GNU Octave strives to be among the very best numerical tools available. While compatibility with Matlab is one of many strong features of Octave, we have not achieved 100% compatibility. If you are reading this page, it is most likely because you attempted to use a function that is part of core Matlab, but has yet to be implemented in Octave.

There can be several reasons for the given function not to exist in Octave:

  • The function may exist in Octave-Forge, but has not yet been adopted as a part of the core Octave distribution. You can try to look for your function in the alphabetical list of functions at the Octave-Forge web site to see if it is available in some package.

  • The function may be new to Matlab. It is possible that the Octave community simply does not know it exists. Should this be the case, feel free to open a feature request in the Octave bug tracker.

The Octave community is a loosely organized association of volunteers. Development might sometimes not be fast enough for your needs. If you have a feature request for Octave, the best way to ensure that your suggested improvement becomes a reality is either to implement it yourself or to hire a developer do it for you.