Technical Computing

Technical Computing Description Topics

• The Power of Technical Computing with MATLAB
• Data Analysis and Exploration
• Mathematical Algorithms to Build On
• Modeling and Simulation
• Visualization and Image Processing
• Programming and Application Development
• Programming in MATLAB
• Building and Testing Applications
• Deploying Applications
• Distributed and Parallel Programming

Deploying MATLAB Applications

The MATLAB product family lets you share your work with end users regardless of whether they have MATLAB. After creating your applications in MATLAB, you can distribute them to other MATLAB users as M-code. To accommodate end users who do not have MATLAB, you can deploy MATLAB applications as:

• Stand-alone executables
• C or C++ libraries
• Microsoft .NET or COM components for the desktop or Web
• Java classes for the desktop or Web
• Microsoft Excel add-ins

Stand-Alone Executables

You can create a stand-alone executable with the MATLAB Compiler, which supports the MATLAB language, most MATLAB toolboxes, and user-developed GUIs. A stand-alone executable can be distributed free of charge. The MATLAB Compiler provides utilities for packaging the supporting MATLAB libraries, known as the MATLAB Compiler Runtime (MCR), so that the executable can run on machines without MATLAB.

Stand-alone executable of an application that acquires data from the PC sound card by using the Data Acquisition Toolbox. Click image for an enlarged view.

C or C++ Libraries

With the MATLAB Compiler, you can create a C or C++ library that encapsulates your MATLAB functions. The MATLAB Compiler generates both a wrapper file and a header file; the header file contains all the entry points for your compiled M-functions, which can in turn be called from within your C or C++ code.

.NET or COM Components for the Desktop or Web

With MATLAB® Builder™ NE, you can convert MATLAB algorithms to .NET or COM components. These components are accessible from languages that comply with the Common Language Specification, such as Microsoft Visual Basic, C#, and C++.

You deploy MATLAB applications on the Web by calling MATLAB based .NET components from ASP.NET, or by calling COM components from ASP. Your Web application serves as the front end, while the deployed MATLAB program provides server-side processing. As a result, Web users do not need MATLAB. Currently, this method applies only to Windows-based Web applications.

GUI from MATLAB® Builder™ NE, which allows you to build and package .NET and COM components. Click image for an enlarged view.

Java Classes for the Desktop and Web

MATLAB Builder JA lets you incorporate MATLAB algorithms into desktop and Web applications built using other Java-based technologies. It also lets you share algorithms with colleagues who can access them using standard interfaces. Components created in MATLAB and generated using MATLAB Builder JA can be deployed royalty-free within applications and do not require MATLAB to run.

Java Web application for visualizing a surface plot of the MATLAB peaks function. Buttons on the Web page to shift perspectives, rotate, zoom, and pan call the servlet created by MATLAB Builder JA through the Tomcat web server, which returns the appropriate image. Click image for an enlarged view.

Microsoft Excel Add-Ins

Two MathWorks products let you take advantage of MATLAB® Builder™ EX and Spreadsheet Link™ EX.

lets you convert complex MATLAB algorithms into independent Excel add-ins that can be deployed within your Excel applications. MATLAB® Builder™ EX, in conjunction with the MATLAB Compiler, automatically generates a Visual Basic for Applications file (.bas) from your MATLAB model that can be imported into Excel as an add-in. Because Excel add-ins created in MATLAB rely on MATLAB computational libraries, they run faster than add-ins created in Visual Basic.

With Spreadsheet Link™ EX, you can access MATLAB algorithms within an Excel program to expand Excel’s math and graphics functionalities. For example, by linking MATLAB to existing Excel applications, you can take advantage of the 2-D and 3-D graphics capabilities of MATLAB. Spreadsheet Link™ EX requires the end user to have both MATLAB and Excel.

Random-walk example developed in MATLAB® Builder™ EX. The application uses advanced MATLAB math and graphics functionalities to calculate the random price paths, histograms, variance, and mean from a selected number of samples and scenarios. Click image for an enlarged view.