MATLAB comes with an extensive set of documentation consisting of an online help facility and online function reference, as well as printed manuals.

Included in the help facility is the MathWorks Help Desk, which provides online access to documentation through your web browser. All manuals are available in PDF form; selected titles are also available in HTML form. The complete set of manuals is listed under Online Manuals, which has descriptions of the manuals and links to the PDF versions. The manuals available from the Help Desk in HTML include Getting Started with MATLAB, Late-Breaking News for the MATLAB 5.2 Product Family, and MATLAB 5.2 Product Family New Features.

The Help Desk includes the online MATLAB Function Reference, which provides descriptions all the MATLAB functions and operators. To find the information for a function, use either the listing by subject area or the index. In addition, the Help Desk provides quick access to the descriptions of the Handle Graphics properties through the Handle Graphics Objects browser.

The following table explains where to look in the documentation set to find particular information.

How to Use the MATLAB Documentation Set
What I Want	What I Should Do
I need to install MATLAB.	See the Installation Guide for your platform.
I'm new to MATLAB and want to learn it fast.	Start by reading Getting Started with MATLAB. The most important things to learn are how to enter matrices, how to use the : (colon) operator, and how to invoke functions. After you master the basics, you can access the rest of the documentation as needed, or you can use online help and the demonstrations to learn other commands.
I'm upgrading from MATLAB 4.	Read MATLAB 5.2 Product Family New Features to find out about the new features in MATLAB 5. Pay special attention to the "Upgrading from MATLAB 4 to MATLAB 5.2" section for how to convert your M-files. You should then refer to Using MATLAB [PDF] and Using MATLAB Graphics [PDF] for specific details about the new features.
I want to know how to use a specific function.	Use the online help facility. For brief online help, use the help window (type helpwin or select Help Window from the Help menu on the PC and Macintosh). For a full description, use the online MATLAB Function Reference via the web-based Help Desk or via the doc command (type doc followed by the name of the function). The MATLAB Function Reference is available in PDF format (Volume 1: Language and Volume 2: Graphics) if you wish to print out any of the function descriptions in high-quality form.
I want to find a function for a specific purpose but I don't know its name.	There are three choices Use lookfor from the command line (e.g., lookfor inverse). Use the online search from the Help Desk. Visit The MathWorks Web site and see if there is a user-contributed file to solve your problem.
I want to know what functions are available in a general area.	Use the help window (type helpwin or select Help Window from the Help menu) to see a list of functions organized by directory group, or use the Help Desk to see the Function Reference's grouping by subject area.
I want to learn about a specific topic like sparse matrices, ordinary differential equations, or cell arrays.	See the appropriate chapter in Using MATLAB [PDF].
I want to know how to use the MATLAB API.	Use the Help Desk to see reference information about the Application Program Interface.
I have a problem I want help with.	For tips and troubleshooting problems, use the Help Desk to visit the Technical Support section of The MathWorks Web site (www.mathworks.com) and use the Solution Search Engine to search the Technical Support database of problem solutions.
I want to report a bug or make a suggestion.	Use the bug-report or suggestion forms via the web, or send e-mail to bugs@mathworks.com or suggest@mathworks.com.
I want to contact The MathWorks Technical Support.	Use the Help Desk to submit an e-mail help-request form describing your question or problem.