% This is the MATLAB m-file with filename "square.m"
% It defines a matlab function called "square()" which
% returns the square of any scalar argument.
%
% Usage Example: "x = square(2)" sets the variable x to a value of 4.
%
% Note that comment lines begin with a percent character.
% Note that if you type "help square", this first set of contiguous
% comment lines will be printed.
%
% 31 JAN 96 LLW
%
% Here is the function declaration
function answ = square( anynumber )
% "function" is a MATLAB keyword. It declares this file to be a function.
% "answ" is a new variable which which we will be returned when this
% function terminates. We must assign it a value.
% "square" is the name of this new function. The filename is "square.m".
% "anynumber" is a new variable containing the argument specified by
% the user when they called this function.
%
% Note: the variable names "answ" and "anynumber" are arbitrary.
% Note: the function name "square" by convention agrees with the filename.
%
% AVOID PREDEFINED MATLAB KEYWORDS when declaring variable and function
% names. For example "for", "while", "sqrt", and "pow" are keywords.
% we can create and use any sort of local variables, e.g:
foo = 2;
newfoo = foo + anynumber;
% When you put ";" at the end of a line, the line is evaluated silently.
% When you omit ";" at the end of a line, the line's result
% will be echoed to the screen when the function is evaluated.
% Somewhere, we must assign a value to the variable answ, which
% will be the return value of the function, e.g.:
answ = anynumber * anynumber;