage of exec, eval etc.
+    example/example18.cpp -- Usage of eval() and eval_file()
 
     Copyright (c) 2016 Klemens D. Morgenstern
 
@@ -8,29 +8,30 @@
 */
 
 
-#include <pybind11/exec.h>
+#include <pybind11/eval.h>
 #include "example.h"
 
 void example18() {
     py::module main_module = py::module::import("__main__");
     py::object main_namespace = main_module.attr("__dict__");
 
-    bool executed = false;
+    bool ok = false;
 
-    main_module.def("call_test", [&]()-> int {executed = true; return 42;});
+    main_module.def("call_test", [&]() -> int {
+        ok = true;
+        return 42;
+    });
 
-    cout << "exec test" << endl;
+    cout << "eval_statements test" << endl;
 
-    py::exec(
+    auto result = py::eval<py::eval_statements>(
             "print('Hello World!');\n"
-            "x = call_test();",
-                          main_namespace);
+            "x = call_test();", main_namespace);
 
-    if (executed)
-        cout << "exec passed" << endl;
-    else {
-        cout << "exec failed" << endl;
-    }
+    if (ok && result == py::none())
+        cout << "eval_statements passed" << endl;
+    else
+        cout << "eval_statements failed" << endl;
 
     cout << "eval test" << endl;
 
@@ -38,83 +39,64 @@
 
     if (val.cast<int>() == 42)
         cout << "eval passed" << endl;
-    else {
+    else
         cout << "eval failed" << endl;
-    }
 
+    ok = false;
+    cout << "eval_single_statement test" << endl;
 
-    executed = false;
-    cout << "exec_statement test" << endl;
+    py::eval<py::eval_single_statement>(
+        "y = call_test();", main_namespace);
 
-    py::exec_statement("y = call_test();", main_namespace);
+    if (ok)
+        cout << "eval_single_statement passed" << endl;
+    else
+        cout << "eval_single_statement failed" << endl;
 
-
-    if (executed)
-        cout << "exec_statement passed" << endl;
-    else {
-        cout << "exec_statement failed" << endl;
-    }
-
-    cout << "exec_file test" << endl;
+    cout << "eval_file test" << endl;
 
     int val_out;
     main_module.def("call_test2", [&](int value) {val_out = value;});
 
-
-    py::exec_file("example18_call.py", main_namespace);
-
-    if (val_out == 42)
-        cout << "exec_file passed" << endl;
-    else {
-        cout << "exec_file failed" << endl;
-    }
-
-    executed = false;
-    cout << "exec failure test" << endl;
     try {
-    	py::exec("non-sense code ...");
-    }
-    catch (py::error_already_set & err) {
-    	executed = true;
-    }
-    if (executed)
-        cout << "exec failure test passed" << endl;
-    else {
-        cout << "exec failure test failed" << endl;
+        result = py::eval_file("example18_call.py", main_namespace);
+    } catch (...) {
+        result = py::eval_file("example/example18_call.py", main_namespace);
     }
 
+    if (val_out == 42 && result == py::none())
+        cout << "eval_file passed" << endl;
+    else
+        cout << "eval_file failed" << endl;
 
-    executed = false;
-    cout << "exec_file failure test" << endl;
-    try {
-    	py::exec_file("none-existing file");
-    }
-    catch (std::invalid_argument & err) {
-    	executed = true;
-    }
-    if (executed)
-        cout << "exec_file failure test passed" << endl;
-    else {
-        cout << "exec_file failure test failed" << endl;
-    }
-
-    executed = false;
+    ok = false;
     cout << "eval failure test" << endl;
     try {
-    	py::eval("print('dummy')");
+        py::eval("nonsense code ...");
+    } catch (py::error_already_set &) {
+        PyErr_Clear();
+        ok = true;
     }
-    catch (py::error_already_set & err) {
-    	executed = true;
-    }
-    if (executed)
+
+    if (ok)
         cout << "eval failure test passed" << endl;
-    else {
+    else
         cout << "eval failure test failed" << endl;
+
+    ok = false;
+    cout << "eval_file failure test" << endl;
+    try {
+        py::eval_file("nonexisting file");
+    } catch (std::exception &) {
+        ok = true;
     }
+
+    if (ok)
+        cout << "eval_file failure test passed" << endl;
+    else
+        cout << "eval_file failure test failed" << endl;
 }
 
