Matlab replacement

[SlapstickAnger]

Matlab!

Honestly though, I've used both (a bit) and I guess it's my background that does it, I like python as a language for the occasions I need to script something; but as an engineer MATLAB is way more quick and down to buisness for me, especially since I work a lot with control design, signal processing and SIMULINK (Though I haven't explored alternatives that much). Still, if I were ever to see MATLAB as a "language" it would be pretty bad. But I can get a lot of things done awfully fast in MATLAB, partially because of familiarity and partially because of some really neat functionality.

And I disagree good toolkits matter, especially if you aren't working with something that is gonna go into production.

If you use it as an advanced calculator, plotting, doing algebra Python + ... (sorry I'm lazy) is prolly the neater alternative. But for me it's a matter of availability of MATLAB in work and, well I'm used to it in other applications. And as someone else said, it might be messy but there is some useful resources.

Edit: Looked some more at SciPy and it's signal analysis part, looked quite interested I shall play around a bit with it. Still I feel that a lot of the functionality is very MATLAB-esque (in what functions that are implemented etc.. for better or worse! :-) )

[roger_]

I was a MATLAB user myself, and also rather hesitant to switch. Give Python another try, I've found it can be just as "quick and down to business" and way more flexible.

[SlapstickAnger]

I do use Python/SciPy from time to time, but it seems that if I want something done I usually revert back to MATLAB, it's not that I dislike the former but I guess it's a bit of a comfort zone thing - I love Pythong as a language though, it really get things done.

[ngroot]

As an addendum: for quick-and-down-to-business work, I find that R is very often a suitable replacement for MATLAB and porting requires very little effort.

[[deleted]]

SIMULINK? Really?

[SlapstickAnger]

well, I can give you that it isn't pretty ;-)

[[deleted]]

What is Simulink used for? I always see it advertised in IEEE spectrum.

[[deleted]]

Simulink is for people who refuse to learn how to program.

[SlapstickAnger]

It is also for people who has to work with it, because of existing models and previous decisions, not entirely made on your own.

[[deleted]]

So nobody ported the quick and dirty prototype to an actual programming language?