Index: generic/gentclAPI.decls
===================================================================
diff -u -r2ce14fba0764a9fcbbe7cc2f582472526a58ddf0 -re12f842804807d9b0e849858697d94a57c6b3fe6
--- generic/gentclAPI.decls	(.../gentclAPI.decls)	(revision 2ce14fba0764a9fcbbe7cc2f582472526a58ddf0)
+++ generic/gentclAPI.decls	(.../gentclAPI.decls)	(revision e12f842804807d9b0e849858697d94a57c6b3fe6)
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
 }
 xotclCmd dispatch XOTclDispatchCmd {
   {-argName "object" -required 1 -type object}
-  {-argName "methodName" -required 1}
   {-argName "-objscope"}
+  {-argName "command" -required 1 -type tclobj}
   {-argName "args"  -type args}
 }
 xotclCmd finalize XOTclFinalizeObjCmd {
Index: generic/tclAPI.h
===================================================================
diff -u -r2ce14fba0764a9fcbbe7cc2f582472526a58ddf0 -re12f842804807d9b0e849858697d94a57c6b3fe6
--- generic/tclAPI.h	(.../tclAPI.h)	(revision 2ce14fba0764a9fcbbe7cc2f582472526a58ddf0)
+++ generic/tclAPI.h	(.../tclAPI.h)	(revision e12f842804807d9b0e849858697d94a57c6b3fe6)
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@
 static int XOTclConfigureCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp, int configureoption, Tcl_Obj *value);
 static int XOTclCreateObjectSystemCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp, char *rootClass, char *rootMetaClass);
 static int XOTclDeprecatedCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp, char *oldCmd, char *newCmd);
-static int XOTclDispatchCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp, XOTclObject *object, char *methodName, int withObjscope, int nobjc, Tcl_Obj *CONST nobjv[]);
+static int XOTclDispatchCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp, XOTclObject *object, int withObjscope, Tcl_Obj *command, int nobjc, Tcl_Obj *CONST nobjv[]);
 static int XOTclFinalizeObjCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp);
 static int XOTclInstvarCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp, int objc, Tcl_Obj *CONST objv[]);
 static int XOTclMethodPropertyCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp, XOTclObject *object, char *methodName, int withPer_object, int methodproperty, Tcl_Obj *value);
@@ -2184,11 +2184,11 @@
     return TCL_ERROR;
   } else {
     XOTclObject *object = (XOTclObject *)pc.clientData[0];
-    char *methodName = (char *)pc.clientData[1];
-    int withObjscope = (int )pc.clientData[2];
+    int withObjscope = (int )pc.clientData[1];
+    Tcl_Obj *command = (Tcl_Obj *)pc.clientData[2];
 
     parseContextRelease(&pc);
-    return XOTclDispatchCmd(interp, object, methodName, withObjscope, objc-pc.lastobjc, objv+pc.lastobjc);
+    return XOTclDispatchCmd(interp, object, withObjscope, command, objc-pc.lastobjc, objv+pc.lastobjc);
 
   }
 }
@@ -2685,8 +2685,8 @@
 },
 {"::xotcl::dispatch", XOTclDispatchCmdStub, 4, {
   {"object", 1, 0, convertToObject},
-  {"methodName", 1, 0, convertToString},
   {"-objscope", 0, 0, convertToString},
+  {"command", 1, 0, convertToTclobj},
   {"args", 0, 0, convertToNothing}}
 },
 {"::xotcl::finalize", XOTclFinalizeObjCmdStub, 0, {
Index: generic/xotcl.c
===================================================================
diff -u -r590b606a40220ba451e16d87387255b096ce5b71 -re12f842804807d9b0e849858697d94a57c6b3fe6
--- generic/xotcl.c	(.../xotcl.c)	(revision 590b606a40220ba451e16d87387255b096ce5b71)
+++ generic/xotcl.c	(.../xotcl.c)	(revision e12f842804807d9b0e849858697d94a57c6b3fe6)
@@ -8646,20 +8646,21 @@
 }
 
 static int 
-XOTclDispatchCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp, XOTclObject *object, char *methodName, 
-                 int withObjscope, int nobjc, Tcl_Obj *CONST nobjv[]) {
+XOTclDispatchCmd(Tcl_Interp *interp, XOTclObject *object, int withObjscope, 
+                 Tcl_Obj *command, int nobjc, Tcl_Obj *CONST nobjv[]) {
   int result;
+  char *methodName = ObjStr(command);
   register char *n = methodName + strlen(methodName);
 
-  /* TODO: test, handle withObjScope */
+  /* fprintf(stderr, "Dispatch obj=%s, o=%p cmd m='%s'\n",objectName(object),object,methodName);*/
 
-  /*fprintf(stderr, "Dispatch obj=%s, o=%p cmd m='%s'\n",ObjStr(objv[2]),obj,method);*/
+  /* 
+   * If the specified method is a fully qualified cmd name like
+   * e.g. ::xotcl::cmd::Class::alloc, this method is called on the
+   * specified <Class|Object>, no matter whether it was registered on
+   * it.
+   */
 
-  /* if the specified method is a fully qualified cmd name like e.g.
-     ::xotcl::cmd::Class::alloc, this method is called on the
-     specified <Class|Object>, no matter whether it was registered on
-     it */
-
   /*search for last '::'*/
   while ((*n != ':' || *(n-1) != ':') && n-1 > methodName) {n--; }
   if (*n == ':' && n > methodName && *(n-1) == ':') {n--;}
@@ -8671,6 +8672,14 @@
     char *parentName, *tail = n+2;
     DSTRING_INIT(dsp);
 
