Development Environment

Formatting and Spacing Numeric Output

By default, numeric output in the Command Windows is displayed as 5-digit scaled, fixed-point values. Use the text display preference to change the numeric format of output. The text display format affects only how numbers are shown, not how MATLAB computes or saves them.

Function Alternative

Use the format function to control the output format of the numeric values displayed in the Command Window. The format you specify applies only to the current session. More advanced alternatives are listed in the "See Also" section of the format reference page.

Examples of Formats

Here are a few examples of the various formats and the output produced from the following two-element vector x, with components of different magnitudes.

• x = [4/3 1.2345e-6]
  
  format short e
     1.3333e+000  1.2345e-006
  
  format short
     1.3333    0.0000
  
  format + 
  ++
  

For a complete list and description of available formats, see the reference page for format. If you want more control over the output format, use the sprintf and fprintf functions.

Controlling Spacing

Use the text display preference or format function to control spacing in the output. Use

• format compact
  

to suppress blank lines, allowing you to view more information in the Command Window. To include the blank lines, which can help make output more readable, use

• format loose
  

Paging of Output in the Command Window

Printing Command Window Contents