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Re: updating the FAQ
|
From: |
David Bateman |
|
Subject: |
Re: updating the FAQ |
|
Date: |
Thu, 26 Apr 2007 01:00:11 +0200 |
|
User-agent: |
Thunderbird 1.5.0.7 (X11/20060921) |
John W. Eaton wrote:
> I'm having some trouble updating the FAQ.
>
> It would be very helpful to me if someone could dig up the patches
> that have been submittedin the past and split them up so each change
> covers just one question. Then it will be much easier to evaluate the
> changes.
>
> I apologize for not taking care of this as patches were posted
> earlier.
>
> jwe
>
>
What about the attached patch. I updated my previous patch and tidied up
the makeinfo errors I was getting..
D.
Index: doc/faq/Octave-FAQ.texi
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/octave/doc/faq/Octave-FAQ.texi,v
retrieving revision 1.19
diff -c -r1.19 Octave-FAQ.texi
*** doc/faq/Octave-FAQ.texi 29 Mar 2007 13:44:44 -0000 1.19
--- doc/faq/Octave-FAQ.texi 25 Apr 2007 22:58:07 -0000
***************
*** 10,16 ****
@titlepage
@title Octave FAQ
@subtitle Frequently asked questions about Octave
! @subtitle February 14, 1998
@sp 1
@author John W. Eaton
@page
--- 10,16 ----
@titlepage
@title Octave FAQ
@subtitle Frequently asked questions about Octave
! @subtitle April, 2007
@sp 1
@author John W. Eaton
@page
***************
*** 25,33 ****
This is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) for Octave users.
- Some information in this FAQ was written for earlier versions of
- Octave and may now be obsolete.
-
I'm looking for new questions (@emph{with} answers), better answers, or
both. Please send suggestions to bug@@octave.org. If you have general
questions about Octave, or need help for something that is not covered
--- 25,30 ----
***************
*** 39,55 ****
first check to see if the topic is covered in the manual.
@menu
! * What is Octave?::
! * How can I cite Octave?::
! * Version 2.0::
! * Octave Features::
! * Documentation::
! * Getting Octave::
! * Installation::
* Common problems::
! * Getting additional help::
! * Bug reports::
! * MATLAB compatibility::
* Index::
@end menu
--- 36,51 ----
first check to see if the topic is covered in the manual.
@menu
! * What is Octave?::
! * How can I cite Octave?::
! * Series 2.9.N::
! * Octave Features::
! * Learning more about Octave::
! * Getting Octave::
! * Installation::
* Common problems::
! * How do I ... ?::
! * MATLAB compatibility::
* Index::
@end menu
***************
*** 59,70 ****
Octave is a high-level interactive language, primarily intended for
numerical computations that is mostly compatible with
@address@hidden@sc{Matlab} is a registered trademark of The MathWorks,
! Inc.}
! Octave can do arithmetic for real and complex scalars and matrices,
! solve sets of nonlinear algebraic equations, integrate functions over
! finite and infinite intervals, and integrate systems of ordinary
! differential and differential-algebraic equations.
Octave uses the GNU readline library to handle reading and editing
input. By default, the line editing commands are similar to the
--- 55,66 ----
Octave is a high-level interactive language, primarily intended for
numerical computations that is mostly compatible with
@address@hidden@sc{Matlab} is a registered trademark of The MathWorks,
! Inc.}
! Octave can do arithmetic for real, complex or integer-valued scalars
! and matrices, solve sets of nonlinear algebraic equations, integrate
! functions over finite and infinite intervals, and integrate systems of
! ordinary differential and differential-algebraic equations.
Octave uses the GNU readline library to handle reading and editing
input. By default, the line editing commands are similar to the
***************
*** 73,82 ****
command history is saved, so that commands entered during previous
sessions are not lost.
! The Octave distribution includes a 200+ page Texinfo manual. Access
to the complete text of the manual is available via the help command
at the Octave prompt.
Two and three dimensional plotting is fully supported using gnuplot.
The underlying numerical solvers are currently standard Fortran ones
--- 69,142 ----
command history is saved, so that commands entered during previous
sessions are not lost.
! The Octave distribution includes a 500+ page Texinfo manual. Access
to the complete text of the manual is available via the help command
+ @c really, the *complete* text?
at the Octave prompt.
+ @menu
+ * Who develops Octave?::
+ * Why is Octave ``GNU Octave''?::
+ * What version should I use?::
+ * On what platforms does Octave run?::
+ @end menu
+
+ @node Who develops Octave?
