points re some of the materials in subsection "1. Working With Variables" about matlab-novice-inflammation HOT 3 CLOSED

Hi @artinmajdi

Thanks for the issue. There's actually several issues here that would be easier to discuss as separate issues. For now I'll try to address them in this reply.

You make some good suggestions, but other points are incorrect. Below I'll attempt to address only the points which are confusing or incorrect. Points which I haven't addressed I think are good suggestions for improvements.

Multidimensional arrays

• The lesson explains this point correctly and clearly

• MATLAB stores all data as multi-dimensional arrays. Try this:

  >> myarray = [1, 2, 3]
  myarray =
       1     2     3
  >> size(myarray)
  ans =
       1     3
  

  So you can see that this 1-d array is stored as a multi-dimensional array with 1 row and 3 columns.
  This extends right down to an empty array:

   >> zero = [] % Here we create an empty array.
   >> size(zero)
   ans =
        0     0
  

• Perhaps you're more used to working in python or another language, but note that there is no such thing as a 'list' in MATLAB

readmatrix function call

This sentence is arbitrary, and wrong

Which bit is arbitrary? You're wrong about what you think is wrong. Functions generally need arguments to run, but not always e.g. clc. This is a novice lesson, so it is definitely worth mentioning. The filename input argument to readmatrix must be a character vector or string scalar (from the documentation).

Search for readmatrix

Some minor wording improvement would help here. Something along the lines of 'We have a matrix of data stored as a csv file ...'
However I would avoid distractions like talking about loading other types of file which we aren't trying to load.

Good Enough Practices for Scientific Computing

This provides some ideas for organising your work, which is something novices are typically very bad at, and gives some background for the data and results directories that we'll be working with. Why do you think it's arbitrary and confusing? Does it need more introduction as to what the document is, and who wrote it?

from matlab-novice-inflammation.

Thank you for your prompt response. I can see some of your counter points to my arguments. I only have two notes that I like to add here.

I guess sometimes it depends on how you look at the wording. In my opinion, when we say multi-dimensional, it needs to be more than one, or it might be confusing. e.g. you are saying 1-d is also a multi-dimensional array, while 1-d stands for 1-dimension. But I can see why you would disagree. In programming, we might use wordings that are not necessarily accurate in English language.

re the "The filename input argument to readmatrix must be a character vector or string scalar (from the documentation)."
I think it would be better to say the input should be a path/directory to input csv file to be more clear.

from matlab-novice-inflammation.

The point about multi-dimensional is not my interpretation, it's how MATLAB stores the data - as shown by the result of the size examples I gave above. I think of a vector as a 1-d array, but MATLAB doesn't, and you can index the array above like this:

myarray(1,3)

Given this is a bit counter-intuitive, this is mentioned in the lesson. I usually give an example of a vector like the one I showed above, as well as an empty array.

I'd welcome a PR to change 'name of the file' to 'path to the file'

from matlab-novice-inflammation.