 void init_ex18(py::module & m) {
-	m.def("example18", &example18);
+    m.def("example18", &example18);
 }
-
-
diff --git a/example/example18.ref b/example/example18.ref
index 81f1049..db350bd 100644
--- a/example/example18.ref
+++ b/example/example18.ref
@@ -1,15 +1,13 @@
-exec test
-Hello World!
-exec passed
+eval_statements test
+eval_statements passed
 eval test
 eval passed
-exec_statement test
-exec_statement passed
-exec_file test
-exec_file passed
-exec failure test
-exec failure test passed
-exec_file failure test
-exec_file failure test passed
+eval_single_statement test
+eval_single_statement passed
+eval_file test
+eval_file passed
 eval failure test
 eval failure test passed
+eval_file failure test
+eval_file failure test passed
+Hello World!
diff --git a/include/pybind11/eval.h b/include/pybind11/eval.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5dbffc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/pybind11/eval.h
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/*
+    pybind11/exec.h: Support for evaluating Python expressions and statements
+    from strings and files
+
+    Copyright (c) 2016 Klemens Morgenstern <klemens.morgenstern@ed-chemnitz.de> and
+                       Wenzel Jakob <wenzel.jakob@epfl.ch>
+
+    All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
+    BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+*/
+
+#pragma once
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "pytypes.h"
+
+NAMESPACE_BEGIN(pybind11)
+
+enum eval_mode {
+    /// Evaluate a string containing an isolated expression
+    eval_expr,
+
+    /// Evaluate a string containing a single statement. Returns \c none
+    eval_single_statement,
+
+    /// Evaluate a string containing a sequence of statement. Returns \c none
+    eval_statements
+};
+
+template <eval_mode mode = eval_expr>
+object eval(const std::string& str, object global = object(), object local = object()) {
+    if (!global) {
+        global = object(PyEval_GetGlobals(), true);
+        if (!global)
+            global = dict();
+    }
+    if (!local)
+        local = global;
+
+    int start;
+    switch (mode) {
+        case eval_expr:             start = Py_eval_input;   break;
+        case eval_single_statement: start = Py_single_input; break;
+        case eval_statements:       start = Py_file_input;   break;
+        default: pybind11_fail("invalid evaluation mode");
+    }
+
+    object result(PyRun_String(str.c_str(), start, global.ptr(), local.ptr()), false);
+
+    if (!result)
+        throw error_already_set();
+    return result;
+}
+
+template <eval_mode mode = eval_statements>
+object eval_file(const std::string& fname, object global = object(), object local = object()) {
+    if (!global) {
+        global = object(PyEval_GetGlobals(), true);
+        if (!global)
+            global = dict();
+    }
+    if (!local)
+        local = global;
+
+    int start;
+    switch (mode) {
+        case eval_expr:             start = Py_eval_input;   break;
+        case eval_single_statement: start = Py_single_input; break;
+        case eval_statements:       start = Py_file_input;   break;
+        default: pybind11_fail("invalid evaluation mode");
+    }
+
+    FILE *f = fopen(fname.c_str(), "r");
+    if (!f)
+        pybind11_fail("File \"" + fname + "\" could not be opened!");
+
+    object result(PyRun_FileEx(f, fname.c_str(), Py_file_input, global.ptr(),
+                               local.ptr(), 1),
+                  false);
+
+    if (!result)
+        throw error_already_set();
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+NAMESPACE_END(pybind11)
diff --git a/include/pybind11/exec.h b/include/pybind11/exec.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 3b9ddec..0000000
--- a/include/pybind11/exec.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,156 +0,0 @@
-/*

-    pybind11/exec.h: Functions to execute python from C++. Based on code from boost.python.

-

-    Copyright (c) 2005 Stefan Seefeld

-

-    This code is based on the boost.python implementation, so a different license applies to this file.

-

-    Boost Software License - Version 1.0 - August 17th, 2003

-

-	Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person or organization

-	obtaining a copy of the software and accompanying documentation covered by

-	this license (the "Software") to use, reproduce, display, distribute,

-	execute, and transmit the Software, and to prepare derivative works of the

-	Software, and to permit third-parties to whom the Software is furnished to

-	do so, all subject to the following:

-

-	The copyright notices in the Software and this entire statement, including

-	the above license grant, this restriction and the following disclaimer,

-	must be included in all copies of the Software, in whole or in part, and

-	all derivative works of the Software, unless such copies or derivative

-	works are solely in the form of machine-executable object code generated by

-	a source language processor.