+ @section Who develops Octave?
+
+ Development started in about 1988 with James B. Rawlings of the (U of
+ Wisconsin-Madison) and John G. Ekerdt (U. of Texas) and has been going
+ full-time since 1992 with John W. Eaton. The community
+ of user/developers has in addition contributed some code and fuels the
+ discussion on the mailing lists help@@octave.org (for help),
+ bug@@octave.org (for bugs), octave-dev@@lists.sourceforge.net (for
+ a repository of user-contributed functions).
+
+ @node Why is Octave ``GNU Octave''?
+ @section Why is Octave ``GNU Octave''?
+
+ Octave was not developed by the FSF, but the FSF does distribute
+ Octave, and the developers of Octave support the efforts of the FSF by
+ encouraging users of Octave to order Octave on CD-ROM directly from
+ the FSF.
+
+ The FSF is a nonprofit organization that distributes software and
+ manuals to raise funds for more GNU development. Buying a CD-ROM from
+ the FSF contributes directly to paying staff to develop GNU software.
+ CD-ROMs cost $240 if an organization is buying, or $60 if an individual
+ is buying.
+
+ @cindex FSF [Free Software Foundation]
+ @cindex GNU [GNU's not unix]
+
+ For more information about ordering from the FSF, contact
+ gnu@@gnu.org, phone (617) 542-5942 or anonymous ftp the file
+ @file{/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/ORDERS} from ftp.gnu.org.
+
+ @cindex FSF, contact <gnu@@gnu.org>
+ @cindex GNUware, anonymous FTP sites
+
+ @node What version should I use?
+ @section What version should I use?
+
+ In general, you will find the latest version on
+ @url{http://www.octave.org/download.html}. It is
+ recommended to use the ``testing'' version of octave for general use,
+ and the ``development'' version if you want the latest features.
+
+ A list of user-visible changes since the last release is available in
+ the file @file{NEWS}. The file @file{ChangeLog} in the source
+ distribution contains a more detailed record of changes made since the
+ last release.
+
+ @node On what platforms does Octave run?
+ @section On what platforms does Octave run?
+
+ Octave runs on various Unices - at least Linux and Solaris, Mac OS X,
+ Windows and anything you can compile it on. Binary distributions exist
+ at least for Debian, Suse, Fedora and RedHat Linuxes (Intel and AMD
+ CPUs, at least), for Mac Os X and Windows' 98, 2000 and XP.
+
Two and three dimensional plotting is fully supported using gnuplot.
The underlying numerical solvers are currently standard Fortran ones
***************
*** 110,331 ****
@end group
@end example
! @node Version 2.0
! @chapter What's new in version 2.0 of Octave
! Version 2.0.10 of Octave was released February 6, 1998. Most bugs
! reported since version 2.0 was release have been fixed, and a number of
! new features have been added. Octave is now much more compatible with
! @sc{Matlab}.
!
! A list of user-visible changes in recent versions of Octave may be found
! in the file NEWS, distributed in both source and binary releases of
! Octave.
@node Octave Features
@chapter What features are unique to Octave?
@menu
! * Command and variable name completion::
! * Command history::
! * Data structures::
! * Short-circuit boolean operators::
* Increment and decrement operators::
* Unwind-protect::
! * Variable-length argument lists::
! * Variable-length return lists::
! * Built-in ODE and DAE solvers::
@end menu
! @node Command and variable name completion
! @section Command and variable name completion
! @cindex Command completion
! @cindex Function name completion
! @cindex Variable name completion
! @cindex Name completion
!
! Typing a TAB character (ASCII code 9) on the command line causes Octave
! to attempt to complete variable, function, and file names. Octave uses
! the text before the cursor as the initial portion of the name to
! complete.
!
! For example, if you type @samp{fu} followed by TAB at the Octave prompt,
! Octave will complete the rest of the name @samp{function} on the command
! line (unless you have other variables or functions defined that begin
! with the characters @samp{fu}). If there is more than one possible
! completion, Octave will ring the terminal bell to let you know that your
! initial sequence of characters is not enough to specify a unique name.
! To complete the name, you may either edit the initial character sequence
! (usually adding more characters until completion is possible) or type
! another TAB to cause Octave to display the list of possible completions.
!
! @node Command history
! @section Command history
!
! @cindex Command history
! @cindex History
!
