Section 8.1 Why MATLAB instead of ⟨insert_programming_language_here⟩?
At this point in your life, you have probably been exposed to different software, you might even have programming experience, and it is even possible that you have a preference for a specific programming language. So why MATLAB instead of Python? Instead of C++? Instead of Go? (Clearly, the list could go on and on).
The reason this book concentrates on MATLAB is that as of the publication of this book, MATLAB is an extremely popular programming suite that engineers are expected to know how to use. MATLAB is popular because it is a general-purpose language that lends itself to productivity. MATLAB is worth knowing because…
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It is easy to express computational mathematics. (You will see this shortly later in the chapter!)
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MATLAB is specifically designed for engineers which means the documentation and functions are easy to use and remember.
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The environment is tuned for iterative workflows and rapid prototyping.
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There are a TON of toolboxes which means that a lot of code is already available for you to use. You do not need to reinvent the wheel.
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The MATLAB debugging tool is extremely powerful and easy to use.
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MATLAB is fast. It is optimized and can solve big problems quickly.
The list goes on and on but MATLAB is expensive for a reason. The reason is that it is a powerful, easy-to-use software development suite designed for rapid prototyping. Furthermore it was designed specifically for engineers which means the documentation is excellent and tuned toward engineers and the functions available were written with engineers in mind.
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