Using the MATLAB API

Quick start

The MATLAB API
  1. Emulates the standard MATLAB graphics library (line, scatter commands etc) for creating plots.
  2. Allows MATLAB and Waterloo graphics to be mixed in a single MATLAB figure

The MATLAB API therefore provides a quick route for experienced MATLAB programmers to try out Waterloo and easily convert existing code to use it.

BUT

This API adds Java graphics to standard MATLAB figures. There is no guarantee that this will be possible in future versions of MATLAB.

For production-code, or code that needs to be future-proof, this API is best avoided. Use the Groovy API or Java API instead.

Creating a figure

Create a figure using the GXFigure command: 
% Create a MATLAB figure that
% is 'Waterloo enabled'
f = GXFigure();
At instantiation, a GXFigure has no graphs associated with it. Calling gxgca (see right) will create one, and return a reference to the it. Alternatively, use subplot as described below.

Subplots

GXFigures support subplots in the same way as MATLAB figures. To create a Waterloo subplot, pass the reference of the GXFigure as the first input to the subplot commmand, e.g. 
f = GXFigure();
g = subplot(f,2,2,1);
creates a 2 x 2 grid of graphs and selects the first as the current graph just as with the standard MATLAB subplot command. The returned reference, g, is a Waterloo GXGraph instance - roughly equivalent to a MATLAB axes instance.

To add standard MATLAB plots to a GXFigure, call subplot without specifying the GXFigure, e.g. for the figure above: 

g = subplot(2,2,2);
will create a standard MATLAB axes at position 2.