Comments on: Learning MATLAB http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/ Loren Shure works on design of the MATLAB language at MathWorks. She writes here about once a week on MATLAB programming and related topics. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:19:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Sung Soo http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30297 Sung Soo Fri, 08 May 2009 18:39:18 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30297 I'm with Daniel about the advanced Matlab tip book. It'll be really helpful if we have a book like "Rails Recipes". (http://www.pragprog.com/titles/fr_rr/rails-recipes) I know that all advanced information is in the help documents but it is difficult to find it. I’m with Daniel about the advanced Matlab tip book. It’ll be really helpful if we have a book like “Rails Recipes”. (http://www.pragprog.com/titles/fr_rr/rails-recipes) I know that all advanced information is in the help documents but it is difficult to find it.

]]> By: Anshul Kundaje http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30263 Anshul Kundaje Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:00:34 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30263 I needed to run/modify someone else's code that was written in R and python. I still prefer MATLAB. I needed to run/modify someone else’s code that was written in R and python. I still prefer MATLAB.

]]> By: Loren http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30240 Loren Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:03:52 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30240 Thanks for the complimentary words about MATLAB documentation. Anshul- I am curious what is leading you to use R and Python currently. --Loren Thanks for the complimentary words about MATLAB documentation.

Anshul- I am curious what is leading you to use R and Python currently.

–Loren

]]> By: Anshul Kundaje http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30239 Anshul Kundaje Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:08:33 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30239 I think MATLAB probably has the best documentation compared to most other programming languages. So it isn't hard to pick it up from the docs. However, it is time consuming to wade through it all. If you are pretty good at coding in some other language X (say R or python or C++), I think the best way to learn MATLAB is if you can locate code snippets that map all the basic operations you need from language X to MATLAB. I have actually been using the reverse strategy to quickly catch up with syntactic details of R and python after being a MATLAB junkie for a while. I think MATLAB probably has the best documentation compared to most other programming languages. So it isn’t hard to pick it up from the docs. However, it is time consuming to wade through it all.

If you are pretty good at coding in some other language X (say R or python or C++), I think the best way to learn MATLAB is if you can locate code snippets that map all the basic operations you need from language X to MATLAB.

I have actually been using the reverse strategy to quickly catch up with syntactic details of R and python after being a MATLAB junkie for a while.

]]> By: per isakson http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30232 per isakson Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:39:54 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30232 Now, I have spent too much time trying to learn INPUTPARSER (R2008a). I have made some coding expreriments. Some of these work nicely, some produce "wrong" result and some give runtime errors. I cannot see the reasons to the "wrong" results and errors. My goal is to develop a "programming pattern" to use in all my new functions, which are not time critical. 1. I printed some documentation, e.g "Parsing Inputs with inputParser". I cannot find a precise description of the input argument lists, which should be possible to handle with inputParser. (There is no m-code to look in.) I have to figure out from the examples (publish_ip). 2. I did the exercises with publish_ip - no problems so far. 3. I modified publish_ip and run soon into problems. I searched "Bug reports", "Technical notes", the File Exchange and the Newsgroup. I found a bug-report (ID 511503) and a tech-report (Solution ID: 1-97TD7R). 4. I did a number of fairly systematic experiments. I have problems. Leaving out Optional arguments, which are followed by ParamValue-pairs in the argument list, give unexpected results, e.g. "my versions" of publish_ip('script', options ). It has something to do with the validator of the Optional argument; e.g. "@ischar" doesn't do the job as separator. Have I misinterpreted the documentation (or missed something) or doesn't inputParser behave as described in the documentation? This description is very detailed. However, I would say the situation is fairly typical for me together with Matlab. Part of the problem is that I read the manual and is a bit stubborn. My learning curve would benifit from more detailed and precise (/formal) documentation (in addition to current documentation). I would love a feature in Matlab that would allow me to make my own notes in the documentation. Close to "See also" there should be an icon, e.g. paper-clip, which opens a little editor for me to document my findings. In addition it must be easy to move this notes to the next release of Matlab. / per PS Now I will contact tech support. Now, I have spent too much time trying to learn INPUTPARSER (R2008a). I have made some coding expreriments. Some of these work nicely, some produce “wrong” result and some give runtime errors. I cannot see the reasons to the “wrong” results and errors.

My goal is to develop a “programming pattern” to use in all my new functions, which are not time critical.

1. I printed some documentation, e.g “Parsing Inputs with inputParser”. I cannot find a precise description of the input argument lists, which should be possible to handle with inputParser. (There is no m-code to look in.) I have to figure out from the examples (publish_ip).

