ECE 106: Digital Computer Lab

Lab Activity Number 9

Objectives
1. Create a user-defined function to be run as a stand-alone program from the command
window;
2. Create a user-defined function that is run from within a user-written m-file

INTRODUCTION
A function is a code segment which accepts certain inputs. These inputs are
called its arguments. The function written in m-file manipulates the inputs in
the manner in which code is written and provides the required results. Matlab
provides us with the facility that we can also write functions ourselves to
perform specific operation according to our requirement.
We have to make two functions:

(i)

(ii)

One will accept three co-ordinates in xy-plane and plot a triangle

among them. Further, each side of the triangle should have different
color.

The other function accepts four co-ordinates in the xy-plane. The

first three co-ordinates in this program are used to plot a triangle
and the fourth co-ordinate in the (x,y) form is used to shift the
triangle. The x-co-ordinate is used to shift the triangle in x direction
and the y-co-ordinate is used to shift the triangle in y direction.
We have to make a my_script.m file in which both of the above functions are
called to plot and shift the triangle.

PROGRAMMING
plotTriangle Function
Matlab Code:
function plotTriangle(a,b,c)
precision=500;
abx=linspace(a(1),b(1),precision);
aby=linspace(a(2),b(2),precision);
bcx=linspace(b(1),c(1),precision);
bcy=linspace(b(2),c(2),precision);
cax=linspace(c(1),a(1),precision);
cay=linspace(c(2),a(2),precision);
hold on
plot(abx,aby,'-b','linewidth',3)
plot(bcx,bcy,'k-','linewidth',3)
plot(cax,cay,'r-','linewidth',3)
axis([0 10 0 10])
grid on
title('My Triangle')
xlabel('X Values (units)')
ylabel('Y Values (units)')

shiftTriangle Function
Matlab Code:
function [a,b,c]=shiftTriangle(a,b,c,shift)
precision=500;
a=a+shift;
b=b+shift;
c=c+shift;
abx=linspace(a(1),b(1),precision);
aby=linspace(a(2),b(2),precision);
bcx=linspace(b(1),c(1),precision);
bcy=linspace(b(2),c(2),precision);
cax=linspace(c(1),a(1),precision);
cay=linspace(c(2),a(2),precision);

hold on
plot(abx,aby,'-b','linewidth',3)
plot(bcx,bcy,'k-','linewidth',3)
plot(cax,cay,'r-','linewidth',3)
axis([0 10 0 10])
grid on
title('My Triangle')
xlabel('X Values (units)')
ylabel('Y Values (units)')

my_script.m File

Matlab Code:
clc;clear all;close all;
x=[1 2];
y=[1 6];
z=[6 2];
shift=[2 4];
plotTriangle(x,y,z)
[xx,yy,zz]=shiftTriangle(x,y,z,shift);

Results
1-Result of plotTriangle([1 2],[1 6],[6 2])
My Triangle

10
9
8

Y Values (units)

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

5
X Values (units)

10

Result of [p,q,r]=shiftTriangle([1 2],[1 6],[6 2],[2 4])

My Triangle

10
9
8

Y Values (units)

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

5
X Values (units)

Result of running the my_script.m file

10

My Triangle

10
9
8

Y Values (units)

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

5
X Values (units)

10

Conclusion
In this Lab I have learnt the use of Function in programming. Once a
function is programmed, it can be used anywhere in our program. The
greatest advantage of function is that, if a similar task is to be performed
again and again, we don/t have to write the program every time. We can call
the function
Also, it can be observed that function variables are not Global. They just
work within the function and not stored in MATLAB Work Space.
Additionally, I have learnt the use of linspace command of MATLAB. It
converts the points into vectors with desired data points in between. Also the
hold on command is used to draw multiple plots on same figure.