Related
When I was studying for my undergraduate degree in EE, MATLAB required each function to be defined in its own file, even if it was a one-liner.
I'm studying for a graduate degree now, and I have to write a project in MATLAB. Is this still a requirement for newer versions of MATLAB?
If it is possible to put more than one function in a file, are there any restrictions to this? For instance, can all the functions in the file be accessed from outside the file, or only the function that has the same name as the file?
Note: I am using MATLAB release R2007b.
The first function in an m-file (i.e. the main function), is invoked when that m-file is called. It is not required that the main function have the same name as the m-file, but for clarity it should. When the function and file name differ, the file name must be used to call the main function.
All subsequent functions in the m-file, called local functions (or "subfunctions" in the older terminology), can only be called by the main function and other local functions in that m-file. Functions in other m-files can not call them. Starting in R2016b, you can add local functions to scripts as well, although the scoping behavior is still the same (i.e. they can only be called from within the script).
In addition, you can also declare functions within other functions. These are called nested functions, and these can only be called from within the function they are nested. They can also have access to variables in functions in which they are nested, which makes them quite useful albeit slightly tricky to work with.
More food for thought...
There are some ways around the normal function scoping behavior outlined above, such as passing function handles as output arguments as mentioned in the answers from SCFrench and Jonas (which, starting in R2013b, is facilitated by the localfunctions function). However, I wouldn't suggest making it a habit of resorting to such tricks, as there are likely much better options for organizing your functions and files.
For example, let's say you have a main function A in an m-file A.m, along with local functions D, E, and F. Now let's say you have two other related functions B and C in m-files B.m and C.m, respectively, that you also want to be able to call D, E, and F. Here are some options you have:
Put D, E, and F each in their own separate m-files, allowing any other function to call them. The downside is that the scope of these functions is large and isn't restricted to just A, B, and C, but the upside is that this is quite simple.
Create a defineMyFunctions m-file (like in Jonas' example) with D, E, and F as local functions and a main function that simply returns function handles to them. This allows you to keep D, E, and F in the same file, but it doesn't do anything regarding the scope of these functions since any function that can call defineMyFunctions can invoke them. You also then have to worry about passing the function handles around as arguments to make sure you have them where you need them.
Copy D, E and F into B.m and C.m as local functions. This limits the scope of their usage to just A, B, and C, but makes updating and maintenance of your code a nightmare because you have three copies of the same code in different places.
Use private functions! If you have A, B, and C in the same directory, you can create a subdirectory called private and place D, E, and F in there, each as a separate m-file. This limits their scope so they can only be called by functions in the directory immediately above (i.e. A, B, and C) and keeps them together in the same place (but still different m-files):
myDirectory/
A.m
B.m
C.m
private/
D.m
E.m
F.m
All this goes somewhat outside the scope of your question, and is probably more detail than you need, but I thought it might be good to touch upon the more general concern of organizing all of your m-files. ;)
Generally, the answer to your question is no, you cannot define more than one externally visible function per file. You can return function handles to local functions, though, and a convenient way to do so is to make them fields of a struct. Here is an example:
function funs = makefuns
funs.fun1=#fun1;
funs.fun2=#fun2;
end
function y=fun1(x)
y=x;
end
function z=fun2
z=1;
end
And here is how it could be used:
>> myfuns = makefuns;
>> myfuns.fun1(5)
ans =
5
>> myfuns.fun2()
ans =
1
The only way to have multiple, separately accessible functions in a single file is to define STATIC METHODS using object-oriented programming. You'd access the function as myClass.static1(), myClass.static2() etc.
OOP functionality is only officially supported since R2008a, so unless you want to use the old, undocumented OOP syntax, the answer for you is no, as explained by #gnovice.
EDIT
One more way to define multiple functions inside a file that are accessible from the outside is to create a function that returns multiple function handles. In other words, you'd call your defining function as [fun1,fun2,fun3]=defineMyFunctions, after which you could use out1=fun1(inputs) etc.
