Error when running simple script containing local function in Octave

Question

My file testtest.m looks like :

pluse(1, 2)
function retval = pluse(input1, input2)
retval = input1 + input2;
endfunction

Then I get:

Answer 1

I had the same question/problem and some people gave the hints. But since there is no explicit example, I post it here so that other guys can find a explict running example both for Octave and MATLAB.

% works in Octave %%%
% sth. must be *before* a (local) function is declared
1; % or "2;" or "1+1;" or whatever

% local function must be declared *before* it is run in Octave
function retval = pluse(input1, input2)
  retval = input1 + input2;
end % or "endfunction"

% Now you can use the local function
pluse(1, 2)

And there the the incompatibility between Octave and MATLAB because the MATLAB example does not run in Octave and vice versa:

% works in MATLAB %%%
% You can use the local function
pluse(1, 2)

% local function must be declared at the end of file for MATLAB
function retval = pluse(input1, input2)
  retval = input1 + input2;
end

Because of this incompatibility the question is if one should really use local functions. Maybe one should use "normal" functions in a file...