MATLAB FUNCTION FINDER

Jitin Beri
/
MATLAB FUNCTION FINDER
on 8 Nov 2026
2
32
9
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9998
game.m
function g = game()
%game MATLAB Function Finder — find the hidden 5-letter MATLAB function.
%   Six tries. Blue = right letter, right spot; orange = in the word,
%   wrong spot; dark = not in the word. One button: a highlight sweeps the
%   keyboard rows (A to Z), rows 0.8 s, letters 0.65 s per step — tap to pick a row, then tap to
%   pick a letter. After five letters it alternates ENTER / DEL.
%   Every answer is a real core MATLAB function or keyword (checked in
%   R2026b), shown afterwards with a short description condensed from
%   its official help summary.

g.init   = @initState;
g.update = @updateState;
g.render = @renderFrame;
end

function s = initState(ax)
ax.XLim = [0 800]; ax.YLim = [0 600]; ax.YDir = 'normal';
ho = {'HitTest','off','PickableParts','none'};
tp = [{'HorizontalAlignment','center','FontWeight','bold','Color','w','Interpreter','none'} ho];   % plain text: symbols like ^ and _ show as typed
patch(ax, [0 800 800 0], [0 0 600 600], 'k', 'FaceVertexCData', [0 .12 .25; 0 .12 .25; 0 .4 .62; 0 .4 .62], 'FaceColor', 'interp', 'EdgeColor', 'none', ho{:});
% the MATLAB logo: the L-shaped membrane as a shaded 3-D surface, projected with
% MATLAB's default 3-D view and lit from its surface normals
[X, Y] = meshgrid(linspace(-1, 1, 31)); Z = membrane(1, 15);
V = viewmtx(-37.5, 30)*[X(:) Y(:) Z(:) ones(961,1)]';
k = (1:930)'; k(31:31:end) = [];   % lower-left corner of each grid square
F = [k k + 1 k + 32 k + 31];
[~, o] = sort(sum(reshape(V(3,F), [], 4), 2)); F = F(o,:);   % far faces first
[a, b, c] = surfnorm(X, Y, Z);
patch(ax, 'Faces', F, 'Vertices', [665 385] + 68*V(1:2,:)', 'FaceVertexCData', (.3 + .7*max(0, .4*a(:) - .3*b(:) + .85*c(:))).*[1 .45 .1], 'FaceColor', 'interp', 'EdgeColor', 'none', ho{:});
text(ax, 400, 578, 'Guess the MATLAB function or keyword', 'FontSize', 17, tp{:}, 'Color', [1 .6 .25]);
% 6 x 5 letter grid (one patch, one face per tile) and the tile letters
[c, r] = meshgrid(1:5, 1:6);
s.tc = [287 + 56*(c(:) - 1), 523 - 52*(r(:) - 1)];
g.tl = patch(ax, 'Vertices', [reshape((s.tc(:,1) + [-24 24 24 -24])', [], 1), zeros(120,1)], 'Faces', reshape(1:120, 4, [])', 'FaceVertexCData', zeros(30,3), 'FaceColor', 'flat', ho{:});
for i = 1:30, g.tt(i) = text(ax, s.tc(i,1), s.tc(i,2), '', 'FontSize', 24, tp{:}); end
% Keyboard: letters A to Z in four rows; then DEL, HINT and ENTER keys
s.kr = {'ABCDEFG', 'HIJKLMN', 'OPQRSTU', 'VWXYZ'};
s.kc = [zeros(26,2); 290 23; 400 23; 510 23];   % key centres: A..Z, then DEL (left), HINT (middle), ENTER (right)
for r = 1:4
    n = numel(s.kr{r});
    for i = 1:n, s.kc(s.kr{r}(i) - 64,:) = [400 + 46*(i - (n + 1)/2), 249 - 42*r]; end
end
w = [20*ones(26,1); 45; 45; 45];
g.k = patch(ax, 'Vertices', [reshape((s.kc(:,1) + w.*[-1 1 1 -1])', [], 1), reshape((s.kc(:,2) + [-17 -17 17 17])', [], 1)], 'Faces', reshape(1:116, 4, [])', 'FaceVertexCData', zeros(29,3), 'FaceColor', 'flat', 'EdgeColor', 'none', ho{:});
L = [num2cell(char(65:90)) {'DEL', 'HINT', 'ENTER'}];