I really like SCFrench's answer - I would like to point out that it can easily be modified to import the functions directly to the workspace using the assignin function. (Doing it like this reminds me a lot of Python's "import x from y" way of doing things)
function message = makefuns
assignin('base','fun1',#fun1);
assignin('base','fun2',#fun2);
message='Done importing functions to workspace';
end
function y=fun1(x)
y=x;
end
function z=fun2
z=1;
end
And then used thusly:
>> makefuns
ans =
Done importing functions to workspace
>> fun1(123)
ans =
123
>> fun2()
ans =
1
Along the same lines as SCFrench's answer, but with a more C# style spin..
I would (and often do) make a class containing multiple static methods. For example:
classdef Statistics
methods(Static)
function val = MyMean(data)
val = mean(data);
end
function val = MyStd(data)
val = std(data);
end
end
end
As the methods are static you don't need to instansiate the class. You call the functions as follows:
data = 1:10;
mean = Statistics.MyMean(data);
std = Statistics.MyStd(data);
I define multiple functions in one .m file with Octave and then use the command from within the .m file where I need to make use of the functions from that file:
source("mycode.m");
Not sure if this is available with Matlab.
octave:8> help source
'source' is a built-in function
-- Built-in Function: source (FILE)
Parse and execute the contents of FILE. This is equivalent to
executing commands from a script file, but without requiring the
file to be named `FILE.m'.
You could also group functions in one main file together with the main function looking like this:
function [varargout] = main( subfun, varargin )
[varargout{1:nargout}] = feval( subfun, varargin{:} );
% paste your subfunctions below ....
function str=subfun1
str='hello'
Then calling subfun1 would look like this:
str=main('subfun1')
As of R2017b, this is not officially possible. The relevant documentation states that:
Program files can contain multiple functions. If the file contains only function definitions, the first function is the main function, and is the function that MATLAB associates with the file name. Functions that follow the main function or script code are called local functions. Local functions are only available within the file.
However, workarounds suggested in other answers can achieve something similar.
I have try with the SCFRench and with the Ru Hasha on octave.
And finally it works: but I have done some modification
function message = makefuns
assignin('base','fun1', #fun1); % Ru Hasha
assignin('base', 'fun2', #fun2); % Ru Hasha
message.fun1=#fun1; % SCFrench
message.fun2=#fun2; % SCFrench
end
function y=fun1(x)
y=x;
end
function z=fun2
z=1;
end
Can be called in other 'm' file:
printf("%d\n", makefuns.fun1(123));
printf("%d\n", makefuns.fun2());
update:
I added an answer because neither the +72 nor the +20 worked in octave for me.
The one I wrote works perfectly (and I tested it last Friday when I later wrote the post).
I created this function to browse all the functions stored in a file and now I want to select my function in my main program how can I select it
This is my function:
function testMode(i)
a=dir('H_*.m');
if exist('i','var')
if isempty(i)
z={a.name}';
[selection,ok]=listdlg('ListString',z,'SelectionMode','single');
if ok
i=find(selection,1,'first');
end
end
nom=a(i).name;
nom=nom(1:end-2);
disp(nom)
else
disp('fonction a un argument')
end
It looks like you will have the name of the function as a string. To call that function, you can either use feval, or you can convert the string to a function handle and call that.
result = feval(nom, argument1);
or
fcn = str2func(nom);
fcn(argument1);
The latter should be preferred, as the conversion can be done once and the function handle re-used after that, and because the calling syntax is exactly the same as calling a regular function.
For more information on function handles, see doc function_handle.
Also, for a different approach, see this document: http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/localfunctions.html. If you can create your "menu" of functions as local functions in a single file, this approach could be very clean and simple, as it will directly give you a cell array of function handles of all of those subfunctions. From there, you can get easily get the function name for display using functions command.
When I was studying for my undergraduate degree in EE, MATLAB required each function to be defined in its own file, even if it was a one-liner.
I'm studying for a graduate degree now, and I have to write a project in MATLAB. Is this still a requirement for newer versions of MATLAB?
