matlab-live-script

name	matlab-live-script
description	Create MATLAB plain text Live Scripts (.m files) following specific formatting rules. Use when generating MATLAB scripts, educational MATLAB content, Live Scripts, or when the user requests .m files with rich text formatting.
license	MathWorks BSD-3-Clause (see LICENSE)
metadata	{"author":"MathWorks","version":"1.0"}

MATLAB Plain Text Live Script Generator

This skill provides comprehensive guidelines for creating properly formatted MATLAB plain text Live Scripts. These scripts combine executable MATLAB code with rich text documentation in a single .m file.

When to Use This Skill

• Creating new MATLAB Live Scripts in plain text format
• Generating educational MATLAB content with explanations
• When the user requests .m files with documentation
• Converting code examples into Live Script format
• Creating tutorial or example scripts

Critical Rules

File Format

• ALWAYS use the .m suffix for plain text Live Scripts
• NEVER create .mlx scripts (binary format)
• MUST close every script with the required appendix

Required Appendix

Every Live Script must end with this exact formatting:

%[appendix]{"version":"1.0"}
%---
%[metadata:view]
%   data: {"layout":"inline"}
%---

Reading Live Scripts (Token Optimization)

When reading a Live Script file to pass back to the language model, you can save significant token count by ignoring everything below the appendix marker (which begins with %[appendix]). This optimization avoids passing large embedded images that are stored in the appendix section. All working code and text content appears before the appendix, so no functional information is lost.

Formatting Rules

Section Headers

CORRECT format:

%%
%[text] ## Section Title

INCORRECT format (DO NOT USE):

%% Section Title

Rich Text

• Normal text uses %[text] prefix
• Text intended for a single paragraph should appear on a single line
• Use Markdown formatting after %[text]
• DO NOT leave blank lines in the file

Bulleted Lists

Bulleted lists must have a backslash on the last item:

%[text] - bullet 1
%[text] - bullet 2
%[text] - bullet 3 \

Tables

%[text:table]
%[text] | Column A | Column B |
%[text] | --- | --- |
%[text] | Value 1 | Value 2 |
%[text] | Value 3 | Value 4 |
%[text:table]

LaTeX Equations

Format equations with double backslashes:

%[text] $ e = \\sum_{\\alpha=0}^\\infty \\alpha^n/n! $

Note: All backslashes in LaTeX must be doubled.

Comments for Readers

DO NOT use fprintf for reader comments:

fprintf('This is a comment')  % WRONG

Instead use rich text:

%[text] This is a comment  % CORRECT

Code Guidelines

Figures and Plots

• Use implicit figure creation (just call plot, histogram, etc.)
• DO NOT use the figure command to create new figures
• Put no more than one plot per section (unless using tiled layouts)
• Only use tiled plots when especially important to the illustration

Script Initialization

• DO NOT start scripts with close all or clear commands
• Let MATLAB handle workspace management

Complete Example

%[text] # Sinusoidal Signals
%[text] Examples of sinusoidal signal in MATLAB.
%[text] - sine waves
%[text] - cosine waves \
x = linspace(0,8*pi);
%%
%[text] ## Sine Wave
plot(x,sin(x))
title('Sine Wave')
xlabel('x (radians)')
ylabel('sin(x)')
grid on
%%
%[text] ## Cosine Wave
plot(x,cos(x))
title('Cosine Wave')
xlabel('x (radians)')
ylabel('cos(x)')
grid on
%[text]

%[appendix]{"version":"1.0"}
%---
%[metadata:view]
%   data: {"layout":"inline"}
%---

Structure Pattern

A typical Live Script follows this pattern:

1. Title and Introduction

   %[text] # Main Title
   %[text] Brief description of what this script does.
   

2. Setup Code (if needed)

   variable = value;
   data = load('file.mat');
   

3. Sections with Explanations

   %%
   %[text] ## Section Name
   %[text] Explanation of what this section does.
   code_goes_here();
   plot(results)
   

4. Required Appendix

   %[appendix]{"version":"1.0"}
   %---
   %[metadata:view]
   %   data: {"layout":"inline"}
   %---
   

Common Patterns

Mathematical Explanations with Equations

%[text] ## Theory
%[text] The discrete Fourier transform is defined as:
%[text] $ X(k) = \\sum_{n=0}^{N-1} x(n)e^{-j2\\pi kn/N} $

Code with Inline Comments

%%
%[text] ## Data Processing
%[text] First, we load and filter the data.
data = load('measurements.mat');
filtered = lowpass(data, 0.5);  % Apply lowpass filter
%[text] Then we visualize the results.
plot(filtered)
title('Filtered Data')

Multiple Related Plots (Tiled Layout)

Only when necessary for comparison:

%%
%[text] ## Comparison of Methods
tiledlayout(1,2)
nexttile
plot(method1)
title('Method 1')
nexttile
plot(method2)
title('Method 2')

Checklist

Before finishing a Live Script, verify:

• File has .m extension
• Sections use %% followed by %[text] ##
• No blank lines in the file
• Bulleted lists end with backslash
• LaTeX uses double backslashes
• No figure commands
• No close all or clear at start
• Appendix is present and correctly formatted
• No fprintf for comments (use %[text] instead)

Troubleshooting

Issue: Script doesn't display rich text properly

• Solution: Ensure %[text] is at the start of each text line

Issue: Equations not rendering

• Solution: Check that all backslashes are doubled in LaTeX

Issue: Sections not appearing correctly

• Solution: Use %% on its own line, then %[text] ## on the next line

Issue: Script won't save with outputs

• Solution: Verify appendix is exactly as specified, with proper indentation