Introduction to programming using Scilab
Today learning to program is the basic need of any student right from 10+2. It is required in many fields right from biology to business management. There are many open source programs or programming software tools available and Scilab is the leader among them. Scilab is popular not only because it’s free but also it has various applications and it is easy to use. Open source software tools like Scilab also demands an open and free learning resource. LearnCAx brings to you a free course which will introduce you to the basics of programming using Scilab along with examples and supporting material. Register now if you are curious about Scilab and want to get started with programming in Scilab.
Recommended background
We recommend this course for students of 10+2 with science background. Though programming knowledge is not required to take this course but we assume that you have fundamental knowledge of mathematics and physics. Anyone who wants to learn programming using Scilab can join this course. If you have any queries or difficulties in understanding any concepts related to programming, you can ask your questions to us and we will help you.
Your Learning
This course will introduce you to basic concepts of scientific programming using Scilab. The course will help you explore the world of programming. You will understand how cool it is to do programming in Scilab. By the end of this course, you will be in a position to write a simple scientific program on your own in Scilab. Through this course you will also come to know how knowledge of physics and mathematics is transformed into a computer program.
This course contains video lessons. Along with video lessons you will also get sample programs which are used as examples in this course. Course includes various examples to explain in-built functions, loops. You can utilize this programming knowledge in your application field.
Course Format
This course is in video lesson format and length of video varies from few minutes to 30 minutes. Some concepts or examples are explained in the form of short concept videos which form part of a bigger lesson. Each video lesson will explain concepts of programming with simple examples.
Course Syllabus
The course is divided into three lessons. Each lesson has a specific objective and is designed to satisfy the needs of subsequent lesson. It is recommended that you do not move to the next lesson until all the concepts in the lesson are well understood.
Lesson 1: Scilab - Introduction and Historical Perspective
There is requirement of programming in almost every field; right from biology to business management. Programming is used for doing complex computations easily and to do repetitive tasks effortlessly. For scientific computing there are many software tools available, some are premium, some are open source. Open source software tools like Scilab are becoming more popular because they don’t involve any cost and also they are as robust as premium software. Objective of this lesson is to introduce you to Scilab, provide insight about capabilities of Scilab. You will also get familiar with features of Scilab as well brief history of programming and open source. Have you ever wondered how programming languages were invented? Who invented them? What is open source and how did simulation technology come forth? Get answers to all these questions in this lesson.
Lesson 2: Introduction to Programming and Historical Perspective
This lesson emphasizes on basic elements of Scilab. Scilab software is known for its simplicity. Those who don’t know much about programming, those who struggle to do programming in C, C++ can easily develop programs using this software. Learn how easy it is to use variables in Scilab. Scilab is very easy to use, its syntax are very simple. Scilab is used for scientific computations, which uses matrices very frequently. Study how to do standard operations on matrices, how to create different types of matrices using in built functions. This lesson will also covers various in built functions used in Scilab such as elementary mathematical functions, Matlab compatible functions, frequently required functions.
Lesson 3: Advanced programming concepts in Scilab
Scilab is a high level programming language. There are many in built functions in Scilab for scientific computation. This lesson will give an overview of some advanced functions used in Scilab with examples. You will also learn loops and conditional statements such as for loop, while loop, if then else with an illustration of code and algorithm. Scilab is very robust software for plotting 2 D graphs, contours. This lesson will give a glimpse about how to plot graphs and contours using Scilab. You will learn some tips and tricks to make your code efficient. Lesson also presents various example codes with explanation.
1. What resources will I need for this class?
For this course you will need an internet connection, a modern browser and Scilab software.
2. Can I get software access?
LearnCAx do not provide Scilab software, but as it is open source software you can get it from www.scilab.org .
3. Does this course require any prerequisite knowledge of programing?
No, this course is for beginners so although if you do not have any knowledge of programming, you can take this course.
4. Can I use a Mac or Linux for the course?
Yes you can use any of these operating systems- Windows XP, 7, 8, Linux or Mac. Scilab software is compatible with all these operating systems.
5. I don’t have an engineering background. Can I take this course?
Yes, you can. In-fact we have designed the course with this assumption only. We do not expect you to have an engineering background to attend this course. The course is designed for beginners and is self-contained. But we assume that you have fundamental knowledge of mathematics and physics.
6. When I can start the course and how much time is needed to complete the course?
The course is available all the time. Time necessary to start the course is what you need to create a LearnCAx login :). Considering difficulty level, understanding capacity and necessary extra reading, on average, we expect this course to be finished in 2 to 3 weeks.
7. How difficult is this course?
The course is designed for beginners and we believe that it’s easy for everyone.
8. Will I get a certificate after completing this course?
No, you will not get certificate for completing this course.
9. I have few queries related to work I am doing. Can I contact you?
As the course is designed for beginners, so you might have specific questions. Feel free to ask those questions using the link “Ask a Question” given on course page.
10. This course has only 4 video lessons visible right now. How can I see remaining video lessons?
This course is part of free course initiative by LearnCAx. Within a free course, lessons are developed and launched one by one. The remaining lessons are under preparation and will be launched soon. You can provide us your email address and we will notify you once the new lesson is launched.