How to get my code to define variables

Hi, I've written a quick piece of code which is the following:

function [Delta, theta, theta1, theta1prim, theta2prim, theta2] = mindeviation(n, A)

n0 = 1;
Delta = asin(n/n0 * sin(A/2))*2 - A;
theta = (Delta + A)/2;
disp(['Minimum deviation is ' num2str(Delta) ' radians or ' num2str(Delta*180/pi) ' degrees.'])
disp(['The angle of incidence is ' num2str(theta) ' radians or ' num2str(theta*180/pi) ' degrees.'])

theta1 = linspace(0,pi/2);
theta1prim = (asin(sin(theta1)/n));
theta2prim = (A-theta1prim);
theta2 = (asin(n*sin(theta2prim)));
Delta2 = theta1 + theta2 - theta1prim - theta2prim;

plot(theta1*180/pi,Delta2*180/pi)
xlabel('Angle of incidence (deg)')
ylabel('Angle of deviation (deg)')
xlim([0 90])
ylim([10 45])

I want it to define Delta, theta, and so on in Matlab when I run it but it doesn't for some reason so I figured I must be missing something important, but I can't find it whatever I try. Can anyone help me how to fix it? Thanks a lot for your time.

[per isakson]

• "doesn't for some reason" &nbsp how do you know it does not?
• Do you know how to use breakpoints?

Answer 1

[James Tursa]

I assume you mean you want to capture the variables Delta, theta, etc in the workspace where mindeviation is called. You must do so explicitly. E.g.,

n = whatever
A = whatever
[Delta, theta, theta1, theta1prim, theta2prim, theta2] = mindeviation(n, A);

Now you should have Delta, theta, etc in your workspace.

Answer 2

[Star Strider]

You didn’t post any of your other code, so I can only guess you are not actually calling your function. In your main script, include this line:

[Delta, theta, theta1, theta1prim, theta2prim, theta2] = mindeviation(n, A);

You should have all the returned values in your MATLAB main script workspace. Your function doesn’t know you want it to run unless you tell it to.