more formal isabelle_admin_build;
tuned;

--- a/Admin/lib/Tools/update_keywords	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/Admin/lib/Tools/update_keywords	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 # DESCRIPTION: update standard keyword files for Emacs Proof General
 
-[ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ] && { "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" jars || exit $?; }
+isabelle_admin_build jars || exit $?
 
 declare -a JAVA_ARGS; eval "JAVA_ARGS=($ISABELLE_BUILD_JAVA_OPTIONS)"
 

--- a/lib/Tools/browser	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/lib/Tools/browser	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 
 ## main
 
-[ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ] && { "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" browser || exit $?; }
+isabelle_admin_build browser || exit $?
 
 classpath "$ISABELLE_HOME/lib/browser/GraphBrowser.jar"
 

--- a/lib/Tools/build	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/lib/Tools/build	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
 
 ## main
 
-[ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ] && { "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" jars || exit $?; }
+isabelle_admin_build jars || exit $?
 
 if [ "$NO_BUILD" = false -a "$VERBOSE" = true ]; then
   echo "Started at $(date) ($ML_IDENTIFIER on $(hostname))"

--- a/lib/Tools/build_dialog	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/lib/Tools/build_dialog	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
 
 ## main
 
-[ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ] && { "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" jars || exit $?; }
+isabelle_admin_build jars || exit $?
 
 "$ISABELLE_TOOL" java isabelle.Build_Dialog \
   "$LOGIC_OPTION" "$LOGIC" "$SYSTEM_MODE" "${INCLUDE_DIRS[@]}"

--- a/lib/Tools/keywords	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/lib/Tools/keywords	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
 ## main
 
-[ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ] && { "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" jars || exit $?; }
+isabelle_admin_build jars || exit $?
 
 declare -a JAVA_ARGS; eval "JAVA_ARGS=($ISABELLE_BUILD_JAVA_OPTIONS)"
 

--- a/lib/Tools/options	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/lib/Tools/options	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 
 ## main
 
-[ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ] && { "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" jars || exit $?; }
+isabelle_admin_build jars || exit $?
 
 exec "$ISABELLE_TOOL" java isabelle.Options "$EXPORT_FILE" "${BUILD_OPTIONS[@]}" "$@"
 

--- a/lib/Tools/scala	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/lib/Tools/scala	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 # DESCRIPTION: invoke Scala within the Isabelle environment
 
-[ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ] && { "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" jars || exit $?; }
+isabelle_admin_build jars || exit $?
 
 CLASSPATH="$(jvmpath "$CLASSPATH")"
 isabelle_scala scala -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \

--- a/lib/Tools/scalac	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/lib/Tools/scalac	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 # DESCRIPTION: invoke Scala compiler within the Isabelle environment
 
-[ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ] && { "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" jars || exit $?; }
+isabelle_admin_build jars || exit $?
 
 CLASSPATH="$(jvmpath "$CLASSPATH")"
 isabelle_scala scalac -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \

--- a/lib/scripts/getsettings	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/lib/scripts/getsettings	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@
 unset BASH_ENV
 
 #shared library convenience
-function librarypath () {
+function librarypath ()
+{
   for X in "$@"
   do
     case "$ISABELLE_PLATFORM" in
@@ -85,7 +86,8 @@
 }
 
 #robust invocation via ISABELLE_JDK_HOME
-function isabelle_jdk () {
+function isabelle_jdk ()
+{
   if [ -z "$ISABELLE_JDK_HOME" ]; then
     echo "Unknown ISABELLE_JDK_HOME -- Java tools unavailable" >&2
     return 127
@@ -96,7 +98,8 @@
 }
 
 #robust invocation via SCALA_HOME
-function isabelle_scala () {
+function isabelle_scala ()
+{
   if [ -z "$ISABELLE_JDK_HOME" ]; then
     echo "Unknown ISABELLE_JDK_HOME -- Java tools unavailable" >&2
     return 127
@@ -109,8 +112,19 @@
   fi
 }
 
+#administrative build
+if [ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ]; then
+  function isabelle_admin_build ()
+  {
+    "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" "$@"
+  }
+else
+  function isabelle_admin_build () { return 0; }
+fi
+
 #CLASSPATH convenience
-function classpath () {
+function classpath ()
+{
   for X in "$@"
   do
     if [ -z "$CLASSPATH" ]; then

--- a/src/Tools/Graphview/lib/Tools/graphview	Tue Jun 25 11:26:15 2013 +0200
+++ b/src/Tools/Graphview/lib/Tools/graphview	Tue Jun 25 11:41:16 2013 +0200
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@
 
 ## build
 
-[ -e "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" ] && \
-  { "$ISABELLE_HOME/Admin/build" "$BUILD_JARS" || exit $?; }
+isabelle_admin_build "$BUILD_JARS" || exit $?
 
 pushd "$GRAPHVIEW_HOME" >/dev/null || failed