+    /* 
+     * We have an absolute name. We assume, the name is the name of a
+     * tcl command, that will be dispatched. If "withObjscope is
+     * specified, a callstack frame is pushed to make instvars
+     * accessible for the command.
+     */
+
+    /*fprintf(stderr, "colon name %s\n",tail);*/
     if (n-methodName != 0) {
       Tcl_DStringAppend(dsp, methodName, (n-methodName));
       parentName = Tcl_DStringValue(dsp);
@@ -8683,40 +8692,54 @@
       return XOTclVarErrMsg(interp, "cannot lookup parent namespace '",
 			    methodName, "'", (char *) NULL);
     }
-    fprintf(stderr, "    .... findmethod '%s' in %s\n",tail, nsPtr->fullName);
     cmd = FindMethod(nsPtr, tail);
     if (cmd && (importedCmd = TclGetOriginalCommand(cmd))) {
       cmd = importedCmd;
     }
+    /*fprintf(stderr, "    .... findmethod '%s' in %s returns %p\n",tail, nsPtr->fullName, cmd);*/
 
     if (cmd == NULL) {
       return XOTclVarErrMsg(interp, "cannot lookup command '",
 			    tail, "'", (char *) NULL);
     }
+    {XOTcl_FrameDecls;
 
-    result = InvokeMethod((ClientData)object, interp,
-                          nobjc, nobjv, cmd, object,
-                          NULL /*XOTclClass *cl*/, tail,
-                          XOTCL_CSC_TYPE_PLAIN);
+      if (withObjscope) {
+        XOTcl_PushFrame(interp, object);
+      }
+      /* 
+       * Since we know, that we are always called with a full argument
+       * vector, we can include the cmd name in the objv by using
+       * nobjv-1; this way, we avoid a memcpy() 
+       */
+      result = InvokeMethod((ClientData)object, interp,
+                            nobjc+1, nobjv-1, cmd, object,
+                            NULL /*XOTclClass *cl*/, tail,
+                            XOTCL_CSC_TYPE_PLAIN);
+      if (withObjscope) {
+        XOTcl_PopFrame(interp, object);
+      }
+    }
   } else {
-    /* no colons, use method from dispatch order, with filters etc. -
-       strictly speaking unneccessary, but can be used to invoke protected methods */
-
-    /* TODO: adjust objv, objc, wont't be correct after switch to parameter interface */
-    int objc;
+    /* 
+     * No colons in command name, use method from the precedence
+     * order, with filters etc. -- strictly speaking unneccessary,
+     * since we could dispatch the method also without
+     * XOTclDispatchCmd(), but it can be used to invoke protected
+     * methods. 'withObjscope' is here a no-op.
+     */
     Tcl_Obj *arg;
     Tcl_Obj *CONST *objv;
 
-    if (nobjc >= 3) {
-      arg = nobjv[3];
-      objv = nobjv + 2;
+    if (nobjc >= 1) {
+      arg = nobjv[0];
+      objv = nobjv+1;
     } else {
       arg = NULL;
       objv = NULL;
     }
-    objc = nobjc-3;
-    result = XOTclCallMethodWithArgs((ClientData)object, interp, nobjv[1], arg,
-				     objc, objv, XOTCL_CM_NO_UNKNOWN);
+    result = XOTclCallMethodWithArgs((ClientData)object, interp, command, arg,
+				     nobjc, objv, XOTCL_CM_NO_UNKNOWN);
   }
   return result;
 }
Index: tests/object-system.xotcl
===================================================================
diff -u -r8d4f0d69f9586bdafbffa45b0368b84b86169bca -re12f842804807d9b0e849858697d94a57c6b3fe6
--- tests/object-system.xotcl	(.../object-system.xotcl)	(revision 8d4f0d69f9586bdafbffa45b0368b84b86169bca)
+++ tests/object-system.xotcl	(.../object-system.xotcl)	(revision e12f842804807d9b0e849858697d94a57c6b3fe6)
@@ -7,14 +7,14 @@
 # since even class Test might not work at that time.
 #
 proc ? {cmd expected {msg ""}} {
-   puts "??? $cmd"                                
+   #puts "??? $cmd"                 
    set r [uplevel $cmd]
    if {$msg eq ""} {set msg $cmd}
    if {$r ne $expected} {
-     puts stderr "$msg returned '$r' ne '$expected'"
+     puts stderr "ERROR $msg returned '$r' ne '$expected'"
      exit
    } else {
-     puts  -nonewline stderr "."
+     puts stderr "OK $msg"
    }
 }
 
@@ -91,6 +91,29 @@
 ? {X::slot info vars} __parameter
 ? {X info parameter} {{x 1} {y 2}}
 
-puts stderr "DONE"
 
-#puts stderr ===EXIT
+#
+# tests for the dispatch command
+ 
+Object o
+o proc foo {} {return goo}
+o proc bar {x} {return goo-$x}
+
+# dispatch without colon names
+::xotcl::dispatch o set x 1
+? {o info vars} x "simple dispatch has set variable x"
+? {o set x} 1 "simple dispatch has set variable x to 1"
+? {::xotcl::dispatch o foo} "goo" "simple dispatch with one arg works"
+? {::xotcl::dispatch o bar 1} "goo-1" "simple dispatch with two args works"
+o destroy
+
+# dispatch without colon names
+Object o -set x 1
+::xotcl::dispatch ::o ::incr x
+? {o set x} 1 "cmd dispatch without -objscope did not modify the instance variable"
+::xotcl::dispatch ::o -objscope ::incr x
+? {o set x} 2 "cmd dispatch -objscope modifies the instance variable"
+? {catch {::xotcl::dispatch ::o -objscope ::xxx x}} 1 "cmd dispatch with unknown command"
+o destroy
+
+puts stderr ===EXIT