MATLAB For Dummies Cheat Sheet - For Dummies

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MATLAB For Dummies

From MATLAB For Dummies by Jim Sizemore,
John Paul Mueller
MATLAB is an incredibly flexible environment that you can
use to perform all sorts of math tasks. A large array of
engineering and science disciplines can use MATLAB to
meet specific needs in their environment. Using such a
complex environment can prove daunting at first, but this
Cheat Sheet can help: Get to know common MATLAB
commands; become familiar with common operators and
precedence; and learn to recognize line plot styles.

Common MATLAB Commands

The following table contains a listing of commands that you use relatively
often in MATLAB. You won't find every command listed that would require
a book in itself. However, these commands are usually used several times
each session.

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Command

Purpose

cla

Clears the current plot

clc

Clears the Command window

clear <variable

Removes a specific variable from the Workspace

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MATLAB For Dummies Cheat Sheet - For Dummies

name>

window (as specified by <variable name>)

clear all

Removes all of the variables from the Workspace

window

name>

Closes a specific figure (as specified by

<figure name>)

close all

Closes all of the current figures

diary <filename>

Specifies the name of the file to use for the Diary

feature

close <figure

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diary off

Stops saving the Command window text to a file

Browse Online Courses

diary on

Starts saving the Command window text to a file

Explore Mobile Apps

exist <keyword>

Checks whether a keyword or file is in use

Shop for Books and More

format compact

Removes extraneous spaces from the Command

window

gca

Obtains a handle to the current axes

gcf

Obtains a handle to the current figure

gco

Obtains a handle to the current object

get(<handle>,

Obtains the <property> found in the object

<property>)

pointed at by <handle>

help <command or

Displays help documentation for the <command>

file>

or comments in files you've created

iskeyword

Displays a list of all the MATLAB keywords

iskeyword <name>

Determines whether <name> is a keyword

load <filename>

Loads the file containing variables to the

Workspace window

more off

Displays output using standard scrolling so that

all of the output appears at one time

more on

save <filename>

Tells MATLAB to display output one screen at a

time
Saves the variables shown in the Workspace
window to the specified file

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set(<handle>,

Sets the <property> found in the object

<property>,

pointed at by <handle> to the specified

enter E-Mail address

<value>)

<value>

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MATLAB For Dummies Cheat Sheet - For Dummies

MATLAB Common Operator Summary

You need to know which operators MATLAB supports, but remember them all
isn't easy. The following table provides a brief summary of the operators that
MATLAB supports.
Operator

Type

Description

Example

Arithmetic

Subtracts the right operand

from the left operand.

5 - 2 = 3

Arithmetic

Multiplies the right operand

by the left operand.

5 * 2 = 10

Arithmetic

Calculates the exponential

value of the right operand by
the left operand.

5^2 = 25

Arithmetic

Divides the left operand by

the right operand.

5 / 2 =

Divides the right operand by

the left operand.

5 \ 2 =

Arithmetic

2.5000

0.4000

Arithmetic

Adds two values together.

5 + 2 = 7

Arithmetic

Modifies operators to
perform element-by-element
arithmetic vis--vis matrix
arithmetic. You receive no
modification if you're
operating on scalars
(ordinary numbers).

[1,2]*[3;4]

Assigns the value found in

the right operand to the left
operand.

MyVar = 2

Assignment

= 11
[1,2].*[3,4]
= [3,8]

results in
MyVar
containing
2

bitand

bitor

bitget

bitset

bitshift

bitxor

Bitwise

Bitwise

Bitwise

Bitwise

Bitwise

Bitwise

Performs a logical and of the

bitand(4,

bits in two numbers.

5) = 4

Performs a logical or of the

bitor(4, 5)

bits in two numbers.

= 5

Obtains the value of the bit

at a specific location.

bitget(4,

Changes the bit at the

specified location.

bitset(4,

Shifts the bits the specified

number of positions.

bitshift(2,

Performs a logical
exclusive or on the bits

bitxor(4,

3) = 1

1, 1) = 5

1) = 4

5) = 1

in two numbers.