If it is possible to put more than one function in a file, are there any restrictions to this? For instance, can all the functions in the file be accessed from outside the file, or only the function that has the same name as the file?
Note: I am using MATLAB release R2007b.
The first function in an m-file (i.e. the main function), is invoked when that m-file is called. It is not required that the main function have the same name as the m-file, but for clarity it should. When the function and file name differ, the file name must be used to call the main function.
All subsequent functions in the m-file, called local functions (or "subfunctions" in the older terminology), can only be called by the main function and other local functions in that m-file. Functions in other m-files can not call them. Starting in R2016b, you can add local functions to scripts as well, although the scoping behavior is still the same (i.e. they can only be called from within the script).
In addition, you can also declare functions within other functions. These are called nested functions, and these can only be called from within the function they are nested. They can also have access to variables in functions in which they are nested, which makes them quite useful albeit slightly tricky to work with.
More food for thought...
There are some ways around the normal function scoping behavior outlined above, such as passing function handles as output arguments as mentioned in the answers from SCFrench and Jonas (which, starting in R2013b, is facilitated by the localfunctions function). However, I wouldn't suggest making it a habit of resorting to such tricks, as there are likely much better options for organizing your functions and files.
For example, let's say you have a main function A in an m-file A.m, along with local functions D, E, and F. Now let's say you have two other related functions B and C in m-files B.m and C.m, respectively, that you also want to be able to call D, E, and F. Here are some options you have:
Put D, E, and F each in their own separate m-files, allowing any other function to call them. The downside is that the scope of these functions is large and isn't restricted to just A, B, and C, but the upside is that this is quite simple.
Create a defineMyFunctions m-file (like in Jonas' example) with D, E, and F as local functions and a main function that simply returns function handles to them. This allows you to keep D, E, and F in the same file, but it doesn't do anything regarding the scope of these functions since any function that can call defineMyFunctions can invoke them. You also then have to worry about passing the function handles around as arguments to make sure you have them where you need them.
Copy D, E and F into B.m and C.m as local functions. This limits the scope of their usage to just A, B, and C, but makes updating and maintenance of your code a nightmare because you have three copies of the same code in different places.
Use private functions! If you have A, B, and C in the same directory, you can create a subdirectory called private and place D, E, and F in there, each as a separate m-file. This limits their scope so they can only be called by functions in the directory immediately above (i.e. A, B, and C) and keeps them together in the same place (but still different m-files):
myDirectory/
A.m
B.m
C.m
private/
D.m
E.m
F.m
All this goes somewhat outside the scope of your question, and is probably more detail than you need, but I thought it might be good to touch upon the more general concern of organizing all of your m-files. ;)
Generally, the answer to your question is no, you cannot define more than one externally visible function per file. You can return function handles to local functions, though, and a convenient way to do so is to make them fields of a struct. Here is an example:
function funs = makefuns
funs.fun1=#fun1;
funs.fun2=#fun2;
end
function y=fun1(x)
y=x;
end
function z=fun2
z=1;
end
And here is how it could be used:
>> myfuns = makefuns;
>> myfuns.fun1(5)
ans =
5
>> myfuns.fun2()
ans =
1
The only way to have multiple, separately accessible functions in a single file is to define STATIC METHODS using object-oriented programming. You'd access the function as myClass.static1(), myClass.static2() etc.
OOP functionality is only officially supported since R2008a, so unless you want to use the old, undocumented OOP syntax, the answer for you is no, as explained by #gnovice.
EDIT
One more way to define multiple functions inside a file that are accessible from the outside is to create a function that returns multiple function handles. In other words, you'd call your defining function as [fun1,fun2,fun3]=defineMyFunctions, after which you could use out1=fun1(inputs) etc.
I really like SCFrench's answer - I would like to point out that it can easily be modified to import the functions directly to the workspace using the assignin function. (Doing it like this reminds me a lot of Python's "import x from y" way of doing things)
function message = makefuns
assignin('base','fun1',#fun1);
assignin('base','fun2',#fun2);
message='Done importing functions to workspace';
end
function y=fun1(x)
y=x;
end
function z=fun2
z=1;
end
And then used thusly:
>> makefuns
ans =
Done importing functions to workspace
>> fun1(123)
ans =
123
>> fun2()
ans =
1
Along the same lines as SCFrench's answer, but with a more C# style spin..