! When running interactively, Octave saves the commands you type in an
! internal buffer so that you can recall and edit them. Emacs and vi
! editing modes are available with Emacs keybindings enabled by default.
!
! When Octave exits, the current command history is saved to the file
! @file{~/.octave_hist}, and each time Octave starts, it inserts the
! contents of the @file{~/.octave_hist} file in the history list so that
! it is easy to begin working where you left off.
!
! @node Data structures
! @section Data structures
!
! @cindex Data structures
! @cindex Structures
!
! Octave includes a limited amount of support for organizing data in
! structures. The current implementation uses an associative array
! with indices limited to strings, but the syntax is more like C-style
! structures. Here are some examples of using data structures in Octave.
! @itemize @bullet
! @item Elements of structures can be of any value type.
@example
@group
! octave:1> x.a = 1; x.b = [1, 2; 3, 4]; x.c = "string";
! octave:2> x.a
! x.a = 1
! octave:3> x.b
! x.b =
!
! 1 2
! 3 4
!
! octave:4> x.c
! x.c = string
@end group
@end example
! @item Structures may be copied.
!
! @example
! @group
! octave:1> y = x
! y =
! @{
! a = 1
! b =
! 1 2
! 3 4
! c = string
! s =
! 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
! 0.00000 5.46499 0.00000
! 0.00000 0.00000 0.36597
! u =
! -0.40455 -0.91451
! -0.91451 0.40455
! v =
!
! -0.57605 0.81742
! -0.81742 -0.57605
! @}
! @end group
! @end example
!
! @item Structure elements may reference other structures.
@example
@group
! octave:1> x.b.d = 3
! x.b.d = 3
! octave:2> x.b
! ans =
! @{
! d = 3
! @}
! octave:3> x.b.d
! ans = 3
@end group
@end example
! @item Functions can return structures.
@example
@group
! octave:1> function y = f (x)
! > y.re = real (x);
! > y.im = imag (x);
! > endfunction
!
! octave:2> f (rand + rand*I);
! ans =
! @{
! im = 0.18033
! re = 0.19069
! @}
@end group
@end example
! @item Function return lists can include structure elements, and they may
! be indexed like any other variable.
@example
@group
! octave:1> [x.u, x.s(2:3,2:3), x.v] = svd ([1, 2; 3, 4]);
! octave:2> x
! x =
! @{
! s =
!
! 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
! 0.00000 5.46499 0.00000
! 0.00000 0.00000 0.36597
!
! u =
!
! -0.40455 -0.91451
! -0.91451 0.40455
!
! v =
!
! -0.57605 0.81742
! -0.81742 -0.57605
! @}
@end group
@end example
! @item You can also use the function @code{is_struct} to determine
! whether a given value is a data structure. For example
! @example
! is_struct (x)
! @end example
! @noindent
! returns 1 if the value of the variable @var{x} is a data structure.
! @end itemize
! This feature should be considered experimental, but you should expect it
! to work. Suggestions for ways to improve it are welcome.
! @node Short-circuit boolean operators
! @section Short-circuit boolean operators
! @cindex Boolean operators, short-circuit
! @cindex Logical operators, short-circuit
! @cindex Short-circuit boolean operators
! @cindex Operators, boolean
!
! Octave's @samp{&&} and @samp{||} logical operators are evaluated in
! a short-circuit fashion (like the corresponding operators in the C
! language) and work differently than the element by element operators
! @samp{&} and @samp{|}.
@node Increment and decrement operators
@section Increment and decrement operators
--- 170,363 ----
@end group
@end example
! @node Series 2.9.N
! @chapter What's new in version series 2.9.N of Octave
!
! The 2.9.N series, started in March 2005, have enough new features to
! justify a major version number change. Version 2.9.10 is nearly as
! stable as the latest 2.1.N releases and stability should increase as
! one gets near version 3.0.
!
! Series 2.9.N brings
!
! @itemize @bullet
!
! @item integer types
!
! @item fixed point arithmetic
!
! @item sparse matrices
!
! @item Linear programming code based on GLPK
!
! @item 64-bit compilation support
! @item gzipped files and stream and consequently support of matlab v7 files
!
! @item better support for both msvc and mingw
!
! @item many many other minor features and compatibility changes
!
! @item a fully compatiable MEX interface
!
! @end itemize
!
! Here are some features that have been around since 2.1.NN
!
! @itemize @bullet
!