-

-	THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR

-	IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,

-	FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT

-	SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR ANYONE DISTRIBUTING THE SOFTWARE BE LIABLE

-	FOR ANY DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE,

-	ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER

-	DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

-

-*/

-

-#pragma once

-

-#include "pytypes.h"

-

-NAMESPACE_BEGIN(pybind11)

-

-

-

-inline object eval (const std::string& st, object global = object(), object local = object()) {

-    if (!global) {

-        if (PyObject *g = PyEval_GetGlobals())

-            global = object(g, true);

-        else

-            global = dict();

-    }

-    if (!local)

-        local = global;

-

-    PyObject *res = PyRun_String(st.c_str() , Py_eval_input, global.ptr(), local.ptr());

-

-    if (res == nullptr)

-        throw error_already_set();

-

-    return {res, false};

-}

-

-inline object exec (const std::string& st, object global = object(), object local = object()) {

-    if (!global) {

-        if (PyObject *g = PyEval_GetGlobals())

-            global = object(g, true);

-        else

-            global = dict();

-    }

-    if (!local)

-        local = global;

-

-    PyObject *res = PyRun_String(st.c_str() , Py_file_input, global.ptr(), local.ptr());

-

-    if (res == nullptr)

-        throw error_already_set();

-

-    return {res, false};

-}

-

-inline object exec_statement (const std::string& st, object global = object(), object local = object()) {

-    if (!global) {

-        if (PyObject *g = PyEval_GetGlobals())

-            global = object(g, true);

-        else

-            global = dict();

-    }

-    if (!local)

-        local = global;

-

-    PyObject *res = PyRun_String(st.c_str() , Py_single_input, global.ptr(), local.ptr());

-    if (res == nullptr)

-        throw error_already_set();

-

-    return {res, false};

-}

-

-inline object exec_file(const std::string& filename, object global = object(), object local = object()) {

-    // Set suitable default values for global and local dicts.

-    if (!global) {

-        if (PyObject *g = PyEval_GetGlobals())

-            global = object(g, true);

-    else

-        global = dict();

-    }

-    if (!local) local = global;

-

-    std::string f = filename; //need to copy for the signature of PyFile_FromString

-

-

-    // Let python open the file to avoid potential binary incompatibilities.

-#if PY_VERSION_HEX >= 0x03040000

-    const static int close_it = 1;

-    FILE *fs = _Py_fopen(f.c_str(), "r");

-#elif PY_VERSION_HEX >= 0x03000000

-    const static int close_it = 1;

-    PyObject *fo = Py_BuildValue("s", f.c_str());

-    FILE *fs = _Py_fopen(fo, "r");

-    Py_DECREF(fo);

-#else

-    const static int close_it = 0;

-    PyObject *pyfile = PyFile_FromString(&f.front(), const_cast<char*>("r"));

-    if (!pyfile)

-    	throw std::invalid_argument(std::string(f) + " : no such file");

-    object file(pyfile, false);

-    FILE *fs = PyFile_AsFile(file.ptr());

-#endif

-    if (fs == nullptr)

-    	throw std::invalid_argument(std::string(f) + " : could not be opened");

-

-    PyObject* res = PyRun_FileEx(fs,

-                f.c_str(),

-                Py_file_input,

-                global.ptr(), local.ptr(),

-				close_it);

-

-    if (res == nullptr)

-        throw error_already_set();

-

-    return {res, false};

-

-}

-

-inline object exec (str string, object global = object(), object local = object()) {

-    return exec(static_cast<std::string>(string), global, local);

-}

-

-inline object eval (str string, object global = object(), object local = object()) {

-    return eval(static_cast<std::string>(string), global, local);

-}

-

-inline object exec_file(str filename, object global = object(), object local = object()) {

-    return exec_file(static_cast<std::string>(filename), global, local);

-}

-inline object exec_statement (str string, object global = object(), object local = object()) {

-    return exec_statement(static_cast<std::string>(string), global, local);

-}

-

-NAMESPACE_END(pybind11)