MATLAB: Script with all my functions - matlab

Question

Maybe it's a basic question but here I go. I would like to have a .m with all the functions that will be accessed by other scripts and functions.
I tried just doing a script with all the functions and call it in other functions code.
And I got and error. Could you please explain me how can I solve this?
I'm trying this, which gives me no error, and does what I want it to do, still, is it a good way to do it? Any suggestions?
function PruebasLlamaFuncion
funcionFEM=#PruebasTodasFunciones;
a=funcionFEM('OVERPOWER',1,5)
b=funcionFEM('POWEROVERWELMING',2)
end
...
function a=f(nombre,varargin)
f=str2func(nombre)
a=f(varargin{1:end});
end
function d=OVERPOWER(J,c)
d=J*c;
end
function e=POWEROVERWELMING(J)
e=J;
end

Answer 1

Function placement
Matlab, unlike a number of other languages, permits a single file to contain only one main function that is visible to the rest of the system. The main function is the first function. (Documentation)
Any functions that are defined after the main function body are called local functions. These functions each create their own separate workspace (scope) and can be called by one another and, of course, by the main function.
Any functions that are defined within the main function body are called nested functions. These functions have their own workspace but are also able to access and change the variables of their parent function under certain conditions. Nested functions at the same nesting level can call each other and local functions, but local functions cannot call nested functions since they are out of scope.
Workarounds
There are several options available to you depending on how you would like to proceed.
At the risk of giving too many options but desiring to be exhaustive, I'll put the list from what I would do first to what I would do last.
For most things, I would recommend 1 or 2.
The other options are more for creating libraries/APIs, but I included them to show what can be done.
Define Function1 and Function2 in separate m-files on the Matlab path or in the present working directory to call them normally.
Wrap the main body of your work (the one calling the functions) in a function itself and define the other functions as local functions or nested functions. Example:
function output = main(a,b,c)
Result=Function1(a,b,c);
Result2=Function2(b,d);
...
% You can define Function1 and Function2 here for nested functions
end
% Or you can define Function1 and Function2 here for local functions
You can get a bit more fancy and have a function that returns function handles (pointers) to the local or nested functions and then use the (in the example) struct to call the functions in another script:
function Functions = GetFunctions()
Functions.F1 = #(a,b,c) Function1(a,b,c);
Functions.F2 = #(a,b) Function2(a,b);
% You can define Function1 and Function2 here for nested functions
end
% Or you can define Function1 and Function2 here for local functions
If you have R2013b or above, you can do the same thing as above using the localfunctions function to create a cell array of handles to all local functions (in this case, the definitions are required to be outside the main function body).
function Functions = GetFunctions()
Functions = localfunctions(); % R2013b+ only
end
% Define Function1 and Function2 here for local functions
You can also create a class with static functions:
classdef Functions
methods(Static)
% Define Function1 and Function2 here and call them just like the struct above.
end
end
I hope that makes sense and hopefully helps.

Answer 2

I think you're misunderstanding something. A script is for calling a series of functions/other scripts in sequence. If you just want your functions to be accessible in other code, you only need to make sure they're on the path. You would never need a "script containing all the functions". You may be thinking of local functions, but these are the exact opposite of what you want (they can't be called from outside the function where they're defined or other local functions in the same file).
e.g. if Function1 and Function2 are on your path, you could write a script like this, perhaps as a demo for how to use those two functions:
a = 0;
b = 1;
c = 2;
d = 'Unicorns';
Result=Function1(a,b,c);
Result2=Function2(b,d);
It does not and should not have any function definitions in it. If your script can't find the functions, use addpath (see docs), to put the folder where these function files reside into your path. The m files should be given the same name, e.g. the following needs to go in a file called myfunc.m
function result = myfunc(a,b,c)
Functions in your working directory can also be called even if that directory isn't on your path.