SmileLab defines a data type which derives from array of real: matrix.

• A matrix is a structure (an AppleScript record) which contains, in addition to the data stored as an array of real, two positive integers which define a number of rows (nrows) and a number of columns (ncols). Thus, the array of real should contain exactly nrows * ncols values. matrices store 2-d parametric sets of scalars. For instance you would describe a 2-d parametric surface in a 3-d space with three matrices representing (x(u, v), y(u, v), z(u, v)).

  set x to {0, 1, 2, 2, 1, 0}
  set m to {class:matrix, ncols:3, nrows:2, array of real:x}

  When this makes sense, SmileLab will consider m as a 2-d array such as (for the example above):

      0    1    2
      2    1    0

• The array of real field of the matrix stores the 2-d array first row first.
• To make the values contained in an matrix into a tabulated text, use the display command.

  set x to {0, 1, 2, 2, 1, 0}
  set m to {class:matrix, ncols:3, nrows:2, array of real:x}
  quietmsg(display m)
  -- Result:
      0.0    1.0    2.0
      2.0    1.0    0.0

• To visualize a matrix in few seconds use QuickBitMap or QuickScalarMap.

  set x to {0, 1, 2, 2, 1, 0}
  set m to {class:matrix, ncols:3, nrows:2, array of real:x}
  QuickBitMap(m, 0)