Newsletters - MATLAB News & Notes

MathWorks Web Site Provides Comprehensive Support

More than just FAQs

by Customer Service and Technical Support

Did You Know That from the MathWorks Support Pages...

• You have access to the same Knowledge Base as our Technical Support engineers, including thousands of solutions, examples and user-contributed M-files?
• You can track your purchasing order?
• You can combine, convert, or make other changes directly to your MATLAB license?

You can do all of the above and more by accessing the Support page of the MathWorks Web site. The ed site also accommodates individual searching techniques.

Many people believe that the only technical information that software vendors provide on the Web are FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). The MathWorks does not follow this model. On any given day, our support staff answer 50-70 percent of all questions using information already available on our Web site. Essentially, our Support page can act as your own virtual technical support engineer any time you need assistance.

We have recently changed the format of the site, so please take a few minutes, point your Web browser to www.mathworks.com/support, and follow along with this article as we walk you through the new Support page... it's much more than just FAQs.

Get Technical Assistance

This section of the site contains quick access links to major subject areas, such as installation, licensing, and graphics. The information in this area has been requested by hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of our customers.

Under Hot Topics, you will find critical information about the latest patch releases and the most popular questions, such as, "What Are The Supported Compilers" or "Is MATLAB Year 2000 Compliant?"

Graphics, Printing, and GUIs
You will find commonly asked questions in the main section of the Support page. The navigation bar on the right side of the page give you the option to access online documentation FAQ and detailed technical information relating to graphics, printing, and graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

Installation, License Changes, and Passwords
You can now retrieve your personal license information through this link, as well as, definitions of a personal license password, and a license file. You may also view online documentation, answer questions related to installation, and access forms to make automatic license changes or conversions.

Learn to Use the Products

How Do I...
In this section, solutions on the major products appear with answers to questions that you and other customers ask most frequently. Note that the questions are updated monthly. This information, written by our technical support staff, covers a variety of topics, including general MATLAB, Simulink, and mathematics.

Documentation
For the first time, access to the online Help Desk, including links to both online PDF and HTML documentation, is available to all customers.

MATLAB Based Books

Comprehensive summaries of MATLAB based books written and published by third-party organizations are available online. You can also find information about companion software associated with some of these books, and information for authors interested in writing a MATLAB based book.

Training
The MathWorks training site includes information on courses offered, pricing, and training options. Sign up today for a course!

Get Products, Patches, and Updates

If you need information about running MATLAB on your system, you can click on the Check System Requirements link. The Downloads area contains patches, M-files, products, and updates to the current versions of MATLAB that are available for you to download. You can also update your licensing by following links to the MATLAB Software Maintenance Service.

Search Knowledge Base

Use the Search field to search our Knowledge Base. The database can be accessed from the Support page and by selecting the Search choice at the top of any MathWorks page. From the search field, your keywords or phrases will return matches from MATLAB 4 and 5 Technical Notes in addition to all support solutions. You also have the option to look for either multiple key words or exact expressions (i.e., full-text). If you prefer to narrow your search, use the Search link at the top of any Web page.

Search (Formerly Called Solution Search Engine)

This link is now accessible from the top navigation bar. Accessing the Knowledge Base from the Search link at the top of any Web page allows you to limit the scope of your search. You can select which document collections to search, as well as the type of search to use (Boolean or free-text). You can perform combined or exclusive searches on the Technical Support Solutions, MATLAB 5 Technical Notes, MATLAB 4 Technical Notes, Contributed FTP Files, Entire Web Site, Products, MATLAB Based Books, and Online Documentation.

Once you read a solution, please send us feedback. Make suggestions for future enhancements, or ask specific questions if you could not find a solution. The feedback you submit when you fill in the Comments and Suggestions box on each solution page is read daily by a technical support engineer who ensures that your suggestions reach the right people.

Online Search Tips

1. To search for an exact phrase, enclose your query in double quotes. For example, "Microsoft Visual" will return only matches that include the whole phrase rather than just "Microsoft" or just "Visual".
2. Use capitalization only if you want your query to be case-sensitive. For example, the "Fuzzy Toolbox" query will not recognize a match to "fuzzy"; it will only return matches to "Fuzzy".
3. Use an asterisk (*) to substitute for multiple characters you are unsure of and a question mark (?) to substitute for one character you are unsure of.
4. Do not include a period in your query. If you want to search for a version number, phrase it as Simulink "2?2" instead of Simulink 2.2.

Contact Us

One of the fastest and most efficient ways of contacting Technical Support or Customer Service is via the Contact Us option on the top navigation bar. Under Contact Us, you'll find forms to:

• Report a bug
• Request an enhancement
• Contact Technical Support
• Contact Customer Service

These forms require you to provide specific information, such as product and platform, so we can handle your query efficiently. This significantly reduces the amount of time it takes for us to respond to your questions.

Next time you have a question, make our Web site your primary resource. If you cannot locate the answer to your questions, click on Contact Us and fill out the appropriate form. We will respond to you within one business day.

The Support Web page is a very powerful tool for accessing technical resources. We upgrade it regularly to make it even more efficient and effective. Please use it and give us feedback. It is important for us to know what you think we can do to improve your Support page. Visit www.mathworks.com/support/.