CS 1371 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - Fall 2006 and Before

TAs will post questions that occur in their e-mail or at help desk, together with the appropriate answers.

General

Does it matter if I use MATLAB Version 6.0 instead of Version 7?

No, all homework should work correctly with V6.0 or later.

When we submit homework, do we maintain the file name such as "sp07cs1371-hw1" for the first homework?

No, homework files should never contain punctuation other than the period ("."). The rest is appended by WebWork. It should always be named: hw<#>.m

Is it ok to have a disp() in a function, even if it is only used to notify the user of an error?

No, use the error(...) function if you have to. In general, finished functions should not contain input(...) commands or any form of printout - disp, assignment displays, fprintf etc. However, there are always exceptions (see below).

Can you write a function that returns nothing?

yes, a good example would be a function that traverses a collection displaying its contents. This is a rare exception to the "no printout" rule above. Another example is a function that creates a plot, though this is usually done with scripts.

Lab 1 FAQ

Lab 2 FAQ

Lab 3 FAQ

Graphics demo code is on-line at http://www-static.cc.gatech.edu/classes/AY2006/cs1371_spring/outlines/Week_6/index.htm. Download all the files and then run demo.m

Bill Leahy's Cpde