I would (and often do) make a class containing multiple static methods. For example:
classdef Statistics
methods(Static)
function val = MyMean(data)
val = mean(data);
end
function val = MyStd(data)
val = std(data);
end
end
end
As the methods are static you don't need to instansiate the class. You call the functions as follows:
data = 1:10;
mean = Statistics.MyMean(data);
std = Statistics.MyStd(data);
I define multiple functions in one .m file with Octave and then use the command from within the .m file where I need to make use of the functions from that file:
source("mycode.m");
Not sure if this is available with Matlab.
octave:8> help source
'source' is a built-in function
-- Built-in Function: source (FILE)
Parse and execute the contents of FILE. This is equivalent to
executing commands from a script file, but without requiring the
file to be named `FILE.m'.
You could also group functions in one main file together with the main function looking like this:
function [varargout] = main( subfun, varargin )
[varargout{1:nargout}] = feval( subfun, varargin{:} );
% paste your subfunctions below ....
function str=subfun1
str='hello'
Then calling subfun1 would look like this:
str=main('subfun1')
As of R2017b, this is not officially possible. The relevant documentation states that:
Program files can contain multiple functions. If the file contains only function definitions, the first function is the main function, and is the function that MATLAB associates with the file name. Functions that follow the main function or script code are called local functions. Local functions are only available within the file.
However, workarounds suggested in other answers can achieve something similar.
I have try with the SCFRench and with the Ru Hasha on octave.
And finally it works: but I have done some modification
function message = makefuns
assignin('base','fun1', #fun1); % Ru Hasha
assignin('base', 'fun2', #fun2); % Ru Hasha
message.fun1=#fun1; % SCFrench
message.fun2=#fun2; % SCFrench
end
function y=fun1(x)
y=x;
end
function z=fun2
z=1;
end
Can be called in other 'm' file:
printf("%d\n", makefuns.fun1(123));
printf("%d\n", makefuns.fun2());
update:
I added an answer because neither the +72 nor the +20 worked in octave for me.
The one I wrote works perfectly (and I tested it last Friday when I later wrote the post).
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
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.
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.
I have a file funcs.m that stores anonymous functions. They must be usable by the files in the directory where it is. Currently, I use the anonymous functions so that I execute the file funcs.m in different files but I think this is a a wrong way of doing things. The other functions such as main.m and its nested function nest.m need to use the anonymous functions from funcs.m. I think paths won't solve this problem because the files are in the same folder. Basically I could solve this problem by copy-pasting the anonymous functions to every file but code-smell so:
Is there some way of reusing the funcs.m having the anon functions in Matlab?
Example
main.m
function main
funcs; % loads the anonymous functions
nest(par1,...,parN)
end
nest.m
function nest(par1,...,parN)
funcs; %ERRR: This fires err, why? Look: this was sourced already in main.m!
function neededOnlyHere(par100)
bq(q,A) %This needs the functions of the funcs
end
neededOnlyHere(somePar) %ERR to use the anon funcs from funcs
end
Functions main.m and nest.m use this function funcs.m having the anonymous funcs
bq=#(q,A) q*A; %Bolded q
I=#(ii,jj,A) find(A(ii,:)==1 & A(jj,:)==0);
AiNotj=zeros(1,Ncut);
...
ERROR
Attempt to add "bq" to a static workspace.
See MATLAB Programming, Restrictions on
Assigning to Variables for details.
Error in funcs (line 10)
bq=#(q,A) q*A;
%Bolded q
Why it's breaking
You get the error when calling it in nest.m because having a nested function makes its enclosing function's workspace a "static workspace"; that is, variable names cannot be added via eval(), assignin(), or other "dynamic" techniques; only variables that are explicitly assigned in that function's text are allowed. Evaluating a script to define local variables - which is what you're doing when calling funcs.m - is "dynamic", so prohibited in functions with nested functions. It works in main.m because main has no nested functions and is thus a "dynamic" workspace.