! @item NDarrays
!
! @item cells
!
! @end itemize
!
! @c The 2.9.N series, started in 6, 1998. Most bugs
! @c reported since version 2.0 was release have been fixed, and a number of
! @c new features have been added. Octave is now much more compatible with
! @c @sc{Matlab}.
!
! @c A list of user-visible changes in recent versions of Octave may be found
! @c in the file NEWS, distributed in both source and binary releases of
! @c Octave.
@node Octave Features
@chapter What features are unique to Octave?
@menu
! * Functions defined on the command-line::
! * Comments with #::
! * Strings delimitted by double quotes "::
! * Line continuation by backslash::
! * Informative block closing::
! * Empty argument lists::
! * Coherent syntax::
! * Exclamation mark as not operator::
! @c * Short-circuit boolean operators::
* Increment and decrement operators::
* Unwind-protect::
! * Built-in ODE and DAE solvers::
@end menu
! This section refers to Matlab 6,5.0 R 13 and Octave 2.9.10.
! @node Functions defined on the command-line
! @section Functions defined on the command-line
! Functions can be defined by entering code on the command line, a
! feature not supported by the other leading brand. For example, you may
! type:
@example
@group
! octave:1> function s = hello_string (to_who)
! > ## Say hello
! > if nargin<1, to_who = "World"; end
! > s = ["Hello ",\
! > to_who];
! > endfunction
! octave:2> hello_string ("Moon")
! ans = Hello Moon
@end group
@end example
! @node Comments with #
! @section Comments with #
! The pound character, '#', may be used to start comments, in addition
! to '%'. See the previous example. The major advantage of this is that as
! '#' is also a comment character for unix script files, any file that
! starts with a string like ``#! /usr/bin/octave -q'' will be treated as
! an octave script and be executed by octave.
! @node Strings delimitted by double quotes "
! @section Strings delimitted by double quotes "
! The double-quote, '"', may be used to delimit strings, in addition to
! the single quote address@hidden'}''. See the previous example. Also, double
! quoted strings include backslash interpretation (like C++, C, and
! Perl) while single quoted are uninterpreted (like Matlab and Perl).
!
! @node Line continuation by backslash
! @section Line continuation by backslash
! Lines can be continued with a backslash, '\', in addition to three
! points '...'. See the previous example.
! @node Informative block closing
! @section Informative block closing
! You may close ``function'', ``for'', ``while'', ``if'' ... blocks with
! ``endfunction'', ``endfor'', ``endwhile'' ...
! Also, by default, M-files may end with 'end' without eliciting a warning.
! @node Empty argument lists
! @section Empty argument lists
+ Parameter-less function calls may be made more readable by writing an
+ empty argument list.
@example
@group
! octave:1> rand()
! ans = 0.76213
@end group
@end example
! @node Coherent syntax
! @section Coherent syntax
+ Indexing other things than variables is possible, as in:
@example
@group
! octave:1> [3 1 4 1 5 9](3)
! ans = 4
! octave:2> cos([0 pi pi/4 7])(3)
! ans = 0.70711
@end group
@end example
! @node Exclamation mark as not operator
! @section Exclamation mark as not operator
!
! The exclamation mark '!' (aka ``Bang!'') is a negation operator, just
! like the tilde '~':
@example
@group
! octave:1> if ! strcmp (program_name, "octave"),
! > "It's an error"
! > else
! > "It works!"
! > end
! ans = It works!
@end group
@end example
! @c @item You can also use the function @code{is_struct} to determine
! @c whether a given value is a data structure. For example
! @c @example
! @c is_struct (x)
! @c @end example
! @c @noindent
! @c returns 1 if the value of the variable @var{x} is a data structure.
! @c @end itemize
! @c This feature should be considered experimental, but you should expect it
! @c to work. Suggestions for ways to improve it are welcome.
! @c @node Short-circuit boolean operators
! @c @section Short-circuit boolean operators
! @c @cindex Boolean operators, short-circuit
! @c @cindex Logical operators, short-circuit
! @c @cindex Short-circuit boolean operators
! @c @cindex Operators, boolean
!
! @c Octave's @samp{&&} and @samp{||} logical operators are evaluated in
! @c a short-circuit fashion (like the corresponding operators in the C
! @c language) and work differently than the element by element operators
! @c @samp{&} and @samp{|}.
