function str = makeValidFieldName(str)
% From MATLAB doc: field names must begin with a letter, which may be
% followed by any combination of letters, digits, and underscores.
% Invalid characters will be converted to underscores, and the prefix
% "x0x[Hex code]_" will be added if the first character is not a letter.
    isoct=exist('OCTAVE_VERSION','builtin');
    pos=regexp(str,'^[^A-Za-z]','once');
    if(~isempty(pos))
        if(~isoct)
            str=regexprep(str,'^([^A-Za-z])','x0x${sprintf(''%X'',unicode2native($1))}_','once');
        else
            str=sprintf('x0x%X_%s',char(str(1)),str(2:end));
        end
    end
    if(isempty(regexp(str,'[^0-9A-Za-z_]', 'once' ))) return;  end
    if(~isoct)
        str=regexprep(str,'([^0-9A-Za-z_])','_0x${sprintf(''%X'',unicode2native($1))}_');
    else
        pos=regexp(str,'[^0-9A-Za-z_]');
        if(isempty(pos)) return; end
        str0=str;
        pos0=[0 pos(:)' length(str)];
        str='';
        for i=1:length(pos)
            str=[str str0(pos0(i)+1:pos(i)-1) sprintf('_0x%X_',str0(pos(i)))];
        end
        if(pos(end)~=length(str))
            str=[str str0(pos0(end-1)+1:pos0(end))];
        end
    end