A=[1,0,0,0;0,2,3,0;4,0,5,6;0,0,0,7]

A =

     1     0     0     0
     0     2     3     0
     4     0     5     6
     0     0     0     7

sparse(A)

ans =

   (1,1)        1
   (3,1)        4
   (2,2)        2
   (2,3)        3
   (3,3)        5
   (3,4)        6
   (4,4)        7

A=sparse([1,0,0,0;0,2,3,0;4,0,5,6;0,0,0,7])

A =

   (1,1)        1
   (3,1)        4
   (2,2)        2
   (2,3)        3
   (3,3)        5
   (3,4)        6
   (4,4)        7

speye(3)

ans =

   (1,1)        1
   (2,2)        1
   (3,3)        1

d=[1,2,3,4]

d =

     1     2     3     4

d1=[0,5,6,7]

d1 =

     0     5     6     7

spdiags([d',d1'],[0,1],4,4)

ans =

   (1,1)        1
   (1,2)        5
   (2,2)        2
   (2,3)        6
   (3,3)        3
   (3,4)        7
   (4,4)        4

full(ans)

ans =

     1     5     0     0
     0     2     6     0
     0     0     3     7
     0     0     0     4

d1=[5,6,7,10]

d1 =

     5     6     7    10

full(spdiags([d',d1'],[0,-1],4,4))

ans =

     1     0     0     0
     5     2     0     0
     0     6     3     0
     0     0     7     4

diary off