The CraftScript language — PartCraft help

CraftScript is a matrix language written to read like MATLAB, so most classic numerical codes (the 88-line topology optimization code, for example) run with only small changes. It runs in the Script workspace and from the command line.

Values

Type	Example	Notes
Number, array	`a = 3`, `v = [1 2 3]`, `A = [1 2; 3 4]`	Every number is an array (a 1×1 one). Arrays are stored column by column, up to 8 dimensions
Logical	`A > 2`, `true`	Arrays of true/false; usable as indices
Text	`'beam'`, `"beam"`
Sparse matrix	`sparse(i, j, v, n, n)`	For stiffness matrices
Mesh, field, model	`hexGrid(…)`, `part()`, `load('part.stl')`	What `show` draws
Struct	`s.E = 210e3`	Named fields
Cell	`c = {1, 'two', [3 4]}`	A list of any values
Function handle	`f = @(x) x.^2`

Arrays and indexing

Ranges: 1:5, 0:0.1:1. linspace(a, b, n), zeros(n, m), ones, eye, rand.
Indexing starts at 1: A(2, 3), v(end), A(:, 1) (a whole column), A(:) (everything as one column), v(v > 0) (logical indexing).
Assigning past the end grows the array, as in MATLAB: v(10) = 1.

Operators

+ - * / \ ^ are matrix operations (A \ b solves); .* ./ .^ work element by element. ' transposes.
Comparisons == ~= < <= > >=; logic & | ~ (element by element) and && || (short-circuit).

Control flow and functions

for k = 1:10
  if mod(k, 2) == 0
    continue
  elseif k > 7
    break
  end
end
while err > 1e-6, … end
switch kind
  case 'steel'
    E = 210e3;
  otherwise
    E = 70e3;
end
try
  x = A \ b;
catch e
  disp(e.message)
end

Functions go in a script after its commands, or in their own script tab named after the function:

function [k, m] = beam(E, I, L)
  k = 3 * E * I / L^3;
  m = 0;
end

A name is looked up in this order: a variable, a script in this part with that name, a library function, a built-in function.

Echo, comments, output

A statement without ; prints its value; ; keeps it quiet.
% starts a comment; %{ and %} on lines of their own comment out the lines between them.
disp(x), fprintf('%g\n', x) and display(x) print to the console.

Errors and limits

Errors say what went wrong in plain words and give the line (and the chain of function calls).
Each run has a step budget (Run options in the panel); an endless loop stops with a message, or press Stop.
Arrays hold up to 134 million values each.

Not like MATLAB

Plot commands put their options in the call: plot(x, y, 'title', 'Error', 'xlabel', 'Step'). figure, hold, axis, title(…) and similar are accepted and do nothing.
input and keyboard are not supported: a script cannot stop to ask a question.
There are no toolboxes; the analysis library and the built-in functions are what there is.