@node Increment and decrement operators
@section Increment and decrement operators
***************
*** 335,342 ****
@cindex Operators, increment
@cindex Operators, decrement
Octave includes the C-like increment and decrement operators @samp{++}
! and @samp{--} in both their prefix and postfix forms.
For example, to pre-increment the variable @var{x}, you would write
@address@hidden This would add one to @var{x} and then return the new
--- 367,377 ----
@cindex Operators, increment
@cindex Operators, decrement
+ If you like the '++', '+=' etc operators, rejoice!
Octave includes the C-like increment and decrement operators @samp{++}
! and @samp{--} in both their prefix and postfix forms, in addition to
! @samp{+=}, @samp{-=}, @samp{*=}, @samp{/=}, @samp{^=}, @samp{.*=},
! @samp{./=}, and @samp{.^=}.
For example, to pre-increment the variable @var{x}, you would write
@address@hidden This would add one to @var{x} and then return the new
***************
*** 352,362 ****
For matrix and vector arguments, the increment and decrement operators
work on each element of the operand.
- It is not currently possible to increment index expressions. For
- example, you might expect that the expression @address@hidden(4)++} would
- increment the fourth element of the vector @var{v}, but instead it
- results in a parse error. This problem may be fixed in a future
- release of Octave.
@node Unwind-protect
@section Unwind-protect
--- 387,392 ----
***************
*** 385,542 ****
The @code{unwind_protect} statement is often used to reliably restore
the values of global variables that need to be temporarily changed.
! @node Variable-length argument lists
! @section Variable-length argument lists
! @cindex Variable-length argument lists
! @cindex Argument lists, variable-length
! Octave has a real mechanism for handling functions that take an
! unspecified number of arguments, so it is no longer necessary to place
! an upper bound on the number of optional arguments that a function can
! accept.
! Here is an example of a function that uses the new syntax to print a
! header followed by an unspecified number of values:
@example
! @group
! function foo (heading, ...)
! disp (heading);
! va_start ();
! while (--nargin)
! disp (va_arg ());
! endwhile
! endfunction
! @end group
@end example
! Calling @code{va_start()} positions an internal pointer to the first
! unnamed argument and allows you to cycle through the arguments more than
! once. It is not necessary to call @code{va_start()} if you do not plan
! to cycle through the arguments more than once.
!
! The function @code{va_arg()} returns the value of the next available
! argument and moves the internal pointer to the next argument. It is an
! error to call @code{va_arg()} when there are no more arguments
! available.
!
! It is also possible to use the keyword @var{all_va_args} to pass all
! unnamed arguments to another function.
!
! @node Variable-length return lists
! @section Variable-length return lists
!
! @cindex Variable-length return lists
! @cindex Return lists, variable-length
!
! Octave also has a real mechanism for handling functions that return an
! unspecified number of values, so it is no longer necessary to place an
! upper bound on the number of outputs that a function can produce.
! Here is an example of a function that uses the new syntax to produce
! @samp{N} values:
@example
@group
! function [...] = foo (n)
! for i = 1:n
! vr_val (i);
! endfor
! endfunction
@end group
@end example
! @node Built-in ODE and DAE solvers
! @section Built-in ODE and DAE solvers
! @cindex DASSL
! @cindex LSODE
! Octave includes LSODE and DASSL for solving systems of stiff ordinary
! differential and differential-algebraic equations. These functions are
! built in to the interpreter.
! @node Documentation
! @chapter What documentation exists for Octave?
! @cindex Octave, documentation
! The Octave distribution includes a 220+ page manual that is also
! distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL.
! The Octave manual is intended to be a complete reference for Octave, but
! it is not a finished document. If you have problems using it, or find
! that some topic is not adequately explained, indexed, or
! cross-referenced, please send a bug report to bug@@octave.org.
!
! Because the Octave manual is written using Texinfo, the complete text of
! the Octave manual is also available on line using the GNU Info system
! via the GNU Emacs, info, or xinfo programs, or by using the @samp{help -i}
! command to start the GNU info browser directly from the Octave prompt.
!
! It is also possible to use your favorite WWW browser to read the Octave
! manual by converting the Texinfo source to HTML using the
! @code{texi2html} program.
! @node Getting Octave
! @chapter Obtaining Source Code
! @cindex Source code
! @menu
! * Octave for Unix::
! * Octave for other platforms::
! * latest versions::
! @end menu
- @node Octave for Unix
- @section How do I get a copy of Octave for Unix?
