MATLAB Documentation :: Introduction (Getting Started)

Getting Started

MATLAB Documentation

MATLAB provides extensive documentation, in both printed and online format, to help you learn about and use all of its features. If you are a new user, start with this Getting Started book. It covers all the primary MATLAB features at a high level, including many examples.

The MATLAB online help provides task-oriented and reference information about MATLAB features. MATLAB documentation is also available in printed form and in PDF format.

MATLAB Online Help

To view the online documentation, select MATLAB Help from the Help menu in MATLAB. The MATLAB documentation is organized into these main topics:

Desktop Tools and Development Environment -- Startup and shutdown, the desktop, and other tools that help you use MATLAB
Mathematics -- Mathematical operations and data analysis
Programming -- The MATLAB language and how to develop MATLAB applications
Graphics -- Tools and techniques for plotting, graph annotation, printing, and programming with Handle Graphics^®
3-D Visualization -- Visualizing surface and volume data, transparency, and viewing and lighting techniques
Creating Graphical User Interfaces -- GUI-building tools and how to write callback functions
External Interfaces/API -- MEX-files, the MATLAB engine, and interfacing to Java, COM, and the serial port

MATLAB also includes reference documentation for all MATLAB functions:

Functions - By Category -- Lists all MATLAB functions grouped into categories
Handle Graphics Property Browser -- Provides easy access to descriptions of graphics object properties
External Interfaces/API Reference -- Covers those functions used by the MATLAB external interfaces, providing information on syntax in the calling language, description, arguments, return values, and examples

The MATLAB online documentation also includes

Examples -- An index of examples included in the documentation
Release Notes -- New features and known problems in the current release
Printable Documentation -- PDF versions of the documentation suitable for printing

For more information about using the Help browser, see Desktop Tools and Development Environment.

Introduction Starting and Quitting MATLAB