MATLAB Programming Basics
MATLAB integrates a high-level programming language into an interactive environment that
lets you quickly develop and analyze algorithms. The MATLAB language’s main data type is
a
matrix. Vectors and matrices are integral to scientific computing and problem solving making
MATLAB is an excellent choice for such tasks. Use of vectors and matrices can also greatly
reduce the amount of code necessary to solve scientific problems. Less code also means less
runtime.
The language is reminiscent of the Fortran-language with a touch of C-language. MATLAB
is an
interpretive language. That is to say there is no compiling. Most low-level tasks (i.e.
declaring
variables and allocating memory) are unnecessary.
Script Files
There is no doubt that you can do a lot of work in the command window. However, when the
amount of instructions needed to complete a task increases or you need to re-execute a block
of
instructions several times, the command window is a poor choice. The best choice is to write
a
MATLAB program.
MATLAB programs are stored as text files. The files can be loaded into the MATLAB
command
environment where they are then interpreted and executed. MATLAB supports two types of
programs: script files and function files. Script files consist of sequences of instructions
stored in
text files. The files are commonly referred to as m-files because of the .m extension used.
m-files
m-files consist of lists of MATLAB instructions stored as a text file. An m-file can be created
by
any text editor or word processor. If a word processor is used, make sure to save the file as a
text
file. MATLAB has its own built-in text editor. To launch it, type the command edit in the
command window.