<s>
A	O
MEX	B-Operating_System
file	I-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
computer	B-Operating_System
file	I-Operating_System
that	O
provides	O
an	O
interface	O
between	O
MATLAB	B-Language
or	O
Octave	B-Language
and	O
functions	O
written	O
in	O
C	B-Language
,	O
C++	B-Language
or	O
Fortran	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
stands	O
for	O
"	O
MATLAB	B-Language
executable	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
compiled	O
,	O
MEX	B-Operating_System
files	I-Operating_System
are	O
dynamically	O
loaded	O
and	O
allow	O
external	O
functions	O
to	O
be	O
invoked	O
from	O
within	O
MATLAB	B-Language
or	O
Octave	B-Language
as	O
if	O
they	O
were	O
built-in	O
functions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
support	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
MEX	B-Operating_System
files	I-Operating_System
,	O
both	O
MATLAB	B-Language
and	O
Octave	B-Language
offer	O
external	O
interface	O
functions	O
that	O
facilitate	O
the	O
transfer	O
of	O
data	O
between	O
MEX	B-Operating_System
files	I-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
workspace	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
MEX	B-Operating_System
files	I-Operating_System
,	O
Octave	B-Language
has	O
its	O
own	O
format	O
using	O
its	O
own	O
native	O
API	B-General_Concept
,	O
with	O
better	O
performance	O
.	O
</s>