! You can get Octave from a friend who has a copy, by anonymous FTP, or by
! ordering a tape or CD-ROM from the Free Software Foundation (FSF).
! @cindex Octave, ordering
! @cindex Octave, getting a copy
! Octave was not developed by the FSF, but the FSF does distribute Octave,
! and the developers of Octave support the efforts of the FSF by
! encouraging users of Octave to order Octave on CD-ROM directly from
! the FSF.
! The FSF is a nonprofit organization that distributes software and
! manuals to raise funds for more GNU development. Buying a CD-ROM from
! the FSF contributes directly to paying staff to develop GNU software.
! CD-ROMs cost $240 if an organization is buying, or $60 if an individual
! is buying.
! @cindex FSF [Free Software Foundation]
! @cindex GNU [GNU's not unix]
! For more information about ordering from the FSF, contact
! gnu@@gnu.org, phone (617) 542-5942 or anonymous ftp the file
! @file{/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/ORDERS} from ftp.gnu.org.
! @cindex FSF, contact <gnu@@gnu.org>
! @cindex GNUware, anonymous FTP sites
! If you are on the Internet, you can copy the latest distribution
! version of Octave from the file @file{/pub/octave/octave-M.N.tar.gz}, on
! the host @file{ftp.che.wisc.edu}. This tar file has been compressed
! with GNU gzip, so be sure to use binary mode for the transfer. @samp{M}
! and @samp{N} stand for version numbers; look at a listing of the
! directory through ftp to see what version is available. After you
! unpack the distribution, be sure to look at the files @file{README} and
! @file{INSTALL}.
!
! Binaries for several popular systems are also available. If you would
! like help out by making binaries available for other systems, please
! contact bug@@octave.org.
! A list of user-visible changes since the last release is available in
! the file @file{NEWS}. The file @file{ChangeLog} in the source
! distribution contains a more detailed record of changes made since the
! last release.
@node Octave for other platforms
@section How do I get a copy of Octave for (some other platform)?
--- 415,581 ----
The @code{unwind_protect} statement is often used to reliably restore
the values of global variables that need to be temporarily changed.
! @node Built-in ODE and DAE solvers
! @section Built-in ODE and DAE solvers
!
! @cindex DASSL
! @cindex LSODE
!
! Octave includes LSODE and DASSL for solving systems of stiff ordinary
! differential and differential-algebraic equations. These functions are
! built in to the interpreter.
!
! @node Learning more about Octave
! @chapter What documentation exists for Octave?
!
! @menu
! * Documentation::
! * Getting additional help::
! * User community::
! * Bug reports::
! @end menu
!
! @node Documentation
! @section What documentation exists for Octave?
!
! @cindex Octave, documentation
! The Octave distribution includes a 375+ page manual that is also
! distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL.
! @c The Octave manual is intended to be a complete reference for Octave, but
! @c it is not a finished document.
! It is available on the web at
! @url{http://www.octave.org/docs.html} and you will also
! find there instructions on how to order a paper version.
!
! @c Because the Octave manual is written using Texinfo, t
! The complete text of the Octave manual is also available using the GNU
! Info system via the GNU Emacs, info, or xinfo programs, or by using
! the @samp{help -i} command to start the GNU info browser directly from
! the Octave prompt.
!
! @c It is also possible to use your favorite WWW browser to read the Octave
! @c manual by converting the Texinfo source to HTML using the
! @c @code{texi2html} program.
!
! If you have problems using this documentation, or find that some topic
! is not adequately explained, indexed, or cross-referenced, please send
! a bug report to bug@@octave.org.
!
! @node Getting additional help
! @section Getting additional help
!
! @cindex Additional help
! @cindex Mailing lists, help-octave
!
! If you can't find an answer to your question, the mailing list
@example
! help@@octave.org
@end example
! @noindent
! is available for questions related to using, installing, and porting
! Octave that are not adequately answered by the Octave manual or by this
! document.
!
! @node User community
! @section User community
! If you would like to join the discussion and receive all messages sent
! to the list, please send a short note to
@example
@group
! help-request@@octave.org
! ^^^^^^^
@end group
@end example
+ @strong{Please do not} send requests to be added or removed from the the
+ mailing list, or other administrative trivia to the list itself.
! An archive of old postings to the help-octave mailing list is maintained
! on @url{http://www.octave.org/archive.html}.
