helpdesk (MATLAB Function Reference)

Display Help Desk page in a Web browser, providing access to extensive help

Syntax

helpdesk

Description

helpdesk

displays the Help Desk page in a Web browser. The Help Desk page provides direct access to a comprehensive library of online help, including reference pages and manuals.

Remarks

On Windows platforms, you can also access the Help Desk by selecting the Help Desk option under the Help menu.

You specify where the help information will be located when you install MATLAB. It can be on a disk or CD-ROM in your local system.

On Windows, you can see the help location by selecting Preferences from the File menu - see the Help Directory entry under the General tab in the Preferences dialog box. If you relocate your online help directory, for example, to a network location, be sure to update the Help Directory location in the Preferences dialog box.
On UNIX, the help location is specified in the docopt M-file. If you relocate your online help directory, be sure to update the location in docopt.m.

HTML Documents

Many of the documents use the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and are accessed with an Internet Web browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. All of MATLAB's operators and functions have online reference pages in HTML format, which you can access from the Help Desk. These reference pages often provide more details and examples than the help command for a function.

Use the search engine provided to query all the online HTML material. To use this search utility, your browser must support Java and it must be enabled.

PDF-Formatted Documentation

Most MATLAB documentation is available in Portable Document Format (PDF) through the Help Desk. You view this documentation using Adobe's Acrobat Reader. PDF documents reproduce the look and feel of the printed page, complete with fonts, graphics, formatting, and images. Use links from the table of contents or index of a manual, as well as internal links, to go directly to the page of interest.

Print selected pages within a document using Acrobat. This is the best way to get printed copies of the online MATLAB Function Reference, which is not otherwise available in hardcopy form.

Use the Acrobat search tool to query a single document or the entire set of documents.

MathWorks Web Site

If your computer is connected to the Internet, the Help Desk provides connections to The MathWorks Web site. Use electronic mail to ask questions, make suggestions, and report possible bugs. Use the Solution Search Engine to query an up-to-date data base of technical support information.

Alternatively, you can point your Web browser directly at www.mathworks.com to access The MathWorks Web site.