How to Create Array in MATLAB: Syntax and Examples

In MATLAB, you create an array by enclosing elements in square brackets []. Separate elements in a row with spaces or commas, and separate rows with semicolons. For example, A = [1 2 3; 4 5 6] creates a 2x3 array.

Syntax

To create an array in MATLAB, use square brackets []. Inside, list elements separated by spaces or commas for columns, and use semicolons to separate rows.

• Row elements: separated by spaces or commas
• Rows: separated by semicolons

matlab

A = [1 2 3; 4 5 6]

Output

[
     1     2     3
     4     5     6
]

Example

This example creates a 3x3 array with numbers from 1 to 9 arranged in rows.

matlab

B = [1 2 3; 4 5 6; 7 8 9]
disp(B)

Output

[
     1     2     3
     4     5     6
     7     8     9
]

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when creating arrays include:

• Using commas and semicolons incorrectly (commas separate columns, semicolons separate rows).
• Mixing row lengths, which causes errors because MATLAB arrays must be rectangular.
• Forgetting square brackets, which leads to syntax errors.

matlab

Wrong: C = [1, 2; 3 4 5]  % Rows have different lengths
Right: C = [1 2 0; 3 4 5]  % Rows have equal lengths

Quick Reference

Syntax	Description
[1 2 3]	Row vector with elements 1, 2, 3
[1; 2; 3]	Column vector with elements 1, 2, 3
[1 2; 3 4]	2x2 matrix with two rows and two columns
1:5	Row vector with elements from 1 to 5
zeros(2,3)	2x3 matrix of zeros
ones(3,1)	3x1 column vector of ones

Key Takeaways

Use square brackets [] to create arrays in MATLAB.

Separate elements in a row with spaces or commas, and separate rows with semicolons.

All rows must have the same number of elements to form a valid array.

Use built-in functions like zeros() and ones() for special arrays.

Check syntax carefully to avoid common errors with separators.