3.1.1. DEFINITION OF
MATLAB.
MATLAB (MATrix LABoratory) is a programming language for
technical computing from the math works, Natick, MA. It is used for a wide
variety of scientific and engineering calculation, especially for automatic
control and signal processing. Matlab runs on windows, Mac and a variety of
unit based systems Developed by Cleve Moler in the late of 1970's and based on
the original LINPACK and EISPACK FORTRAN libraries, it was initially used for
factoring matrices and solving linear equations. Moler commercialized the
product with two colleagues in 1984. MATLAB is also noted for its extensive
graphics capabilities.[11]
Starting mat lab
To start MATLAB, you can use any of these methods.
Double-click on the MATLAB icon (called a "shortcut") that the
installer creates on your desktop.
Click on the Start button, select Programs, and click on the
MATLAB 6.5 entry. Select MATLAB 6.5 from this menu.
Using Windows Explorer, open your top-level MATLAB
installation directory and double-click on the shortcut to the MATLAB
executable, MATLAB 6.5.
Setting your initial current directory
By default, when you start MATLAB using the shortcut the
installer puts on your desktop, the initial current directory is the
$MATLAB\work directory, where $MATLAB represents the name of your installation
directory. The \work directory is a good place to store the M-files you modify
and create because the MATLAB uninstaller does not delete the \work directory
if it contains files. You can, however, use any directory as your MATLAB
initial current directory. To specify another directory as your initial current
directory, right-click on the MATLAB shortcut that the installer creates on
your desktop and select the Properties option. Specify the name of the
directory in the Start in field.
Setting up matlab environment options
To include welcome messages, default definitions, or any
MATLAB expressions that you want executed every time MATLAB is invoked, create
a file named startup.m in the $MATLAB\toolbox\local directory. MATLAB executes
this file each time it is invoked.
Configuring certain products
Certain products require additional configuration. The
following table lists these products and the commands used to configure them.
If you installed any of these products, see the documentation for that product
for detailed configuration information.
PRODUC
|
COMMAND
|
MATLAB Notebook
|
Notebook-setup
|
MATLAB Runtime server
|
Rtsetup
|
Real-Time Windows Target
|
rtwintgt -setup
|
Table 3.1.a: shows products and the
commands used to configure them.
Excel link versions
By default, Excel Link (a separately orderable product)
supports two versions of Excel. This table lists which Excel Link files to use
with each Excel version. Use the appropriate files for your version of Excel.
You can find these files in the $MATLAB\toolbox\exlink subdirectory.
EXCEL VERSION
|
EXCEL LINK FILE
|
Excel 97 (Default)
|
excllink.xla ExliSamp.xls
|
Excel 7
|
excllink95.xla ExliSamp95.xls
|
Table 3.1.b: shows Excel
files to use with each Excel version.
Finding information about matlab
After successfully installing MATLAB, you are probably eager
to get started using it. This list provides pointers to sources of information
and other features you may find helpful in getting started with MATLAB.
TASKS
|
DESCRIPTION
|
To get an overview of MATLAB and its capabilities
|
Read the Release Notes documentation
|
To find out what's new in this release
|
Read the Release Notes documentation
|
To start a product or run one of the demonstration programs
|
Use the Launch Pad in the MATLAB desktop
|
To get information about specific MATLAB feature
|
Choose the Help item in the MATLAB menu bar to view reference and
tutorial information in hyperlinked HTML form.
|
To get help with specific questions you can't find answered in
the documentation
|
Go to the Math Works Web site (www.mathworks.com), click on
Support, and use the Technical Support solution search area to find more
information
|
Table 3.1.c: shows finding information about
matlab.
|