MATLAB auto completing start and end statements of code body? - matlab

Question

Is it possible in MATLAB to automatically insert start and end of a code body ?
For example: classdef and end; function and end; methods and end.
classdef Circle
properties
radius
end
methods
function dia = FindDia(obj)
dia = [obj.radius]*2;
end
function %no automatic insertion of 'end'
end
end

Answer 1

Since I work regularly in so many different editors, I don't rely on any one editor's features. It's a pain to learn them all and keep the configuration for all these editors in sync, on all my machines. Often, it's useful to have the same feature set I'm used to, in editors not even meant for code (like MS Word, or here on Stack Overflow).
Therefore, I use AutoHotkey for this kind of thing (and Autokey on Linux).
For functions and classes, I use a paste function to paste a specific template file, depending on whether I'm at work or at home, and which project I'm working on. A small GUI then asks me for the function or class name, which it then populates the template with. I can share that too if you want.
Below are a few AutoHotkey functions and hotstrings I use for including the end keyword. Note that this might all seem overly complex just to put an end there, and in this case, it probably is. But the clipCopy, clipPaste and getIndent functions have proven their usefulness in the rest of my programming snippets, and I hope they might be for you too.
I've thrown in the error functions as well, just because.
; Copy selected text
; More robust than C-c/C-x/C-v; see
; https://autohotkey.com/board/topic/111817-robust-copy-and-paste-routine-function/
clipCopy(dontRestoreClipboard := 0)
{
prevClipboard := Clipboard
Clipboard := ""
copyKey := "vk43sc02E" ; Copy
SendInput, {Shift Down}{Shift Up}{Ctrl Down}{%copyKey% Down}
ClipWait, 0.25, 1
SendInput, {%copyKey% Up}{Ctrl Up}
str := Clipboard
if (dontRestoreClipboard == 0)
Clipboard := prevClipboard
return str
}
clipPaste(ByRef txt, dontBackupClipboard := 0)
{
if (txt != "")
{
prevClipboard := ""
pasteKey := "vk56sc02F" ; Paste
if (dontBackupClipboard == 0) {
prevClipboard := Clipboard
Clipboard := ""
}
Clipboard := txt
ClipWait, 1.00, 1
; Start pressing paste key
SendInput, {Shift Down}{Shift Up}{Ctrl Down}{%pasteKey% Down}
; Wait until clipboard is ready
startTime := A_TickCount
while (DllCall("GetOpenClipboardWindow") && (A_TickCount - startTime < 1000)) {
Sleep, 50
}
; Release paste key
SendInput, {%pasteKey% Up}{Ctrl Up}
; TODO: a manual delay still seems necessary...this vlaue needs to be this large, to also have
; correct behavior in superslow apps like MS Office, Outlook, etc. Sadly, the SetTimer approach
; does not seem to work (doesn't correctly restore the clipboard); to be investigated.
Sleep 333
; Put previous clipboard content back onto the clipboard
Clipboard := prevClipboard
}
}
; Get current indentation level in an editor-independent way
getIndent(dontRestoreClipboard := 0)
{
; Select text from cursor to start of line
SendInput, +{Home}
indent := clipCopy(dontRestoreClipboard)
numsp := 0
if (indent != "")
indent := RegExReplace(indent, ".", " ", numsp)
; Undo selection (this is tricky; different editors often have
; different behavior for Home/End keys while text is selected
SendInput, {Right}{Left}{Home}
; NOTE: don't use {End}, because we might be in the middle of a sentence
; Use the "right" key, repeatedly
Loop, %numsp% {
SendInput, {Right}
}
return indent
}
mBasic(str)
{
current_indent := getIndent()
SendInput, %str% (){Enter}+{Home}%current_indent%{Space 4}{Enter}+{Home}%current_indent%end{Up 2}{End}{Left}
}
mErrfcn(str)
{
current_indent := getIndent()
spaces := RegExReplace(str, ".", " ")
clipPaste(str . "([mfilename ':default_errorID'],...`r`n" . current_indent . spaces . " 'Default error string.');")
return current_indent
}
; MATLAB Hotstrings for basic control structures
:o:mfor::
mBasic("for")
return
:o:mpar::
mBasic("parfor")
return
:o:mwhile::
mBasic("while")
return
:o:spmd::
mBasic("spmd")
return
:o:mif::
mBasic("if")
return
; ...etc.
; error, warning, assert
:o:merr::
:o:merror::
mErrfcn("error")
SendInput, {Up}{End}{Left 21}
return
:o:mwarn::
:o:mwarning::
mErrfcn("warning")
SendInput, {Up}{End}{Left 21}
return
_mlAssert()
{
current_indent := mErrfcn("assert")
SendInput, {Up}{End}{Left 34}true,...{Enter}+{Home}%current_indent%{Space 7}{Up}{End}{Left 8}
}
:o:massert::
_mlAssert()
return