Question

Suppose that I have 2 scripts:

magic_function.m:

function retval = magic(x)
    retval = 12345678;
endfunction

other_script.m

#some code
X = magic(17)

What should I add to other_script.m in order to make function “magic” visible?

Answer 1

Judging by the documentation of Functions and Script Files, it should be sufficient to put the function in a file named magic.m in a directory specified in LOADPATH.

When Octave encounters an identifier that is undefined, it first looks
for variables or functions that are already compiled and currently
listed in its symbol table. If it fails to find a definition there, it
searches the list of directories specified by the built-in variable
LOADPATH for files ending in `.m’ that have the same base name as the
undefined identifier.(4) Once Octave finds a file with a name that matches, the contents of the file are read. If it defines a single
function, it is compiled and executed.