This thread is based on this excellent blog post [h/t @agricolabs] titled "MATLAB is a terrible programming language": http://www.rath.org/matlab-is-a-terrible-programming-language.html …
9th "Semicolon Changes Semantics" "sometimes whether an expression is printed determines how the expression behaves" 10th "Functions are too clever" "if delete finds [an * in] the given filename, it [expands the * &] deletes all matching files" I'm emotionally drained! Why...
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11th "No way to store static data" "You can create a .m file that defines a variable, but you cannot get access to this variable from another file without terrible contortions (aka loading the file as a string and passing it to eval())." Yikes.
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Finally onto something that REALLY explains a lot. Some very defensive BS I had to put up with from somebody a few months ago when I told them they should be using try-statements because they are good practice.
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Altho I'd no idea they were coding in Matlab until they claimed Matlab has no try. To which I replied with disbelief and then immediately looked it up. Anyway long story short it does, but it's NASTY. So this explains a little of why they were reluctant to use it, I guess.
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Number 11: "Programmatic error handling is near impossible"


How will students, anybody, learn to code well if they cannot learn to catch errors?!
"programmatic handling errors in MATLAB in a reliable way is near impossible."


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OK, now we're done, if you want to read more — and I suggest you do! — check out the blog post I based this on: http://www.rath.org/matlab-is-a-terrible-programming-language.html … And mine too for a more pedagogical perspective:http://neuroplausible.com/matlab
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I do not want to shame anybody but please, think again before handing down any bad habits & please bear in mind Matlab is not
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To end, I just wanna say, one of the most heartening things is seeing people like
@inferencelab blog their journey into#opensource and just generally better coding: http://www.inferencelab.com/confessions-of-a-reforming-matlab-er/ … So yeah, mad props to all of you pushing yourselves and (y)our field(s) forwards!
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End of conversation
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