I wonder whether matlab could be considered as a programming language or not?
+18
A:
Yes.
The MATLAB programming language is complete with a VM, I/O, user interface constructs, mathematical operators (obviously), datatypes, user-defined-functions, etc. You can even deliver Matlab programs outside the Matlab environment.
Note that whether or not it's a good language is an entirely different question.
Ben Collins
2009-03-29 03:34:27
And u can also use matlab libs outside Matlab
Rodrigo
2009-03-29 03:37:48
someone told me you can't consider it as programming language with definition of programming languages....so I think it's NOT KIND OF SILLY....
Kamran
2009-03-29 03:42:08
+1 to correct the unnecesary downvote. I see nothing wrong with this answer.
gnovice
2009-03-29 03:45:54
umm... Considering the language Ben Collins uses here, I don't think there's any offense intended, Kamran Bigdely Shamloo
Nathan Fellman
2009-03-29 04:27:36
How is this offensive?
Ben Alpert
2009-03-29 04:40:50
...is kind of silly...I'm not a native speaker of English but silly= stupid or embarrassing, foolish
Kamran
2009-03-29 05:00:56
No offense was intended (although perhaps a bit abrasive). In English (depending on the context, of course), silly means "not serious".
Ben Collins
2009-03-29 17:17:29
+3
A:
I assume you distinguish between programming languages and scripting languages, and because of the nature of MATLAB it appears like a scripting language? If this is the case, your opinion might depend on what you consider a programming language.
I believe MATLAB is Turing-complete and has a reasonably strict and usable syntax, so I'd call it a programming language. At the same time though, csh is probably turing-complete, but it's so dramatically odd to program in that I'd call it a scripting language.
Jeremy CD
2009-03-29 03:50:12
The "programming vs. scripting" argument might get even more complicated for MATLAB since it draws distinctions between "scripts" and "m-files" (i.e. "functions").
gnovice
2009-03-29 04:01:37
csh = c shell, one of the shell scripting languages typically found on linux, unix, bsd, etc.
Mr Fooz
2009-03-29 04:25:49