! You will also find some user advice and code spread over the web. Good
! starting points are the Octave Wiki @url{http://wiki.octave.org} and
! Octave-Forge @url{htt://octave.sourceforge.net}
! @node Bug reports
! @section I think I have found a bug in Octave.
! @cindex Bug in Octave, newly found
! ``I think I have found a bug in Octave, but I'm not sure. How do I know,
! and who should I tell?''
! @cindex Manual, for Octave
! First, see the section on bugs and bug reports in the Octave manual.
! When you report a bug, make sure to describe the type of computer you
! are using, the version of the operating system it is running, and the
! version of Octave that you are using. Also provide enough code so that
! the Octave maintainers can duplicate your bug.
! If you have Octave working at all, the easiest way to do this is to use
! the Octave function @code{bug_report}. When you execute this function,
! Octave will prompt you for a subject and then invoke the editor on a
! file that already contains all the configuration information. When you
! exit the editor, Octave will mail the bug report for you (in a unix-like
! operating system).
! @cindex Octave bug report
! @cindex Mailing lists, bug-octave
! If for some reason you cannot use Octave's @code{bug_report} function,
! mail your bug report to "bug@@octave.org". Your message needs to
! include enough information to allow the maintainers of Octave to fix the
! bug. Please read the section on bugs and bug reports in the Octave
! manual for a list of things that should be included in every bug report.
! @node Getting Octave
! @chapter Getting Octave
! @menu
! * Source code::
! * Pre-compiled binary packages::
! * Octave for other platforms::
! @end menu
! @node Source code
! @section Source code
! @cindex Source code
! Source code is available on the Octave development site, where you are
! sure to get the latest version.
! @itemize @bullet
! @item @url{http://www.octave.org/download.html}
! @item @url{ftp://ftp.octave.org/pub/octave/}
! @end itemize
! Since Octave is distrubted under the terms of the GPL, you can get
! Octave from a friend who has a copy, by anonymous FTP, or by ordering
! a tape or CD-ROM from the Free Software Foundation (FSF).
!
! @node Pre-compiled binary packages
! @section Pre-compiled binary packages
! @cindex Pre-compiled binary packages
! @cindex Binaries
! The Octave project does not ship binary packages, but other projects do.
! For an up-to-date listing of packagers, see:
! @itemize @bullet
! @item @url{http://www.octave.org/download.html}
! @item @url{http://wiki.octave.org/wiki.pl?CategoryInstall}
! @end itemize
! As of today, Octave binaries are available at least on Debian, RedHat,
! Suse and Fedora Linuxes, Mac OS X, Windows' 98, 2000 and XP.
@node Octave for other platforms
@section How do I get a copy of Octave for (some other platform)?
***************
*** 555,576 ****
porting Octave to other systems, please contact
bug@@octave.org.
! @node latest versions
! @section What is the latest version of Octave
! @cindex Octave, version date
! The latest version of Octave is 2.0.10, released February 6, 1998.
@node Installation
@chapter Installation Issues and Problems
@cindex Octave, building
! Octave requires approximately 125MB of disk storage to unpack and
! compile from source (significantly less if you don't compile with
debugging symbols or create shared libraries). Once installed, Octave
requires approximately 65MB of disk space (again, considerably less if
you don't build shared libraries or the binaries and libraries do not
include debugging symbols).
--- 594,624 ----
porting Octave to other systems, please contact
bug@@octave.org.
! @c @menu
! @c * Octave for Unix::
! @c * Octave for other platforms::
! @c * latest versions::
! @c @end menu
! @c @node Octave for Unix
! @c @section How do I get a copy of Octave for Unix?
! @c You can get Octave from a friend who has a copy, by anonymous FTP, or by
! @c ordering a tape or CD-ROM from the Free Software Foundation (FSF).
!
! @c @cindex Octave, ordering
! @c @cindex Octave, getting a copy
@node Installation
@chapter Installation Issues and Problems
@cindex Octave, building
! Octave 2.9.10 requires approximately 400MB of disk storage to unpack
! and compile from source (about 120MB if you don't compile with
debugging symbols or create shared libraries). Once installed, Octave
requires approximately 65MB of disk space (again, considerably less if
+ @c How do I measure installed size?
you don't build shared libraries or the binaries and libraries do not
include debugging symbols).
***************
*** 590,606 ****
@cindex GNU Bison
To compile Octave, you will need a recent version of GNU Make. You
! will also need g++ 2.7.2 or later. Version 2.8.0 or egcs 1.0.x should
! work. Later versions may work, but C++ is still evolving, so don't be
! too surprised if you run into some trouble.