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and

Logical

Determines whether both

operands are true.

and(true,
true) = 1
(or true)
and(true,
false) = 0
(or false)
and(false,
false) = 0
and(false,
true) = 0

not

Logical

Negates the truth value of a

single operand. A true

not(true) =
0

value becomes false and a

false value becomes

not(false)=1

true.
or

Logical

Determines when one of two

operands are true.

or(true,
true) = 1
or(true,
false) = 1
or(false,
false) = 0
or(false,
true) = 1

xor

Logical

Determines when one and

only one of the operands is
true.

xor(true,
true) = 0
xor(true,
false) = 1
xor(false,
false) = 0
xor(false,
true) = 1

all

Logical

Determines whether all the

all([1, 2,

array elements are nonzero

or true.

3, 4]) = 1
all([0, 1,
2, 3]) = 0

any

Logical

Determines whether any of

the array elements are

any([0, 1,
0, 0]) = 1

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nonzero or true.
any([0, 0,
0, 0]) = 0
~=

Relational

Determines whether two

values are not equal.

1 ~= 2 is 1
(or true)

<

Relational

Verifies that the left operand

value is less than the right
operand value.

1 < 2 is 1

<=

Relational

Verifies that the left operand

value is less than or equal to
the right operand value.

1 <= 2 is 1

==

Relational

Determines whether two

values are equal. Notice that
the relational operator uses
two equals signs. A mistake

1 == 2 is 0

many developers make is

using just one equals sign,
which results in one value
being assigned to another.
>

Relational

Verifies that the left operand

value is greater than the
right operand value.

1 > 2 is 0

>=

Relational

Verifies that the left operand

value is greater than or
equal to the right operand

1 >= 2 is 0

value.
-

Unary

Negates the original value

so that positive becomes
negative and vice versa.

-(-4)
results in
4 while -4
results in
-4

Unary

Provided purely for the sake

of completeness. This
operator returns the same
value that you provide as
input.

+4 results
in a value
of 4

MATLAB Operator Precedence

Knowing the order in which tasks are performed is essential. Otherwise, the
formulas you type won't work as expected and you'll obtain errant results. The
following table shows the order in which MATLAB evaluates various
operators.
You can also remember operator precedence using the PEMDAS
acronym, which stands for Parentheses, Exponent, Multiply And

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Divide, Add and Subtract.

Operator

Description

()

Parentheses are used to group expressions and to override

the default precedence so that you can force an operation of
lower precedence (such as addition) to take precedence over
an operation of higher precedence (such as multiplication).

.' .^ ' ^

Transpose, power, complex conjugate transpose, matrix

power.

+ -~

Unary operators interact with a single variable or expression.

.* ./

Multiplication and division(both right and left).

.\ * / \
+ -

Addition and subtraction.

Colon operator (used for ranges).

<= < >

Comparison operators.

>=
== ~=

Equality operators.

& |

Logical operators (element-wise).

&& ||

Logical operators (short-circuit).

Line Plot Styles in MATLAB

Whenever you create a plot in MATLAB, you need to identify the sources of
information using more than just the lines. Creating a plot that uses differing
line types and data point symbols makes the plot much easier for other
people to use. The following table contains a listing of the line plot styles.

Color

Marker

Style
Code

Line Color

Code

Marker Style

Code

Line Style

blue

point

Solid

green

circle

Dotted

red

x-mark

-.

dash dot

cyan

plus

--

Dashed

magenta

star

(none)

no line

yellow

square

black

diamond

white

down triangle

up triangle

<

left triangle

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MATLAB For Dummies Cheat Sheet - For Dummies

>

right triangle

5-point star

6-point star

Remember that you can also use these styles with other kinds of
plots. For example, a scatter plot can use these styles to define
each of the data points. When in doubt, try the styles to see whether
they work with your particular plot.

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