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MATLAB's Help on Scripts
copied directly from Help Browser and command-window help
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Getting Started: Programming with MATLAB: Scripts

When you invoke a script, MATLAB simply executes the commands found in
the file. Scripts can operate on existing data in the workspace, or
they can create new data on which to operate. Although scripts do not
return output arguments, any variables that they create remain in the
workspace, to be used in subsequent computations. In addition, scripts
can produce graphical output using functions like plot.

For example, create a file called magicrank.m that contains these
MATLAB commands.

% Investigate the rank of magic squares
r = zeros(1,32);
for n = 3:32
   r(n) = rank(magic(n));
end
r
bar(r)

Typing the statement

magicrank

causes MATLAB to execute the commands, compute the rank of the first
30 magic squares, and plot a bar graph of the result. After execution
of the file is complete, the variables n and r remain in the workspace.
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Programming and Data Types: M-File Programming: Scripts

Scripts
Scripts are the simplest kind of M-file because they have no input or
output arguments. They're useful for automating series of MATLAB
commands, such as computations that you have to perform repeatedly
from the command line. Scripts operate on existing data in the
workspace, or they can create new data on which to operate. Any
variables that scripts create remain in the workspace after the script
finishes so you can use them for further computations.

Simple Script Example
These statements calculate rho for several trigonometric functions of
theta, then create a series of polar plots. 

% An M-file script to produce      % Comment lines
% "flower petal" plots 
theta = -pi:0.01:pi;               % Computations
rho(1,:) = 2*sin(5*theta).^2;
rho(2,:) = cos(10*theta).^3;
rho(3,:) = sin(theta).^2;
rho(4,:) = 5*cos(3.5*theta).^3;
for i = 1:4
    polar(theta,rho(i,:))           % Graphics output
    pause
end

Try entering these commands in an M-file called petals.m. This file is
now a MATLAB script. Typing petals at the MATLAB command line executes
the statements in the script.

After the script displays a plot, press Return to move to the next
plot. There are no input or output arguments; petals creates the
variables it needs in the MATLAB workspace. When execution completes,
the variables (i, theta, and rho) remain in the workspace. To see a
listing of them, enter whos at the command prompt.
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MATLAB Function Reference: script

Description
A script file is an external file that contains a sequence of MATLAB
statements. By typing the filename, subsequent MATLAB input is
obtained from the file. Script files have a filename extension of .m
and are often called M-files.

Scripts are the simplest kind of M-file. They are useful for
automating blocks of MATLAB commands, such as computations you have to
perform repeatedly from the command line. Scripts can operate on
existing data in the workspace, or they can create new data on which
to operate. Although scripts do not return output arguments, any
variables that they create remain in the workspace so you can use them
in further computations. In addition, scripts can produce graphical
output using commands like plot.

Scripts can contain any series of MATLAB statements. They require no
declarations or begin/end delimiters. 

Like any M-file, scripts can contain comments. Any text following a
percent sign (%) on a given line is comment text. Comments can appear
on lines by themselves, or you can append them to the end of any
executable line.

See Also
echo        Echo M-files during execution
function    Function M-files
type        List file
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From >> help script
help script

 SCRIPT About MATLAB scripts and M-files.
    A  SCRIPT file is an external file that contains a sequence
    of MATLAB statements.  By typing the filename, subsequent 
    MATLAB input is obtained from the file.  SCRIPT files have
    a filename extension of ".m" and are often called "M-files". 
    To make a SCRIPT file into a function, see FUNCTION.
 
    See also TYPE, ECHO.
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