Basic MATLAB Syntax

Name: Basic MATLAB Syntax
Author: Gabriel Popoola

These lessons explore command syntax, function syntax and built-in commands within MATLAB

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Course: On-Demand

Welcome to the lesson on command syntax. In MATLAB, command syntax is the most basic and straightforward type of syntax that you can use. The one drawback is that because it's so simple, it's also very limited in how you can use it. In command syntax, the MATLAB interpreter assumes that the first word or set of characters that you type is the command and everything following is a string that you're passing into that command. And so to show you an example of how to use command syntax and its primary limitation, I'm going to load this data.csv file that you see here in the current folder panel. And once again, to do that, I'm going to type the load command and then I'm gonna follow it with data.csv. So if you notice here, I'm not using any parentheses or any quotations whether it's double quotes or single quotes. And once I run that command, you can see here in the workspace, there's a variable called data holding the values in the CSV. And so I'll just print that to show just a set of numbers. So remember, when I said that it assumes everything that you pass into it is a string. And so what I'm gonna do now is define a string as file name. And I'm going to call it data.csv. So as you can see here the variable file name holds a string that is data.csv which is the name of our file. However, if I try to load that, so if I type load filename, I'll get an error saying "Error using load." And that's because it's assuming that file name is a string or the name of the file and not a variable containing the name of the file. So that's one of the main limitations of using commands syntax. Another limitation is that you can't directly store the data that you're loading, or whatever other command you're using. In a variable with the name of your choice. So if instead of a variable named data, I wanted a variable named input_data. I can't type input_data is equal to load data.csv. I get this error. And basically, that's because with command syntax, you can't directly use it with anything else for the most part. And so instead, what I would have to do is load data.csv. And then you see it's stored in this variable called data. And then I would have to set input data equal to the variable data. And then I have input data containing the data that I wanna use. And so it's just two-step process, I guess you could call it, rather than a single line that could execute that if you were using a different type of syntax. This concludes this lesson. Thank you.

Beginner Provider : Gabriel Popoola 3 Lessons · 11m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Urdu, Chinese

Course Description

In this Beginner MATLAB course, you’ll learn the basics of MATLAB. You’ll receive an overview of the software and programming language, along with the multiple ways MATLAB enables a programmer to accomplish the same task. This course will also cover MATLAB’s relative strengths, weaknesses, and overall utility as compared with other programming languages.

In these lessons, you’ll learn about basic MATLAB syntax. You’ll learn about the differences between command syntax and function syntax, and be introduced to different situations in which a particular type of syntax would apply. You’ll also learn about MATLAB’s built-in commands feature.

Learning Objectives:

What You'll Learn

Utilize MATLAB's built-in commands
Work with command syntax and function syntax
Distinguish between command syntax and function syntax and when each applies
Understand MATLAB's strengths, weaknesses, and utility compared with other programming languages
Recognize the multiple ways MATLAB enables a programmer to accomplish the same task

Key Takeaways

MATLAB often provides multiple ways for a programmer to accomplish the same task.
MATLAB has command syntax and function syntax, each suited to particular situations.
MATLAB includes a built-in commands feature that learners use in this course.
The course compares MATLAB's relative strengths, weaknesses, and overall utility with other programming languages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

This is a beginner MATLAB course that teaches the basics of MATLAB, including an overview of the software and programming language.

What topics does this course cover?

It covers basic MATLAB syntax, the differences between command syntax and function syntax, situations where each type of syntax applies, and MATLAB's built-in commands feature. Lessons include Command Syntax, Function Syntax, and Built-in Commands.

What will I learn to do in this course?

You will learn to utilize built-in commands and work with different types of syntax.

Does the course compare MATLAB to other programming languages?

Yes. The course covers MATLAB's relative strengths, weaknesses, and overall utility as compared with other programming languages.