diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ab34f44f5..7bb2593c4 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2007-10-09 Paolo Nenzi <p.nenzi@ieee.org>
+ * src/frontend/{device.c, miscvars.c}: added "altshow" option to 
+   enable the new (Phil Barker) version of the show command. The 
+   old show command looks better in interactive mode while the
+   new format is more suitable for automatic processing of the
+   data.
+
 2007-10-09 Paolo Nenzi <p.nenzi@ieee.org>
  * src/frontend/cktdojob.c: Chenged of reporting analysis temperature
    from Kelvins to Celsius (as suggested from Phil Barker).
diff --git a/src/frontend/device.c b/src/frontend/device.c
index 189414c52..e44211886 100644
--- a/src/frontend/device.c
+++ b/src/frontend/device.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Modified: 2000 AlansFixes
 
 static wordlist *devexpand(char *name);
 static void all_show(wordlist *wl, int mode);
+static void all_show_old(wordlist *wl, int mode);
 
 /*
  *	show: list device operating point info
@@ -41,13 +42,23 @@ static	int	count;
 void
 com_showmod(wordlist *wl)
 {
-    all_show(wl, 1);
+    bool showmode;
+
+    if (cp_getvar("altshow", VT_BOOL, (char *) &showmode))
+        all_show(wl, 1);
+        else
+        all_show_old(wl, 1);
 }
 
 void
 com_show(wordlist *wl)
 {
-    all_show(wl, 0);
+    bool showmode;
+
+    if (cp_getvar("altshow", VT_BOOL, (char *) &showmode))
+        all_show(wl, 0);
+        else
+        all_show_old(wl, 0);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/frontend/miscvars.c b/src/frontend/miscvars.c
index 95da681bf..f8a8f4c15 100644
--- a/src/frontend/miscvars.c
+++ b/src/frontend/miscvars.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ bool ft_asyncdb = FALSE;
 char *ft_setkwords[] = {
 
     "acct",
+    "altshow",
     "appendwrite",
     "bypass",
     "chgtol",