Get Help for MATLAB Functions from Python - MATLAB & Simulink (original) (raw)

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How to Find MATLAB Help

From Python®, you can access supporting documentation for all MATLAB® functions. This documentation includes examples and describes input arguments, output arguments, and calling syntax for each function.

MATLAB Engine API for Python enables you to use the MATLABdoc and help functions. Usedoc to open the MathWorks® documentation in your system web browser. Use help to get a brief description of a MATLAB function at the Python prompt.

Open MathWorks Documentation from Python

From Python, you can open MATLAB function reference pages and search the documentation.

For example, display the reference page for the MATLABplot function. (Since doc returns no output arguments, you must set nargout=0. )

import matlab.engine
eng = matlab.engine.start_matlab()
eng.doc("plot",nargout=0)

The reference page includes a description of the function, examples, and links to related documentation.

Note

Click an example title, or on the arrow next to a title, if you do not see the examples on a MATLAB reference page. Examples can be collapsed or expanded within a page.

If you call eng.doc with no positional arguments, it opens the documentation home page. (You still must set the keyword argumentnargout=0).

To search the MATLAB documentation, type an expression in the search box at the top of any page in the documentation. The browser returns a list of search results, highlighting words that match the expression.

Alternatively, you can search the documentation with thedocsearch function. For example, search for pages that mentionplot.

eng.docsearch("plot",nargout=0)

Display MATLAB Help at Python Prompt

To display help text for a function at the Python prompt, call the MATLABhelp function. For example, display the help text forerf.

import matlab.engine
eng = matlab.engine.start_matlab()
eng.help("erf",nargout=0)

ERF Error function. This MATLAB function returns the Error Function evaluated for each element of x.

Syntax
  erf(x)

Input Arguments
  x - Input
    real number | vector of real numbers | matrix of real numbers |
    multidimensional array of real numbers

Examples
  Find Error Function
  Find Cumulative Distribution Function of Normal Distribution
  Calculate Solution of Heat Equation with Initial Condition

See also erfc, erfcinv, erfcx, erfinv

Introduced in MATLAB before R2006a
Documentation for erf
Other uses of erf

The output displays the help text, but does not include any links to help for other MATLAB functions that might be mentioned.