LAS: A programming language and development environment for learning matrix structural analysis

ABSTRACT This article presents language for the analysis of structures (LAS). It is a development environment and a high‐level language for learning matrix structural analysis, dynamics of structures, and the finite element method. LAS is a flexible learning environment in which users list pre‐programmed commands in the right order to solve finite element static and dynamic problems. In addition to structural analysis commands, the language also includes powerful operators, conditional expressions, loop expressions, and several functions (matrix manipulations, linear algebra, direct stiffness assembly, modal analysis, time domain dynamic analysis, frequency domain dynamic analysis). The LAS environment includes an editor used to list the commands, a matrix manager, a graphics post‐processor, and a Fourier‐analysis tool. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ. 24:89–100, 2016; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21675