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1 --- |
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2 layout: page |
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3 title: GNU Octave Version 5 |
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4 permalink: NEWS-5.1.html |
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5 --- |
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6 |
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7 ## Summary of important user-visible changes |
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8 |
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9 February 23, 2019 |
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10 |
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11 {% include release_news_select.md %} |
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12 |
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13 {::options parse_block_html="true" /} |
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14 <div class="panel callout"> |
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15 * TOC |
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16 {:toc} |
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17 </div> |
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18 {::options parse_block_html="false" /} |
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19 |
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20 ### General improvements |
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21 |
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22 - The Octave plotting system now supports high resolution screens, |
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23 i.e., those with greater than 96 DPI which are referred to as |
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24 HiDPI/Retina monitors. |
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25 |
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26 - Unicode character support for files and folders in Windows. |
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27 |
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28 - A new core function `movfun` will apply a function to a sliding |
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29 window of arbitrary size on a dataset and accumulate the results. |
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30 Many common cases have been implemented using the naming |
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31 scheme `movXXX` where `XXX` is the function that will be applied. |
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32 For example, the moving average over a dataset is `movmean`. |
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33 New moving window functions: |
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34 |
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35 `movfun` `movslice` |
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36 `movmad` `movmax` `movmean` `movmedian` `movmin` `movprod` |
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37 `movstd` `movsum` `movvar` |
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38 |
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39 - The `fsolve` function has been tweaked to use larger step sizes when |
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40 calculating the Jacobian of a function with finite differences. |
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41 This leads to faster convergence. |
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42 |
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43 - The `ranks` function has been recoded for performance and is now 25X |
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44 faster. In addition, it now supports a third argument that specifies |
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45 how to resolve the ranking of tie values. |
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46 |
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47 - The function `randi` has been recoded to produce an unbiased (all |
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48 results are equally likely) sample of integers. This may produce |
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49 different results in existing code. If it is necessary to reproduce |
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50 the exact random integer sequence as in previous versions use |
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51 |
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52 `ri = imin + floor ((imax - imin + 1) * rand ());` |
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53 |
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54 - The function `isdefinite` now returns `true` or `false` rather than |
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55 `-1`, `0`, or `1`. To test for a positive semi-definite matrix (old |
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56 output of `0`) check whether the following two conditions hold: |
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57 |
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58 `isdefinite (A) => 0` and `isdefinite (A + 5*TOL, TOL) => 1` |
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59 |
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60 - The `intmax`, `intmin`, and `flintmax` functions now accept a variable |
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61 as input. Existing code to query the range of an existing variable can |
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62 be simplified by removing the call to `class` that was previously |
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63 required. For example defining the variable `x = int8 (3)` in the |
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64 workspace, calls like |
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65 |
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66 `range = [ intmin(class(x)), intmax(class(x)) ]` |
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67 |
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68 can in Octave 5 be simplified to `range = [ intmin(x), intmax(x) ]`. |
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69 |
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70 - The path handling functions no longer perform variable or brace |
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71 expansion on path elements and Octave's load-path is no longer |
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72 subject to these expansions. |
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73 |
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74 - A new printing device is available, `"-ddumb"`, which produces ASCII |
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75 art for plots. This device is only available with the gnuplot toolkit. |
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76 |
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77 |
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78 ### Dependencies |
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79 |
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80 - The GUI requires Qt libraries. The minimum Qt4 version supported is |
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81 Qt4.8. Qt5 of any version is preferred. |
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82 |
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83 - The OSMesa library is no longer used. To print invisible figures |
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84 when using OpenGL graphics, the Qt `QOFFSCREENSURFACE` feature must be |
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85 available and you must use the qt graphics toolkit. |
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86 |
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87 - The FFTW library is now required to perform FFT calculations. |
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88 The FFTPACK sources have been removed from Octave. |
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89 |
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90 |
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91 ### Matlab compatibility |
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92 |
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93 - The determination of an object's dimensions, size, and shape by the |
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94 functions `ndims`, `rows`, `columns`, `isscalar`, `isvector`, |
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95 `isrow`, `iscolumn`, `ismatrix`, and `issquare` now fully depends |
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96 on the function size. Thus, any user-defined object can ensure correct |
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97 treatment by the aforementioned functions by properly overloading the |
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98 `size` function. |
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99 |
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100 - The functions `issymmetric` and `ishermitian` accept an option |
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101 `"nonskew"` or `"skew"` to calculate the symmetric or skew-symmetric |
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102 property of a matrix. Performance has also been increased. |
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103 |
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104 - The `issorted` function now uses a direction option of `"ascend"` |
