MATLAB: Am I unable to completely unload a MEX-file compiled with the /CLR option to Microsoft Visual Studio 2003 or 2005 in MATLAB 7.4 (R2007a)

MATLAB

I am compiling a C++ MEX-file using a .NET-aware version of Microsoft Visual Studio, such as 2005 or .NET 2003. I have modified my MEX options to replace "/EHs" with "/EHa /CLR" in the compile-time flags.

After compiling and executing a C++ MEX-file:

mex -f myClrOptions.bat mexcpp.cpp
mexcpp(1,2)

I find that I cannot delete or overwrite the MEX-file, even after using

clear mex

to unload it from MATLAB. After using CLEAR, INMEM reports that the MEX-file is no longer in memory, but I am unable to delete or overwrite it.

Exiting MATLAB resolves the issue.

Best Answer

This is the expected behavior for Microsoft's Common Language Runtime. Managed code linked against Microsoft's Common Language Runtime cannot be unloaded from memory in the same ways as non-CLR shared libraries.

To work around this issue, you may be able to specify that your MEX-file run in a dedicated .NET AppDomain. You can find more information here:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/c5b8a8f9.aspx

As noted here, an AppDomain-neutral assembly (in this case, the MEX-file) cannot be unloaded without terminating the entire process (in this case, MATLAB).

Related Solutions

MATLAB: Do I receive a “cannot open file ‘dformd.lib'” fatal error when trying to use the MEX command with the Compaq Visual Fortran 6.6 compiler

This error results from the Compaq Visual Fortran compiler not being installed with the proper file folder arrangement.

The recommended file arrangement for the Compaq Visual Fortran compiler is as follows:

 Developer Studio Files:  C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Common
 Visual Fortran Files:  C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Df98
 Shared Visual C++ Files:  C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VC98

For more information, see Hewlett-Packard's website on Fortran compilers:

www.hp.com/go/fortran

MATLAB: How to debug a MEX-file in Microsoft Visual C++ .NET 2003

This Solution is specific to the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 debugger on Windows.

 NOTE:  This solution is not officially supported by MathWorks.

The following steps demonstrate how to debug a MEX-file in the Microsoft Visual C++ .NET environment:

1. Open the Visual Studio .NET development environment.

2. Open a New "empty" project.

3. Select File->Add Existing Item... And select the name of the MEX-file DLL.

4. Select File->Add Existing Item... And select the name of the MEX-file source.

5. Open the MEX-file source by double-clicking on it in the Solution Explorer frame.

6. Place a break point at the appropriate line of code.

7. Select Project->$PROJECT_NAME settings where $PROJECT_NAME is the name of your project.

8. Under the Configuration Properties, click on "Debugging."

9. Click on "Command" under Action and browse to the MATLAB executable file $MATLABROOT/bin/win32/matlab.exe where $MATLABROOT is the directory in which MATLAB is installed.

10. Click OK.

11. Select Debug->Start or press F5.

12. Click NO if it prompts you to rebuild the out of date project.

13. Click "OK" if it reports that matlab.exe does not contain debugging symbols.

This should open the MATLAB environment after a few moments.

14. Change to the directory location of the MEX-file using the CD command in MATLAB

15. Execute the MEX-file normally. This will start the MSVS 7.0 environment and stop at the break point.

You should now be able to step through the MEX-file as you would any C/C++ applicaton.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MATLAB: Do I receive a “cannot open file ‘dformd.lib'” fatal error when trying to use the MEX command with the Compaq Visual Fortran 6.6 compiler

MATLAB: How to debug a MEX-file in Microsoft Visual C++ .NET 2003

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