MATLAB: Delete only figure objects from workspace MATLAB 2015a

clearfigurehandleworkspace

I just started using matlab with the new figure handles which now no longer are just a number, but an object of sorts.

Currently I am working with som old scripts that store a lot of different figure handles which I need to delete. I can obviously delete them one at a time, but its a lot of objects, and the names may vary every time the script run.

The reason that I need to delete the handles is that I need to store the entire workspace except for the figure handles as they produce a warning in 2015a (and possible earlier releases?).

Is there a way to use functions like clear() to delete only figure handles from the workspace in 2015a?

Best Answer

As per the documentation of close:

close all deletes all figures whose handles are not hidden.

close all hidden deletes all figures including those with hidden handles.

close all force deletes all figures, including GUIs for which CloseRequestFcn has been altered to not close the window.

Note that you can also pass an array of handles to delete which should have the same effect.

Related Solutions

MATLAB: How to clear (not close) all the opened figures

function clfall
FigList = findall(groot, 'Type', 'figure');
for iFig = 1:numel(FigList)
    try
        clf(FigList(iFig));
    catch
        % Nothing to do
    end
end
end

As Stephen said already: This is a shotgun method. I would not use it in productive code, because this will kill other GUIs.

I'd prefer to insert a button or menu for clearing:

function myFigure(varargin)
FigH = figure(varargin{:});
setappdata(FigH, 'myTag', 'myFigureGroup');
uicontrol('Style', 'PuchButton', 'String', 'clear', ...
    'Tooltipstring', 'Celar all figures of this group.', ...
    'Units', 'pixels', 'Position', [2, 2, 40,20], ...
    'Callback' @myFigureClear);
end
function myFigureClear(FigH, EventData)
FigList = findall(groot, 'Type', 'figure');
for iFig = 1:numel(FigList)
    FigH = FigList(iFig);
    Tag  = getappdata(FigH, 'myTag');
    if strcmp(Tag, 'myFigureGroup')
        clf(FigH);
    end
end
end

Now create new figures, which should be affected by the clearing, with myFigure instead of calling figure. Then an additional button is created in the left bottom, which clears the corresponding figures, but only if the myTag field in the ApplicationData is matching.

By the way, the "my" is for demonstration only. If everybody call his/her personal functions "my...", there will be collisions also. Prefer "gioFra" instead in the tags. "figure2" will be used frequently also, while I have not seen "figureX" yet.

MATLAB: Close all figures in 2014b

Perhaps you have a hidden figure (i.e. a figure whose 'HandleVisibility' is set to 'off')

This could happen in R2014a and before too, but a figure with this setting is not affected by close all. You need close all force to close these ones:

figure % Can be closed
figure('HandleVisibility','off'); % cannot be
close all % close handle visible ones
close all force % close all of them

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MATLAB: How to clear (not close) all the opened figures

MATLAB: Close all figures in 2014b

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