Re: Matlab to Octave or R ?

[Joe Koski]

on 12/18/04 7:44 PM, Robert Lawson at address@hidden wrote:

> I am just beginning to use the free matlab toolbox, EEGLab
> (http://sccn.ucsd.edu/eeglab/),  for analysis of continuous EEG. I
> primarily need the ICA and topographic mapping functions.
> 
> I need some consulting to get selected EEGlab scripts to run in Octave or R.
> 
> 
> Robert Lawson

Robert,

My experience is that the MATLAB scripts themselves usually run almost
unchanged in octave, especially if you use one of the more recent versions.
The main difference is in the graphics.

I haven't used EEGlab, but I've converted several other MATLAB .m libraries
to work with octave.

Octave sends plot commands to gnuplot, a separate program. While many of the
same plot commands are available, but there are some significant
differences. For example, for simple plots, title and axis comes ahead of
the plot command in octave, while they are placed after the plot command in
MATLAB. The image() routine in octave works, but the axis labels and title
don't appear outside the image frame as they do in MATLAB. This may be
unkind to your topographic mapping functions. There are ways of working
around many of the issues, but they take time and knowledge. I guess the
quick answer on the use of octave for EEGlab is "it depends." It certainly
works for my type of stuff.

I have no experience with the R language, so I can't comment there.

Joe


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Octave is freely available under the terms of the GNU GPL.

Octave's home on the web:  http://www.octave.org
How to fund new projects:  http://www.octave.org/funding.html
Subscription information:  http://www.octave.org/archive.html
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