There are a couple ways you could change it to work with static workspaces and nested functions. The first thing to ask is whether you really need to make them anonymous functions?
Using package functions instead
If you don't need them to be anonymous functions per se, just break them out and put each one as a regular function in its own .m file; e.g. bg.m, I.m, AiNotj.m, and so on. Then they're all available to all other functions in that directory.
If that turns in to a mess of files, or if you want to scope them and maybe make them available only to the selected functions that really need them (that is, the functions currently calling funcs()), then you can stick them in a package. Create a subdirectory called +myfuncs and move all the little function files in there; e.g. +myfuncs/bq.m, +myfuncs/I.m, +myfuncs/AiNotj.m. (The + prefix tells Matlab the directory is a package.) Then you can pull all of them in to your function scope by doing import myfuncs.* as a direct replacement for where you're currently calling funcs().
function nest(par1,...,parN)
import myfuncs.*;
function neededOnlyHere(par100)
bq(q,A) % This will work, resolving to myfuncs.bq
end
You can do the import myfuncs.* from the command line to make them available interactively, too.
This is probably how Matlab itself wants you to organize clusters of related functions like this, and would be my first approach. It's the least "smelly" IMHO. If you really wanted to be able to edit them all in a single file like funcs.m for convenience, you could write a little code munger in Perl or whatever that parsed funcs.m and output them all as equivalent individual functions as a preprocessing step. (I think it's a bit of a bummer that you can't define multiple top-level functions in an M-file like this, but oh well.)
If you really need to work with anonymous functions, there are some workarounds.
Passing functions in a struct
You can change your funcs() function to actually return a struct of all those anonymous functions, using field names instead of local variable names.
function out = funcs
out.bq=#(q,A) q*A; %Bolded q
out.I=#(ii,jj,A) find(A(ii,:)==1 & A(jj,:)==0);
out.AiNotj=zeros(1,Ncut);
For this, you'd have to prefix all the function references with the struct name you're holding them in. Don't know how big a deal this is for you.
function nest(par1,...,parN)
fs = funcs;
function neededOnlyHere(par100)
fs.bq(q,A) %This needs the functions of the funcs
end
Preallocating variables
To get funcs() to work as-is, you can statically pre-allocate variables with all the function names you're going to use, so the Matlab parser recognizes them as statically assigned variables. Then when you call funcs(), it will re-assign the values of the existing variables, which is permissible in dynamic workspaces.
function nest(par1,...,parN)
[bq, I, AiNotj] = deal(); % Preallocate all names from funcs
funcs;
function neededOnlyHere(par100)
bq(q,A) %This needs the functions of the funcs
end
This would be a bit of a pain, because you'd have to re-edit every file that uses funcs whenever a new function name is added. You could at least write a little perl script to auto-generate that line of code by parsing funcs.m and outputting a "[bg, I, AiNotj,...] = deal();" with all the functions it finds, and you can just copy that in to your code.
Another way to do this would be to have funcs actually return all the functions in its output list. This would have the benefit of continuing to work even as you add new functions to funcs.m, as long as you don't remove or change the order of your existing anonymous functions.
function [bg,I,AiNotj] = funcs()
bg = ...
I = ...
% And then in the calling functions:
[bg,I,AiNotj] = funcs(); % which you can copy and paste from funcs.m's header
There are many ways of passing anonymous functions:
1) Pass the function itself:
function main
f = #(t) t^2 - 3;
param = randn(12,1);
g = test22(param,f);
disp (g)
end
function g = test22(param,f)
g = f(param(2));
disp(param(2))
end
2) Use globals (which usually should be avoided in complex code)
function main
global f
f = #(t) t^2 - 3;
param = randn(12,1);
g = test22(param);
disp (g)
end
function g = test22(param)
global f
g = f(param(2));
disp(param(2))
end