MATLAB

[MATLAB] "is a high-level language and interactive environment for numerical computation, visualization, and programming. Using MATLAB, you can analyze data, develop algorithms, and create models and applications. The language, tools, and built-in math functions enable you to explore multiple approaches and reach a solution faster than with spreadsheets or traditional programming languages, such as C/C++ or Java™."

Type of Data

Matlab appears to cope with the widest range of numerical data: CSV files, time series, surfaces, lines in 3D space were mentioned. Input can be summarised as "numerical arrays/data"

Size of Data Set

A wide range of sizes of arrays were used, ranging from 10kB up to tens of GB

Advantages

Advantages mentioned are those that accrue from a mature, widely used and respected tool:

• ease of use
• scripting
• known and used worldwide
• excellent library
• integration with Python

Quality of Documentation/Tutorials

Was uniformly regarded as good.

Range of Data Formats

Also uniformly regarded as good.

Level of Support Available

Responses were more variable, spanning the opinions from very good to average.

Performance

It is widely supposed that Matlab's performance is poor since it is interpreted at runtime. In practice, the functions are so well optimised that performance is surprisingly good, but cannot approach that of a compiled programme. One problem nobody mentioned in the survey, but has been encountered by us, is that Matlab acquires licences for its toolboxes at runtime, in a large organisation these can be limited, and this can result in the failure of a function to execute.

Limitations

Two limitations were mentioned:

• it is limited to a personal computer
• the tutorials can be technical

Comments

Only one other comment was made: Matlab is a commercial product.