for i = 1:29, text(ax, s.kc(i,1), s.kc(i,2), L{i}, 'FontSize', 15, tp{:}); end
% colour legend (always visible)
scatter(ax, [30 30 30], [502 486 470], 150, [.3 .75 .93; .85 .33 .1; .1 .12 .15], 's', 'filled', ho{:});
text(ax, 45, 486, ['Right spot' newline 'Wrong spot' newline 'Not in word'], 'Color', 'w', 'FontSize', 13, ho{:});
g.hn = text(ax, 135, 380, '', 'FontSize', 13, tp{:});   % hint after three misses
g.hl = rectangle(ax, 'Position', [0 0 1 1], 'EdgeColor', [1 .85 .2], 'LineWidth', 3, ho{:});
% Panel for title / results
g.panel = rectangle(ax, 'Position', [130 220 540 330], 'FaceColor', [.02 .14 .26], 'EdgeColor', [.95 .6 .2], ho{:});
g.msg = text(ax, 400, 500, '', 'FontSize', 28, tp{:}, 'Color', [.95 .6 .2]);
g.sub = text(ax, 400, 385, '', 'FontSize', 14, tp{:});
% Answers: 100 core MATLAB functions and keywords, with short descriptions
% condensed from their official help summaries
W = ['ZEROSArray of all 0s|FLOORRound toward -Inf|ROUNDNearest integer|ISNANFind NaNs|ISINFFind Infs|UPPERCapital letters|LOWERSmall letters|PAUSEWait a while|ERRORStop + message|BREAKKeyword: exit loop|WHILEKeyword: loop if true|CATCHKeyword: after try|CLEARDelete vars|CLOSEShut figures|COLONThe a:b operator|DIARYLog Command Window|CLASSValue type|IMAGEShow picture|PATCHColored polygons|LIGHT3-D scene lamp|TIMERRun code later|GAMMAExtended factorial|TABLENamed-column data|ISROWRow vector test|NUMELElement count|NDIMSDimension count|POWER.^ operator|TIMES.* operator|MINUS- operator|COUNTMatch total|FOPENOpen file|FREADRead binary file|WHICHLocate files|INPUTAsk user|RANDNNormal randoms|RANDIRandom integers|GRAPHNodes and edges|FEVALEvaluate function|MKDIRMake folder|RMDIRRemove folder|HYPOTsqrt(a^2 + b^2)|ISMACIs it macOS?|EXISTName defined?|DEMOSShow demos|FGETSRead line + newline|ASINDInverse sin (deg)|ACOSDInverse cos (deg)|ATANDInverse tan (deg)|ACOSHInverse cosh|ASINHInverse sinh|ATANHInverse tanh|ALPHASet transparency|ANGLEComplex phase|BENCHSpeed test|BRUSHMark plot data|BUCKYDome graph|COMETAnimated plot|CROSSVector product|ERASEDelete substrings|FGETLRead line, no newline|FPLOTPlot a function|FSURFPlot 3-D surface|FZEROFind a root|LINESLine colormap|MAGICEqual-sum square|MESHCMesh + contours|MESHZMesh + curtain|MONTHJan-Dec of a date|PEAKSSample surface|PENNYCoin demo|PERMSAll permutations|PRINTOutput figure|PRISM6-color colormap|ROOTSPoly zeros|SLICEVolume cuts|SOUNDPlay audio|SPLITCut text up|SQRTMMatrix square root|STRIPTrim text ends|SURFCSurf + contours|SURFLLit surface|TITLEPlot heading|TRACESum of diagonal|TRAPZTrapezoid area|TURBORainbow colormap|UNIONMerge sets|UNTARExtract tar|UNZIPExtract ZIP file|WIDTHColumn count|XLINEVertical line|YLINEHorizontal line|YEARS365.2425-day units|HOURS60-minute units|FMESHPlot 3-D mesh|PCHIPHermite interp.|XCORRCross-correlation|GTEXTText by mouse|THEMELight/dark look|VIBESVibrating membrane|ABYSSDeep blue colormap'];
s.W = split(string(W), '|');
rng('shuffle');   % a different word order every session (MATLAB starts with the same seed)
s.g = g; s.t = 0; s.st = 0; s.ord = randperm(100); s.oi = 0;   % st: current streak
s = newWord(s); s.m = 0;   % start on the title screen
end

