Fundamental MATLAB Classes
There are many different data types, or classes, that you can work with in the MATLAB
software. You can build matrices and arrays of floating-point and integer data, characters
and strings, and logical true and false states. Function handles connect your code with
any MATLAB function regardless of the current scope. Tables, structures, and cell arrays
provide a way to store dissimilar types of data in the same container.There are 16 fundamental classes in MATLAB. Each of these classes is in the form of a
matrix or array. With the exception of function handles, this matrix or array is a minimum
of 0-by-0 in size and can grow to an n-dimensional array of any size. A function handle is
always scalar (1-by-1).All of the fundamental MATLAB classes are shown in the diagram below:Numeric classes in the MATLAB software include signed and unsigned integers, and
single- and double-precision floating-point numbers. By default, MATLAB stores all
numeric values as double-precision floating point. (You cannot change the default type
and precision.) You can choose to store any number, or array of numbers, as integers or as
single-precision. Integer and single-precision arrays offer more memory-efficient storage
than double-precision.All numeric types support basic array operations, such as subscripting, reshaping, and
mathematical operations.3 Overview of MATLAB Classes