Understanding the Prompt in Matlab: Commands and Terminology

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SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies the distinction between the command prompt and the command window in MATLAB. The command prompt, represented by the ">>" symbol, is the specific area within the command window where users enter commands. The command window encompasses the entire interface, including the prompt, user commands, and output results. A common misunderstanding addressed is the phrasing of "with looks like" versus "which looks like" in reference to the prompt's appearance.

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mech-eng
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What is the definition of prompt in Matlab. Here is an example sentence.

"commands are entered at the prompt with looks like two successive greater than signs"

Are prompt and command window the same things in Matlab or all computer terminology? If so, is the prompt the environment where we enter commands?

Thank you.
 
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It means you'll see >> in the command window where you enter your commands

Code:
>> x=[0:10]
x =
  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10
>>

I typed in the x=[0:10] statement.
 
Should not it be which looks like instead of with looks like in the sentence?

Thank you.
 
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mech-eng said:
Should not it be which looks like instead of with looks like in the sentence?

Thank you.

Yes, must have been a spell checker or grammar checker failure... "To err is human, to really screw up things you need a computer..."
 
The command window is the whole window, which includes the >> prompt, any commands you type in at the prompt, and any results that get echoed into the window. It's essentially the whole white rectangular box.

The command prompt is the >> symbol you see inside the command window, and is where you can type in any command you want. The prompt is just one part of the larger command window.
 

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