!
! It is no longer necessary to have libg++, but you do need to have the
! GNU implementation of libstdc++. If you are using g++ 2.7.2,
! libstdc++ is distributed along with libg++, but for later versions,
! libstdc++ is distributed separately. For egcs, libstdc++ is included
! with the compiler distribution.
! <em>You must have gnu make to compile octave</em>. Octave's Makefiles
use features of GNU Make that are not present in other versions of make.
GNU Make is very portable and easy to install.
--- 638,649 ----
@cindex GNU Bison
To compile Octave, you will need a recent version of GNU Make. You
! will also need g++ 2.9.0 or later, although g++ 3.3 or later is
! recommended. Octave has been successfully built with all versions of
! g++ between 3.3 and 4.1. Later versions may work, but C++ is still evolving,
! so don't be too surprised if you run into some trouble.
! @strong{You must have gnu make to compile octave}. Octave's Makefiles
use features of GNU Make that are not present in other versions of make.
GNU Make is very portable and easy to install.
***************
*** 635,705 ****
function files is installed this way.
@end itemize
! @node Getting additional help
! @chapter Getting additional help
! @cindex Additional help
! @cindex Mailing lists, help-octave
! The mailing list
! @example
! help@@octave.org
! @end example
- @noindent
- is available for questions related to using, installing, and porting
- Octave that are not adequately answered by the Octave manual or by this
- document.
-
- If you would like to join the discussion and receive all messages sent
- to the list, please send a short note to
@example
@group
! help-request@@octave.org
! ^^^^^^^
@end group
@end example
- @strong{Please do not} send requests to be added or removed from the the
- mailing list, or other administrative trivia to the list itself.
-
- An archive of old postings to the help-octave mailing list is maintained
- on ftp.che.wisc.edu in the directory @file{/pub/octave/MAILING-LISTS}.
-
- @node Bug reports
- @chapter I think I have found a bug in Octave.
-
- @cindex Bug in Octave, newly found
-
- ``I think I have found a bug in Octave, but I'm not sure. How do I know,
- and who should I tell?''
-
- @cindex Manual, for Octave
-
- First, see the section on bugs and bug reports in the Octave manual.
- The Octave manual is included in the Octave distribution.
-
- When you report a bug, make sure to describe the type of computer you
- are using, the version of the operating system it is running, and the
- version of Octave that you are using. Also provide enough code so that
- the Octave maintainers can duplicate your bug.
-
- If you have Octave working at all, the easiest way to do this is to use
- the Octave function @code{bug_report}. When you execute this function,
- Octave will prompt you for a subject and then invoke the editor on a
- file that already contains all the configuration information. When you
- exit the editor, Octave will mail the bug report for you.
-
- @cindex Octave bug report
- @cindex Mailing lists, bug-octave
-
- If for some reason you cannot use Octave's @code{bug_report} function,
- mail your bug report to "bug@@octave.org". Your message needs to
- include enough information to allow the maintainers of Octave to fix the
- bug. Please read the section on bugs and bug reports in the Octave
- manual for a list of things that should be included in every bug report.
@node MATLAB compatibility
@chapter Porting programs from @sc{Matlab} to Octave
--- 678,711 ----
function files is installed this way.
@end itemize
! @node How do I ... ?
! @chapter How do I ... ?
! @menu
! * How do I set the number of displayed decimals?::
! @end menu
! @cindex Tips and tricks
! @cindex How do I ... ?
! @node How do I set the number of displayed decimals?
! @section How do I set the number of displayed decimals?
@example
@group
! octave:1> format long
! octave:2> pi
! pi = 3.14159265358979
! octave:3> format short
! octave:4> pi
! pi = 3.1416
! octave:5> output_precision = 3;
! octave:6> pi
! pi = 3.14
@end group
@end example
@node MATLAB compatibility
@chapter Porting programs from @sc{Matlab} to Octave
***************
*** 764,772 ****
description of this difference (with code illustrating the difference,
if possible) to bug@@octave.org.
- An archive of old postings to the Octave mailing lists is maintained
- on ftp.che.wisc.edu in the directory @file{/pub/octave/MAILING-LISTS}.
-
@node Index
@appendix Concept Index
--- 770,775 ----
- Re: updating the FAQ,
David Bateman <=