Plot expression or function

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Syntax

fplot(f)

fplot(f,xinterval)

fplot(funx,funy)

fplot(funx,funy,tinterval)

fplot(___,LineSpec)

fplot(___,Name,Value)

fplot(ax,___)

fp = fplot(___)

[x,y] =fplot(___)

Description

example

fplot(f) plots thecurve defined by the function y = f(x) over thedefault interval [-5 5] for x.

example

fplot(f,xinterval) plotsover the specified interval. Specify the interval as a two-elementvector of the form [xmin xmax].

example

fplot(funx,funy) plotsthe curve defined by x = funx(t) and y= funy(t) over the default interval [-5 5] for t.

fplot(funx,funy,tinterval) plotsover the specified interval. Specify the interval as a two-elementvector of the form [tmin tmax].

fplot(___,LineSpec) specifiesthe line style, marker symbol, and line color. For example, '-r' plotsa red line. Use this option after any of the input argument combinationsin the previous syntaxes.

example

fplot(___,Name,Value) specifiesline properties using one or more name-value pair arguments. For example, 'LineWidth',2 specifiesa line width of 2 points.

fplot(ax,___) plotsinto the axes specified byax instead of the currentaxes (gca). Specify the axes as the first inputargument.

example

fp = fplot(___) returnsa FunctionLine object or a ParameterizedFunctionLine object,depending on the inputs. Use fp to query and modifyproperties of a specific line. For a list of properties, see FunctionLine Properties or ParameterizedFunctionLine Properties.

[x,y] =fplot(___) returns the abscissas and ordinates for the function without creating a plot. This syntax will be removed in a future release. Use the XData and YData properties of the line object, fp, instead.

Note

fplot no longer supports input arguments for specifying the error tolerance or the number of evaluation points. To specify the number of evaluation points, use the MeshDensity property.

Examples

collapse all

Plot Expression

Open Live Script

Plot sin(x) over the default x interval [-5 5].

fplot(@(x) sin(x))

Plot Parametric Curve

Open Live Script

Plot the parametric curve $x = c o s (3 t)$ and $y = s i n (2 t)$ .

xt = @(t) cos(3*t);yt = @(t) sin(2*t);fplot(xt,yt)

Specify Plotting Interval and Plot Piecewise Functions

Open Live Script

Plot the piecewise function

$\begin{array}{c} e^{x} & - 3 < x < 0 \\ \cos (x) & 0 < x < 3 . \end{array}$

Plot multiple lines using hold on. Specify the plotting intervals using the second input argument of fplot. Specify the color of the plotted lines as blue using 'b'. When you plot multiple lines in the same axes, the axis limits adjust to incorporate all the data.

fplot(@(x) exp(x),[-3 0],'b')hold onfplot(@(x) cos(x),[0 3],'b')hold offgrid on

Specify Line Properties and Display Markers

Open Live Script

Plot three sine waves with different phases. For the first, use a line width of 2 points. For the second, specify a dashed red line style with circle markers. For the third, specify a cyan, dash-dotted line style with asterisk markers.

fplot(@(x) sin(x+pi/5),'Linewidth',2);hold onfplot(@(x) sin(x-pi/5),'--or');fplot(@(x) sin(x),'-.*c')hold off

Modify Line Properties After Creation

Open Live Script

Plot sin(x) and assign the function line object to a variable.

fp = fplot(@(x) sin(x))

fp = FunctionLine with properties: Function: @(x)sin(x) Color: [0 0.4470 0.7410] LineStyle: '-' LineWidth: 0.5000 Use GET to show all properties

Change the line to a dotted red line by using dot notation to set properties. Add cross markers and set the marker color to blue.

fp.LineStyle = ':';fp.Color = 'r';fp.Marker = 'x';fp.MarkerEdgeColor = 'b';

Plot Multiple Lines in Same Axes

Open Live Script

Plot two lines using hold on.

fplot(@(x) sin(x))hold on fplot(@(x) cos(x))hold off

Add Title and Axis Labels and Format Ticks

Open Live Script

Plot $\sin (x)$ from $- 2 π$ to $2 π$ using a function handle. Display the grid lines. Then, add a title and label the x-axis and y-axis.

fplot(@sin,[-2*pi 2*pi])grid ontitle('sin(x) from -2\pi to 2\pi')xlabel('x');ylabel('y');

Use gca to access the current axes object. Display tick marks along the x-axis at intervals of $π / 2$ . Format the x-axis tick values by setting the XTick and XTickLabel properties of the axes object. Similar properties exist for the y-axis.

ax = gca;ax.XTick = -2*pi:pi/2:2*pi;ax.XTickLabel = {'-2\pi','-3\pi/2','-\pi','-\pi/2','0',... '\pi/2','\pi','3\pi/2','2\pi'};

Input Arguments

collapse all

`f` — Function to plot
function handle

Function to plot, specified as a function handle to a namedor anonymous function.