2. I did the exercises with publish_ip – no problems so far.

3. I modified publish_ip and run soon into problems. I searched “Bug reports”, “Technical notes”, the File Exchange and the Newsgroup. I found a bug-report (ID 511503) and a tech-report (Solution ID: 1-97TD7R).

4. I did a number of fairly systematic experiments. I have problems. Leaving out Optional arguments, which are followed by ParamValue-pairs in the argument list, give unexpected results, e.g. “my versions” of publish_ip(‘script’, options ). It has something to do with the validator of the Optional argument; e.g. “@ischar” doesn’t do the job as separator. Have I misinterpreted the documentation (or missed something) or doesn’t inputParser behave as described in the documentation?

This description is very detailed. However, I would say the situation is fairly typical for me together with Matlab. Part of the problem is that I read the manual and is a bit stubborn.

My learning curve would benifit from more detailed and precise (/formal) documentation (in addition to current documentation).

I would love a feature in Matlab that would allow me to make my own notes in the documentation. Close to “See also” there should be an icon, e.g. paper-clip, which opens a little editor for me to document my findings. In addition it must be easy to move this notes to the next release of Matlab.

/ per

PS Now I will contact tech support.

]]> By: George Kapodistrias http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30225 George Kapodistrias Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:52:20 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30225 I started on MATLAB in 1995 while in Grad School mostly as tool to look at numerical results generated by FORTRAN code (also used Mathematica quite a lot for the same purpose). Back then the Help files were the main source for learning. By 1996 I replaced FORTRAN with MATLAB for all programming. In addition, MATLAB won over Mathematica due to the superior graphic packages and that it is an actual programming language (in a general sense). Since then MATLAB has become a love and I use it most of my work and all of coding entertainment! In my experience I have found that small programming constructs provide the best learning experience for people who have some experience with programming (any language). In general, my belief is that the best way to teach something is to keep the material simple. BTW, I always recommend the NCM book by C. Moler (at least Ch. 1-3) to people that in the first stages of learning MATLAB. I started on MATLAB in 1995 while in Grad School mostly as tool to look at numerical results generated by FORTRAN code (also used Mathematica quite a lot for the same purpose). Back then the Help files were the main source for learning. By 1996 I replaced FORTRAN with MATLAB for all programming. In addition, MATLAB won over Mathematica due to the superior graphic packages and that it is an actual programming language (in a general sense). Since then MATLAB has become a love and I use it most of my work and all of coding entertainment! In my experience I have found that small programming constructs provide the best learning experience for people who have some experience with programming (any language). In general, my belief is that the best way to teach something is to keep the material simple. BTW, I always recommend the NCM book by C. Moler (at least Ch. 1-3) to people that in the first stages of learning MATLAB.

]]> By: Loren http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30222 Loren Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:20:04 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30222 Daniel- Any thoughts on what such a book might look like? A collection of nuggets, a narrative with detailed examples,...??? --Loren Daniel-

Any thoughts on what such a book might look like? A collection of nuggets, a narrative with detailed examples,…???

–Loren

]]> By: Daniel http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30221 Daniel Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:38:16 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30221 I originally learned Matlab at university with the help of a booklet with walk-through examples. Nowadays, most of what I learn is from this blog and the competitions. I would love a structured book, but none of the books I have found really get into the advaced stuff. Where is the book that skips the intro, jumps straight to bsxfun and then takes it from there? I originally learned Matlab at university with the help of a booklet with walk-through examples. Nowadays, most of what I learn is from this blog and the competitions. I would love a structured book, but none of the books I have found really get into the advaced stuff. Where is the book that skips the intro, jumps straight to bsxfun and then takes it from there?

]]> By: Joao http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30218 Joao Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:21:02 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2009/04/21/learning-matlab/#comment-30218 I learned MATLAB, during the first year of my undergraduate studies, by reading through the help files. In fact, I fell in love immediately due to its simplicity. I had gone through the cumbersome process of learning other languages for which no centralized good documentation was available (at least to me), and I remember in the beginning thinking that 80% of the value of MATLAB was in the help docs whereas only 20% was in the actual software. I learned MATLAB, during the first year of my undergraduate studies, by reading through the help files. In fact, I fell in love immediately due to its simplicity. I had gone through the cumbersome process of learning other languages for which no centralized good documentation was available (at least to me), and I remember in the beginning thinking that 80% of the value of MATLAB was in the help docs whereas only 20% was in the actual software.

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