What is Matlab, where do I get it, how do I install it, etc?
Matlab is one name that refers to many things (like Java). It is a programming language as well as an interpreter as well as a set of libraries. The language is vector-based, making it very easy to write mathematical or data-manipulating applications quickly and easily. There are also “toolboxes” for things like visualizing data, designing digital filters, machine learning, statistical analysis, etc. However, it is an interpreted language, making it slower than a language like C or Java. It is also a scripting language, and large applications may be better written in an object-oriented language. Being an interpreted scripting language, however, is also part of what makes Matlab an appealing way to interact with a sensor network: the user can interact with the network by calling commands on the Matlab command line. In contrast, once a java application is started in can only be controlled through a GUI. Matlab is commercial software that can be bought from www.mathworks.com. However, stu
