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31 Handle Graphics

Handle Graphics is matlab’s system of creating and manipulating com-
puter graphics. The system is “object oriented”, meaning that it is based
around a hierarchy of objects that represent various graphical elements.
These elements all have a certain state, or “appearance”, defined by a list
of handle properties, and they can be changed by a number of different
methods. The properties of objects can be set at creation or they can
be modified afterwards. The complete set of graphical objects is shown
in this diagram.

Graphical objects lower down in the hierarchy inherit many of their
properties from those higher up. Objects that are immediately below
another in the hierarchy are said to be that object’s children; the object
immediately above another is said to be that object’s parent.
Rich graphics contain many of these elements, with the design
enhancing the overall utility of the display. For example, this diagram
shows some common Handle Graphics objects. The frame around the

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