doc

Documentation in system web browser

Syntax

doc

doc name

Description

doc opens the documentation in a new tab in your system web browser. If your system web browser is open but not visible, then doc brings it to the foreground.

doc name displays documentation for the functionality specified by name, such as a function, class, or block.

• If name corresponds to a MathWorks^® reference page, then doc displays the page in your system web browser. The doc command does not display third-party or custom HTML documentation.

• If name does not correspond to a reference page, then doc searches for help text in a file named name.m or name.mlx. If help text is available, doc displays it in your system web browser.

• If name does not correspond to a reference page and there is no associated help text, then doc searches the documentation for name and displays the search results in your system web browser.

Examples

Display Function Reference Page

Display the reference page for the abs function.

doc abs

Class and Method Reference Pages

Display the reference page for the handle class.

doc handle

Display the reference page for the findobj method in the handle class.

doc handle.findobj

Display the reference page for the Map class in the containers package.

doc containers.Map

Custom Class Pages

Display formatted help text for a custom class.

The file sads.m is an example custom class file. Display the formatted help text for the class. Because the help text follows MATLAB conventions, MATLAB displays the help text in a separate window.

doc sads

Display the help for the steer method of the sads class. MATLAB displays the help text in a separate window.

doc sads.steer

Input Arguments

name — Name of functionality

character vector

Name of functionality, such as function, class, or block, specified as a character vector. Alternatively, an operator symbol.

Some classes and other packaged items require that you specify the package name. Events, properties, and some methods require that you specify the class name. Separate the components of the name with periods, such as:

doc className.name
doc packageName.name
doc packageName.className.name

Methods for some classes are not accessible using the doc command; instead, use links on the class reference page.

Tips

• To access third-party or custom documentation, open your system web browser and navigate to the documentation home page. On the left side of the home page, click Supplemental Software. Then, click the name of the third-party or custom documentation that you want to access.

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

R2024b: Documentation opens in your system web browser

When you access the documentation from an installed version of MATLAB^®, the documentation now opens in your system web browser. Previously, the documentation opened in the Help browser. As part of this change, the Help browser has been removed.