Why does using a comma as my decimal separator cause MATLAB to crash and affect my graphics?

If I use a semicolon as my decimal separator it causes MATLAB to crash and affect my graphics. Using the DEMO command can also cause a segmentation violation in this case.

In a crashing MATLAB, typing:

     a = 1.2

gives

   a = 1

Typing:

    a = 12/10

gives

a = 1,2

Note that MATLAB in the second case answered with a comma (,) instead of a period (.).

When I run DEMO after installing on a UNIX platform, I may also receive the following error message:

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

        Segmentation violation detected at Wed May 19 15:15:34 1999

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Configuration:

   MATLAB Version:   5.3.0.10183 (R11)

   Operating System: SunOS 5.5.1 Generic sun4m

   Window System:    Sun Microsystems, Inc. (3510), display :0.0

   Current Visual:   0x22 (class 3, depth  8)

In Sweden and other countries, we use commas (,) instead of periods (.) in numbers.

On all computers, on which I have the new printer drivers on the default printer, if I have a comma (,) as the decimal symbol, MATLAB will crash. If I have a period (.) as the decimal symbol, MATLAB will work.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

For PC:

In order to work around this issue, use the period as the decimal separator. You can change this by using the following the steps:

1. Click on the Start button

2. Choose Settings -> Control Panel

3. Choose Regional Settings

4. Choose the "Number" tab

5. Change the Decimal Symbol to a period

6. Click Apply

For UNIX:

To work around this, you will need to set your system to use the period as the decimal separator. The best way is to use

setenv LC_NUMERIC C

or

LC_NUMERIC=C  (if you are using a bsh)

in the shell before running MATLAB. This is a POSIX standard so it works on all machines.

For additional assistance with this, contact your system administrator.