Specify a function of the form y = f(x).The function must accept a vector input argument and return a vectoroutput argument of the same size. Use array operators instead of matrixoperators for the best performance. For example, use .* (times)instead of * (mtimes).

Note

Support for character vector inputs will be removed in a futurerelease. Use function handles instead.

Example: fplot(@(x) sin(x)) plots sin(x) over the default interval, [-5, 5].

`xinterval` — Interval for `x`
`[–5 5]` (default) | two-element vector of form `[xmin xmax]`

Interval for x, specified as a two-elementvector of the form [xmin xmax].

`funx` — Parametric function for x coordinates
function handle

Parametric function for x coordinates, specifiedas a function handle to a named or anonymous function.

Specify a function of the form x = funx(t).The function must accept a vector input argument and return a vectoroutput argument of the same size. Use array operators instead of matrixoperators for the best performance. For example, use .* (times)instead of * (mtimes).

Example: funx = @(t) sin(2*t);

`funy` — Parametric function for y coordinates
anonymous function | function handle

Parametric function for y coordinates, specifiedas a function handle to a named or anonymous function.

Specify a function of the form y = funy(t).The function must accept a vector input argument and return a vectoroutput argument of the same size. Use array operators instead of matrixoperators for the best performance. For example, use .* (times)instead of * (mtimes).

Example: funy = @(t) cos(3*t);

`tinterval` — Interval for `t`
`[-5 5]` (default) | two-element vector of form `[tmin tmax]`

Interval for t, specified as a two-elementvector of the form [tmin tmax].

`ax` — Axes object
axes object

Axes object. If you do not specify an axes object, then fplot usesthe current axes (gca).

`LineSpec` — Line style, marker, and color
string scalar | character vector

Line style, marker, and color, specified as a string scalar or character vector containing symbols. The symbols can appear in any order. You do not need to specify all three characteristics (line style, marker, and color). For example, if you omit the line style and specify the marker, then the plot shows only the marker and no line.

Example: "--or" is a red dashed line with circle markers.

Line Style	Description	Resulting Line
`"-"`	Solid line
`"--"`	Dashed line
`":"`	Dotted line
`"-."`	Dash-dotted line

Marker	Description	Resulting Marker
`"o"`	Circle
`"+"`	Plus sign
`"*"`	Asterisk
`"."`	Point
`"x"`	Cross
`"_"`	Horizontal line
`"\|"`	Vertical line
`"square"`	Square
`"diamond"`	Diamond
`"^"`	Upward-pointing triangle
`"v"`	Downward-pointing triangle
`">"`	Right-pointing triangle
`"<"`	Left-pointing triangle
`"pentagram"`	Pentagram
`"hexagram"`	Hexagram

Color Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet
`"red"`	`"r"`	`[1 0 0]`
`"green"`	`"g"`	`[0 1 0]`
`"blue"`	`"b"`	`[0 0 1]`
`"cyan"`	`"c"`	`[0 1 1]`
`"magenta"`	`"m"`	`[1 0 1]`
`"yellow"`	`"y"`	`[1 1 0]`
`"black"`	`"k"`	`[0 0 0]`
`"white"`	`"w"`	`[1 1 1]`

Name-Value Arguments

Specify optional pairs of arguments as Name1=Value1,...,NameN=ValueN, where Name is the argument name and Value is the corresponding value. Name-value arguments must appear after other arguments, but the order of the pairs does not matter.

Before R2021a, use commas to separate each name and value, and enclose Name in quotes.

Example: 'Marker','o','MarkerFaceColor','red'

The properties listed here are only a subset. For a completelist, see FunctionLine Properties or ParameterizedFunctionLine Properties.

Output Arguments

collapse all

`fp` — One or more `FunctionLine` or `ParameterizedFunctionLine` objects
scalar | vector

One or more FunctionLine or ParameterizedFunctionLine objects,returned as a scalar or a vector.