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105 or `"descend"`. Change all uses of `"ascending"` and `"descending"` |
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106 in existing code to the new options. |
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107 |
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108 - The `strncmp` and `strncmpi` functions now return `true` if the two |
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109 input strings match, even though the number of characters specified |
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110 by `n` exceeds the string length. For Example: |
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111 |
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112 `strncmp ("abc", "abc", 100)` |
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113 |
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114 returns `true` in Octave 5 and `false` in older versions of Octave. |
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115 |
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116 - The `str2func` function no longer accepts a second `"global"` argument. |
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117 This argument was typically used to allow functions that accept |
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118 function names as arguments to avoid conflicts with subfunctions or |
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119 nested functions. Instead, it's best to avoid this situation |
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120 entirely and require users to pass function handles rather than |
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121 function names. |
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122 |
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123 - Using `clear` with no arguments now removes only local variables |
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124 from the current workspace. Global variables will no longer be |
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125 visible, but they continue to exist in the global workspace and |
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126 possibly other workspaces such as the base workspace. |
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127 |
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128 |
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129 #### Nonlinear Equations |
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130 |
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131 Several default solver options have been changed to be Matlab compatible. |
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132 This *may* result in existing code producing different results. |
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133 |
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134 - `fsolve` |
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135 |
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136 Option | New Default | Old Default |
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137 ---------------|------------------|------------- |
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138 `FinDiffType` | `"forward"` | `"central"` |
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139 `MaxFunEvals` | `100*length(x0)` | `Inf` |
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140 `TolFun` | `1e-6` | `1e-7` |
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141 `TolX` | `1e-6` | `1e-7` |
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142 `Updating` | `"off"` | `"on"` |
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143 |
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144 - `fminsearch` |
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145 |
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146 Option | New Default | Old Default |
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147 ---------|-------------|------------ |
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148 `TolFun` | `1e-7` | `1e-4` |
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149 |
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150 - `fminbnd` |
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151 |
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152 Option | New Default | Old Default |
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153 ---------------|-------------|------------ |
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154 `MaxFunEvals` | `500` | `Inf` |
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155 `MaxIter` | `500` | `Inf` |
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156 `TolX` | `1e-4` | `1e-8` |
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157 |
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158 - `fminunc` |
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159 |
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160 Option | New Default | Old Default |
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161 ---------------|------------------|------------ |
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162 `FinDiffType` | `"forward"` | `"central"` |
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163 `MaxFunEvals` | `100*length(x0)` | `Inf` |
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164 `TolX` | `1e-6` | `1e-7` |
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165 `TolFun` | `1e-6` | `1e-7` |
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166 |
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167 |
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168 #### Graphic objects |
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169 |
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170 - Figure graphic objects have a new property `"Number"` which is |
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171 read-only and will return the handle (number) of the figure. |
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172 However, if the property `"IntegerHandle"` has been set to `"off"` |
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173 then the property will return an empty matrix `[]`. |
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174 |
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175 - Patch and surface graphic objects now use the `"FaceNormals"` property |
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176 for flat lighting. |
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177 |
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178 - `"FaceNormals"` and `"VertexNormals"` for patch and surface graphic |
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179 objects are now calculated only when necessary to improve graphics |
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180 performance. In order for any normals to be calculated the |
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181 `"FaceLighting"` property must be set to `"flat"` (FaceNormals) or |
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182 `"gouraud"` (VertexNormals), **and** a light object must be present |
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183 in the axes. |
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184 |
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185 - The `"Margin"` property of `text`-objects has a new default of `3` |
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186 rather than `2`. |
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187 |
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188 - Printing to raster formats (bitmaps like PNG or JPEG) now uses an |
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189 OpenGL-based method by default. The print options `"-opengl"` |
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190 (raster) and `"-painters"` (vector) have been added ("qt" toolkit |
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191 only). The figure property `"renderer"` specifies which renderer to |
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192 use. When the property `"renderermode"` is `"auto"` Octave will select |
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193 `"-opengl"` for a raster output format and `"-painters"` for a vector |
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194 output format. |
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195 |
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196 - A new print option `"-RGBImage"` has been added which captures the |
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197 pixels of a figure as an image. This is similar to screen capture |
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198 tools, except that print formatting options can be used to, for |
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199 example, change the resolution or display the image in black and |
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200 white. |
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201 |
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202 - Two new print options for page-based formats (PDF, PostScript) have |
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203 been added. The `"-fillpage"` option will stretch the plot to occupy |
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204 the entire page with 0.25 inch margins all around. The `"-bestfit"` |
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205 option will expand the plot to take up as much room as possible on |
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206 the page without distorting the original aspect ratio of the plot. |