function s = newWord(s)
s.oi = mod(s.oi, 100) + 1; e = s.W(s.ord(s.oi));
s.ans = char(extractBefore(e, 6)); s.desc = extractAfter(e, 5);
s.G = repmat(' ', 6, 5); s.C = zeros(6,5); s.K = zeros(1,26);
s.r = 1; s.n = 0; s.lv = 0; s.gi = 1; s.tm = s.t; s.m = 1; s.mt = 0; s.hu = 0;   % hu: hint asked for
end

function s = updateState(s, dt, pressed)
% modes: 0 title, 1 typing, 2 revealing a guess, 3 round over
s.t = s.t + dt; s.mt = s.mt + dt; T = s.t;
if s.m == 0
    if pressed, s.m = 1; s.tm = T; end
elseif s.m == 3
    if pressed && s.mt > 1, s = newWord(s); end
elseif s.m == 2
    if T - s.rt > 1.9
        % guess fully shown: update keyboard colours, check the result
        c = s.C(s.r,:); g = s.G(s.r,:) - 64;
        for i = 1:5, s.K(g(i)) = max(s.K(g(i)), c(i)); end
        if all(c == 3) || s.r == 6
            s.st = (s.st + 1)*all(c == 3); s.m = 3; s.mt = 0;   % streak grows on a win, resets on a loss
        else
            s.r = s.r + 1; s.n = 0; s.lv = 0; s.gi = 1; s.m = 1; s.tm = T; s.hu = s.hu | s.r > 3;   % hint shows from the 4th try
        end
    end
elseif s.n == 5
    % alternate ENTER / DEL
    s.lv = 2; s.gi = 1 + mod(floor((T - s.tm)/.8), 2);
    if pressed
        if s.gi == 1, s = submit(s); else, s.n = 4; s.G(s.r,5) = ' '; s.lv = 0; s.gi = 1; s.tm = T; end
    end
elseif s.lv == 0
    % sweep the rows (DEL joins once there is a letter); ruled-out letters can still be picked
    if T - s.tm > .8, s.gi = max([find([1 1 1 1 s.n > 0 ~s.hu] & (1:6) > s.gi, 1) 1]); s.tm = T; end
    if pressed
        if s.gi == 5
            s.G(s.r,s.n) = ' '; s.n = s.n - 1; s.gi = 1;
        elseif s.gi == 6
            s.hu = 1; s.gi = 1;   % show the hint now
        else
            s.li = 1; s.lv = 1; s.cy = 0;
        end
        s.tm = T;
    end
else
    % sweep every letter in the chosen row (ruled-out ones too, for probe guesses)
    if T - s.tm > .65
        j = mod(s.li, numel(s.kr{s.gi})) + 1; s.cy = s.cy + (j <= s.li); s.li = j; s.tm = T;
        if s.cy >= 2, s.lv = 0; end   % nothing picked after two passes: back to rows
    end
    if pressed, s.n = s.n + 1; s.G(s.r,s.n) = s.kr{s.gi}(s.li); s.lv = 0; s.gi = 1; s.tm = T; end
end
end

function s = submit(s)
% score the guess: right spots first, then wrong spots from the letters left over
g = s.G(s.r,:); a = s.ans; c = 1 + 2*(g == a); left = a(c ~= 3);
for i = find(c ~= 3)
    k = find(left == g(i), 1);
    if ~isempty(k), c(i) = 2; left(k) = []; end
end
s.C(s.r,:) = c; s.m = 2; s.rt = s.t;
end

function renderFrame(~, s)
g = s.g; T = s.t;
P = [.16 .16 .19; .1 .12 .15; .85 .33 .1; .3 .75 .93; 0 .1 .2];   % typed, not in word, wrong spot (MATLAB orange), right spot (blue), empty
% tiles: colours, with a flip for each tile of the guess being revealed
C = s.C; H = 23*ones(6,5);
if s.m == 2
    p = min(max((T - s.rt - .3*(0:4))/.3, 0), 1);   % each tile flips in turn: squashes flat, opens with its colour
    C(s.r,:) = C(s.r,:).*(p > .5); H(s.r,:) = max(23*abs(cos(pi*p)), 1);
end
g.tl.Vertices(:,2) = reshape((s.tc(:,2) + [-1 -1 1 1].*H(:))', [], 1);
K = C(:) + 1; K(C(:) == 0 & s.G(:) == ' ') = 5;   % 1 typed, 2 absent, 3 wrong spot, 4 right spot, 5 empty
g.tl.FaceVertexCData = P(K,:);
set(g.tt, {'String'}, cellstr(s.G(:)));
% keys: unused keys light, ruled-out keys dark; DEL and ENTER stay neutral
g.k.FaceVertexCData = [P(s.K' + 1,:) + .2*(s.K' == 0); .33 .33 .36; [.75 .6 .15]*~s.hu + .15; .33 .33 .36];
% after three misses: the description as a clue, with the answer word masked
set(g.hn, 'String', "Hint:" + newline + s.desc, 'Visible', s.hu && s.m && s.m < 3);
% highlight: a whole row, one letter, DEL, or ENTER
if s.lv == 2, q = 31 - 2*s.gi;
elseif s.gi > 4, q = 22 + s.gi;
elseif s.lv == 1, q = s.kr{s.gi}(s.li) - 64;
else, q = s.kr{s.gi} - 64;
end
x = s.kc(q,1); y = s.kc(q(1),2);
w = 20 + 25*(q(1) > 26);
set(g.hl, 'Position', [min(x) - w - 4, y - 21, max(x) - min(x) + 2*w + 8, 42], 'Visible', s.m == 1);
L = newline;
if s.m == 0
    g.msg.String = 'MATLAB FUNCTION FINDER';
    g.sub.String = ['Tap a row, then a letter, then ENTER' L L 'Tap to start'];
elseif s.m == 3
    t = sprintf('Solved in %d / 6!', s.r); if ~all(s.C(s.r,:) == 3), t = 'Out of guesses!'; end
    g.msg.String = s.ans;
    g.sub.String = sprintf('%s\n\n%s - %s\n\nStreak %d\n\nTap for next', t, lower(s.ans), s.desc, s.st);
end
set([g.panel g.msg g.sub], 'Visible', s.m == 0 || s.m == 3);
end
Play Game
Preview

Play Game opens this in MATLAB Drive. Click Run this app there to play.