Scilab Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Scilab

Screenshot of Scilab 6.1
Developer(s)	Dassault Systèmes

Stable release	2024.1.0 / Error: first parameter is missing. ()

Written in	Scilab, C, C++, Java, Fortran
Operating system	BSDs (e.g., FreeBSD), Linux, macOS, Windows
Available in	English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Czech, Polish
Type	Technical computing
License	GPLv2, previously CeCILL

Scilab is a special computer program. It helps people solve hard math problems. It's also a programming language that focuses on numbers. You can use Scilab for many cool things.

For example, it helps with understanding signals. It also does statistics and makes pictures look better. Scilab can even simulate how liquids flow. It helps with finding the best solutions to problems. You can also use it to model and simulate moving systems.

Scilab is free to use and open-source. This means anyone can use it and even help make it better. It works on many different computers. Scilab is one of the main free choices like GNU Octave. Both are good alternatives to a program called MATLAB. Scilab is similar enough to MATLAB that it's easy to switch between them.

What is Scilab?
- Xcos: A Simulation Tool
- Easy to Use and Free
How to Use Scilab
- Simple Code Examples
Scilab Toolboxes
Scilab's History
- Scilab Versions and Support
See also

What is Scilab?

Scilab is a powerful tool for working with numbers. It uses an interpreted programming environment. This means it runs your code line by line. Scilab uses matrices as its main way to store data. A matrix is like a grid of numbers.

Using matrices helps solve many math problems. It takes fewer lines of code than other languages. This makes it faster to build models. You can quickly create models for many math challenges. Scilab also has many advanced operations. These include correlation and complex math with multiple dimensions.

Xcos: A Simulation Tool

Scilab also comes with a free program called Xcos. Xcos helps you model and simulate dynamic systems. These systems can be continuous or have separate parts. Xcos is like the open-source version of Simulink. Simulink is another popular simulation tool.

Easy to Use and Free

Scilab's rules for writing code, called its syntax, are like MATLAB's. Scilab even has a tool to help change MATLAB code into Scilab code. Scilab is free because it uses an open source license. Because it's open source, users can add their own improvements. These improvements can become part of the main program.

How to Use Scilab

The easiest way to use Scilab is to type commands. You type them at the prompt in the main window. The prompt looks like this: --> . This way, Scilab acts like an interactive math calculator.

Simple Code Examples

Here's how to make Scilab say "Hello World!":

disp('Hello World');

You can also make cool 3D plots. This code plots a wavy surface:

// A simple plot of z = f(x,y)
t=[0:0.3:2*%pi]';
z=sin(t)*cos(t');
plot3d(t,t',z)

Scilab Toolboxes

Scilab has many extra tools called "toolboxes." These toolboxes help with different tasks. They are like add-ons that give Scilab more abilities.

Some popular toolboxes include:

Scilab Image Processing Toolbox (SIP): For working with images.
Scilab Wavelet Toolbox: For analyzing signals and data.
Scilab Java and .NET Module: For connecting with other programming languages.
Scilab Remote Access Module: For using Scilab from another computer.

You can find even more toolboxes online. They are available on the ATOMS Portal or the Scilab forge.

Scilab's History

Scilab was first created in 1990. Researchers from two French groups made it. These groups were INRIA and École nationale des ponts et chaussées (ENPC). At first, it was called Ψlab (Psilab).

In 2003, the Scilab Consortium was formed. This group wanted more people to help with Scilab. They also wanted Scilab to be a worldwide standard. In 2008, the Consortium joined the Digiteo Foundation. This helped Scilab's technology reach more users.

Scilab Versions and Support

Scilab 5.1 came out in early 2009. This was the first version made for Mac computers. It worked on Mac OS X 10.5, also known as Leopard. Scilab has always worked on Linux and Windows computers.

In 2010, Scilab Enterprises was created. This company helps develop and sell services for Scilab users. They also work on keeping the Scilab software updated. Their goal is to make Scilab easier and more effective to use.

In February 2017, Scilab 6.0.0 was released. This version used newer programming standards. It also removed limits on how much memory Scilab could use. Later in 2017, ESI Group bought Scilab Enterprises. ESI Group is known for virtual prototyping.

Since 2019, the University of Technology of Compiègne helps build the macOS version. In mid-2022, the Scilab team became part of Dassault Systèmes.

Scilab facts for kids

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