= MATLAB Data Types =

MATLAB exposes '''numeric''', '''character array''', and '''string''' data types.

<<TableOfContents>>

----



== Numeric ==

All numeric variables are arrays. Colloquially, an array with a single element is called a scalar.

By default, all numeric values are stored as double-precision floating point. Other storage sizes are available however.

{{{
x = 3;
y = [3 5];
}}}

A shorthand for an array of sequential numbers (with an optional step parameter) is:

{{{
a = 5:8;
b = 20:2:24;
}}}

----



=== Storage Size ===

To declare a numeric array with a specific storage size, try:

{{{
y = uint64(10);
}}}

These declaration functions include:

 * `double()`
 * `single()`
 * `int8()`
 * `int16()`
 * `int32()`
 * `int64()`
 * `uint8()`
 * `uint16()`
 * `uint32()`
 * `uint64()`

----



=== Type Casting ===

The '''`cast`''' function is used to change the storage size of a numeric array. Try:

{{{
b = cast(a,"uint8");
}}}

The second argument must be one of:
 * `"single"`
 * `"double"`
 * `"int8"`
 * `"int16"`
 * `"int32"`
 * `"int64"`
 * `"uint8"`
 * `"uint16"`
 * `"uint32"`
 * `"uint64"`
 * `"logical"`
 * `"char"`

----



== Character Array ==

Character arrays store a sequence of characters. They are declared like:

{{{
c = 'Hello World';
}}}

----



== String ==

All string variables are arrays. Colloquially, a string array with a single element is called a string scalar.

{{{
str = "Greetings friend"
str = ["Greetings friend" "Hello, world"]
}}}

To convert a numeric array into a string array, try:

{{{
>> str = string([1 24 356]);

str = 1x3 string

   "1"          "24"          "356"
}}}

----



== Symbolic Variable ==

Symbolic variables are created like:

{{{
% Declaring symbolic variables.
syms x y;

% Defining symbolic expressions.
f = (x^2 + y^2);

% Defining symbolic functions.
f(x,y) = (x^2 + y^2);
}}}

Symbolic functions can then be evaluated for input values.

Symbolic expressions are very similar, but can be used to define a [[MATLAB/FSurf|surface to plot]] or to solve a system.

{{{
% Define a quadratic equation.
f = a*x^2 + b*x + c

% Solve for roots of a quadratic equation.
x_0 = solve(f == 0, x);
}}}

----



== Function Handle ==

Function handles are created like:

{{{
% Declaring symbolic variables needed by the function handle.
syms x y z;

f = @(x,y,z) (x.^2 + y.^2 + z.^2);
}}}



----
CategoryRicottone