# About M2SCI tools

Generally speaking about tools to convert Matlab files to Scilab

## Description

Scilab includes useful tools to convert Matlab M-files to Scilab.

Taking a Matlab M-file, `mfile2sci` modifies this files so that it can be compiled by Scilab. After that this compiled code is converted to a "tree" of instructions by `macr2tree`. This "tree" is an imbrication of Scilab lists and tlists and is the basis for conversion. Each instruction of this "tree" is converted to Scilab and inference is done to known what are the variables. Once this "tree" is converted to Scilab, code is generated using `tree2code`.

All tlists used for coding this tree (and we call "MSCI tlists") are listed below:

- funcall

    tlist representing a function call created by `Funcall`

  operation

    tlist representing an operation created by `Operation`

  variable

    tlist representing a variable created by `Variable`

  cste

    tlist representing a constant created by `Cste`

  equal

    tlist representing an instruction created by `Equal`

  ifthenelse

    tlist representing an IF/THEN/ELSE control instruction created inside M2SCI kernel functions

  while

    tlist representing a WHILE control instruction created inside M2SCI kernel functions

  selectcase

    tlist representing a SELECT/CASE control instruction created inside M2SCI kernel functions

  for

    tlist representing a FOR control instruction created inside M2SCI kernel functions

The contents of these tlists is described in corresponding help pages.

Operations are converted using a fonction named `%<opcode>2sci` with opcode the Scilab code for this operator. See help page for overloading to have these codes. All these functions are already written and are in directory SCI/modules/m2sci/macros/percent/.

Function calls are converted using a function called `sci_<Matlab_function_name>`. Some of these functions have been written and are in directory SCI/modules/m2sci/macros/sci_files/. We are working on increasing the set of Matlab functions converted. However, everybody can written such functions using help page sci_files.

Inference is done using tlists of type "infer" containing fields:

- dims

    list of dimensions

  type

    "type" tlist

  contents

    "contents" tlist if a Cell or a Struct

Type is a tlist of type "type" containing fields:

- vtype

    data type

  property

    property

To have more details about inference see help page for m2scideclare.

## See Also

- mfile2sci
- translatepaths
- overloading
- sci_files
- Funcall
- Operation
- Variable
- Cste
- Infer
- Type
- Equal
- m2scideclare