Starting Octave Windows XP

[Michael J. McCann]

I have just installed Octave. I had been introduced to Matlab 
(R2007a) but can't use it now. Octave seems to be an alternative.
         Doing calculations at the command line is OK,
BUT to be useful I need to store code and retrieve it on a project by 
project basis.

I have never used UNIX etc so all references to its workings are 
meaningless. DOS commands no longer make sense and I can't get then 
to work in the command window anyway. Things like >CD .. etc produce 
no response.

I can't see any instructions that allow me to save ".m" files where I 
can later get at them (e.g somewhere in "My Documents" ) nor a means 
to bring them back or use them again. The "path" instruction is no 
help as it doesn't yield any useable information. The working 
directory is referred to in the help files but not where it is nor 
how to select it. I need to be able to keep a collection of files for 
each project in its own folder (working directory I presume).

  I see no definitions of syntax or rules for functions or file 
naming. Am I to assume that I use a Matlab text? The editor allows me 
to save files anywhere in the Windows folder structure, but that 
bears no relation to the Octave files.

Please can you point me to some help?
Thanks,
Mike.

Dr Michael J. McCann,           Date: 2008.02.08        03:26gmt
BSc(Eng), DIC, PhD, CEng, FIEE.
McCann Science.
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