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207 |
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208 - Printing using the `"-dtiff"` output device will now create compressed |
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209 images using LZW compression. To produce uncompressed images use the |
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210 `"-dtiffn"` device. |
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211 |
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212 |
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213 ### Legacy functions |
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214 |
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215 The following functions have been declared legacy functions which |
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216 means they are obsolete and should not be used in any new code. |
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217 Unlike deprecated functions, however, their removal from Octave has |
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218 not yet been scheduled. |
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219 |
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220 Function | Replacement |
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221 -----------------------|------------------ |
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222 `findstr` | `strfind` |
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223 `flipdim` | `flip` |
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224 `isdir` | `isfolder` or `dir_in_loadpath` |
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225 `isequalwithequalnans` | `isequaln` |
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226 `isstr` | `ischar` |
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227 `setstr` | `char` |
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228 `strmatch` | `strncmp` or `strcmp` |
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229 `strread` | `textscan` |
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230 `textread` | `textscan` |
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231 |
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232 |
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233 ### Deprecated functions and properties |
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234 |
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235 The following functions and graphics properties have been deprecated |
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236 in Octave 5 and will be removed from Octave 7 (or whatever version |
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237 is the second major release after 5): |
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238 |
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239 - Functions |
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240 |
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241 Function | Replacement |
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242 -------------------------|------------------- |
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243 `output_max_field_width` | `output_precision` |
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244 `is_keyword` | `iskeyword` |
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245 |
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246 - Graphics properties |
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247 |
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248 Object | Property | Value |
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249 -----------------|---------------|------------ |
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250 `text` | `fontangle` | `"oblique"` |
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251 `uibuttongroup` | `fontangle` | `"oblique"` |
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252 `uicontrol` | `fontangle` | `"oblique"` |
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253 `uipanel` | `fontangle` | `"oblique"` |
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254 `uitable` | `fontangle` | `"oblique"` |
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255 |
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256 - Specifying `legend` position with a numeric argument is deprecated. |
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257 Use a string argument instead. |
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258 |
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259 - The environment variable used by `mkoctfile` for linker flags is now |
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260 `LDFLAGS` rather than `LFLAGS`. `LFLAGS` is deprecated, and a warning |
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261 is emitted if is used, but it will continue to work. |
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262 |
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263 |
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264 ### Removed functions and properties |
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265 |
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266 The following functions and properties were deprecated in Octave 4.2 |
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267 and have been removed from Octave 5. |
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268 |
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269 - Functions |
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270 |
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271 Function | Replacement |
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272 -----------------------|------------------ |
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273 `bitmax` | `flintmax` |
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274 `mahalanobis` | `mahal` in Octave Forge statistics pkg |
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275 `md5sum` | `hash` |
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276 `octave_config_info` | `__octave_config_info__` |
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277 `onenormest` | `normest1` |
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278 `sleep` | `pause` |
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279 `usleep` | `pause` |
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280 `wavread` | `audioread` |
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281 `wavwrite` | `audiowrite` |
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282 |
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283 - Properties |
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284 |
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285 Object | Property | Value |
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286 ------------|-------------------|--------- |
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287 `axes` | `xaxislocation` | `"zero"` |
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288 | `yaxislocation` | `"zero"` |
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289 `hggroup` | `erasemode` | |
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290 `image` | `erasemode` | |
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291 `line` | `erasemode` | |
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292 `patch` | `erasemode` | |
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293 `patch` | `normalmode` | |
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294 `surface` | `erasemode` | |
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295 `surface` | `normalmode` | |
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296 `text` | `erasemode` | |
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297 |
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298 |
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299 ### Alphabetical list of new functions added in 5 |
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300 |
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301 - `clearvars` |
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302 - `isfile` |
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303 - `isfolder` |
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304 - `matlab.lang.makeUniqueStrings` |
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305 - `matlab.lang.makeValidName` |
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306 - `movegui` |
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307 - `movfun` |
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308 - `movie` |
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309 - `movmad` |
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310 - `movmax` |
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311 - `movmean` |
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312 - `movmedian` |
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313 - `movmin` |
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314 - `movprod` |
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315 - `movslice` |
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316 - `movstd` |
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317 - `movsum` |
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318 - `movvar` |
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319 - `openfig` |
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320 - `ordeig` |
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321 - `savefig` |
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322 - `uitable` |
