A Cheat Sheet for MATLAB

I love MATLAB.* It is a seamless workflow environment from experimental design to manuscript-ready figures, including data collection, high-level analysis, and computational modeling. As a result, my work is faster, easier, and higher quality by remaining within a single computer application.

However, MATLAB has a steep learning curve. I have been using it for so long I forget how difficult it is to initially learn. MATLAB is literally a foreign language with its own vocabulary, syntax, and thought patterns. Over the years, I have developed a method to teach Matlab with minimal time and pain. The complete method is beyond the scope of a blog post, but I can share a quick tactic. After the initial ramp-up, I hand my mentee "MATLAB for the Faint Hearted". It is the one-stop shop cheat sheet for MATLAB, my mentee no longer has to consult the multi-volume(!) Matlab manual to answer a simple question.

I wish I could give credit to the originator of "MATLAB for the Faint Hearted," but the exact origins of the document are lost in the mists of history. I have updated and expanded it over the years. Now I have decided to share it:

"MATLAB for the Faint Hearted."

PDF version

Quick Tip - If you ever get really frustrated with Matlab, type "Why" in the Command Window!

* Do you have to shout it every time you say it?