Fundamental MATLAB Classes

There are 16 fundamental classes in MATLAB. Each of these classes is in the form of a matrix or array. With the exception of function handles, this matrix or array is a minimum of 0-by-0 in size and can grow to an n-dimensional array of any size. A function handle is always scalar (1-by-1).

All of the fundamental MATLAB classes are shown in the diagram below:

Numeric classes in the MATLAB software include signed and unsigned integers, and single- and double-precision floating-point numbers. By default, MATLAB stores all numeric values as double-precision floating point. (You cannot change the default type and precision.) You can choose to store any number, or array of numbers, as integers or as single-precision. Integer and single-precision arrays offer more memory-efficient storage than double-precision.

All numeric types support basic array operations, such as subscripting, reshaping, and mathematical operations.

These classes require different amounts of storage, the smallest being a logical value or 8-bit integer which requires only 1 byte. It is important to keep this minimum size in mind if you work on data in files that were written using a precision smaller than 8 bits.

The following table describes the fundamental classes in more detail.

Class Name	Documentation	Intended Use
double, single	Floating-Point Numbers	Required for fractional numeric data. Double and Single precision. Use realmin and realmax to show range of values. Two-dimensional arrays can be sparse. Default numeric type in MATLAB.
int8, uint8,  int16, uint16, int32, uint32, int64, uint64	Integers	Use for signed and unsigned whole numbers. More efficient use of memory. Use intmin and intmax to show range of values. Choose from 4 sizes (8, 16, 32, and 64 bits).
char	Characters and Strings	Data type for text. Native or Unicode®. Converts to/from numeric. Use with regular expressions. For multiple strings, use cell arrays.
logical	Logical Operations	Use in relational conditions or to test state. Can have one of two values: true or false. Also useful in array indexing. Two-dimensional arrays can be sparse.
function_handle	Function Handles	Pointer to a function. Enables passing a function to another function Can also call functions outside usual scope. Useful in Handle Graphics callbacks. Save to MAT-file and restore later.
table	Tables	Rectangular container for mixed-type, column-oriented data. Row and variable names identify contents. Use Table Properties to store metadata such as variable units. Manipulation of elements similar to numeric or logical arrays. Access data by numeric or named index. Can select a subset of data and preserve the table container or can extract the data from a table.
struct	Structures	Fields store arrays of varying classes and sizes. Access one or all fields/indices in single operation. Field names identify contents. Method of passing function arguments. Use in comma-separated lists. More memory required for overhead
cell	Cell Arrays	Cells store arrays of varying classes and sizes. Allows freedom to package data as you want. Manipulation of elements is similar to numeric or logical arrays. Method of passing function arguments. Use in comma-separated lists. More memory required for overhead