If you use the fplot(f) syntaxor a variation of this syntax, then fplot returns FunctionLine objects.
If you use the fplot(funx,funy) syntaxor a variation of this syntax, then fplot returns ParameterizedFunctionLine objects.

You can use these objects to query and modify properties ofa specific line. For a list of properties, see FunctionLine Properties and ParameterizedFunctionLine Properties.

Tips

Use element-wise operators for the best performanceand to avoid a warning message. For example, use x.*y insteadof x*y. For more information, see Array vs. Matrix Operations.
When you zoom in on the chart, fplot replotsthe data, which can reveal hidden details.

Extended Capabilities

GPU Arrays
Accelerate code by running on a graphics processing unit (GPU) using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

Usage notes and limitations:

This function accepts GPU arrays, but does not run on a GPU.

For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions on a GPU (Parallel Computing Toolbox).

Distributed Arrays
Partition large arrays across the combined memory of your cluster using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

Usage notes and limitations:

This function operates on distributed arrays, but executes in the client MATLAB.

For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions with Distributed Arrays (Parallel Computing Toolbox).

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

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Plot expression or function - MATLAB fplot (2024)

Syntax

Description

Examples

Plot Expression

Plot Parametric Curve

Specify Plotting Interval and Plot Piecewise Functions

Specify Line Properties and Display Markers

Modify Line Properties After Creation

Plot Multiple Lines in Same Axes

Add Title and Axis Labels and Format Ticks

Input Arguments

`f` — Function to plot
function handle

`xinterval` — Interval for `x`
`[–5 5]` (default) | two-element vector of form `[xmin xmax]`

`funx` — Parametric function for x coordinates
function handle

`funy` — Parametric function for y coordinates
anonymous function | function handle

`tinterval` — Interval for `t`
`[-5 5]` (default) | two-element vector of form `[tmin tmax]`

`ax` — Axes object
axes object

`LineSpec` — Line style, marker, and color
string scalar | character vector

Name-Value Arguments

Output Arguments

`fp` — One or more `FunctionLine` or `ParameterizedFunctionLine` objects
scalar | vector

Tips

Extended Capabilities

GPU Arrays
Accelerate code by running on a graphics processing unit (GPU) using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

Distributed Arrays
Partition large arrays across the combined memory of your cluster using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

Version History

See Also

Functions

Properties

MATLAB Command

Americas

Europe

Asia Pacific

References

Plot expression or function - MATLAB fplot (2024)

Syntax

Description

Examples

Plot Expression

Plot Parametric Curve

Specify Plotting Interval and Plot Piecewise Functions

Specify Line Properties and Display Markers

Modify Line Properties After Creation

Plot Multiple Lines in Same Axes

Add Title and Axis Labels and Format Ticks

Input Arguments

f — Function to plot function handle

xinterval — Interval for x [–5 5] (default) | two-element vector of form [xmin xmax]

funx — Parametric function for x coordinates function handle

funy — Parametric function for y coordinates anonymous function | function handle

tinterval — Interval for t [-5 5] (default) | two-element vector of form [tmin tmax]

ax — Axes object axes object

LineSpec — Line style, marker, and color string scalar | character vector

Name-Value Arguments

Output Arguments

fp — One or more FunctionLine or ParameterizedFunctionLine objects scalar | vector

Tips

Extended Capabilities

GPU Arrays Accelerate code by running on a graphics processing unit (GPU) using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

Distributed ArraysPartition large arrays across the combined memory of your cluster using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

Version History

See Also

Functions

Properties

MATLAB Command

Americas

Europe

Asia Pacific

References

`f` — Function to plot
function handle

`xinterval` — Interval for `x`
`[–5 5]` (default) | two-element vector of form `[xmin xmax]`

`funx` — Parametric function for x coordinates
function handle

`funy` — Parametric function for y coordinates
anonymous function | function handle

`tinterval` — Interval for `t`
`[-5 5]` (default) | two-element vector of form `[tmin tmax]`

`ax` — Axes object
axes object

`LineSpec` — Line style, marker, and color
string scalar | character vector

`fp` — One or more `FunctionLine` or `ParameterizedFunctionLine` objects
scalar | vector

GPU Arrays
Accelerate code by running on a graphics processing unit (GPU) using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

Distributed Arrays
Partition large arrays across the combined memory of your cluster using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.