MATLAB: Error: Function definitions are not permitted in this context.

Question

This is my function

function [ area ] = calcarea(rad )

area = pi*rad.^2

end

When I try to run it, following message shows up, "The selected section cannot be evaluated because it contains an invalid statement

Also, the command window says "Error: Function definitions are not permitted in this context"

What am I doing wrong???

Answer 1

You probably have that function below a script in your m-file. You can't mix a script and a function in the same file. You can have two functions though. So if your file is called test.m, you could have all this in the single file:

function test()
    area = calcarea(10)
end
function area = calcarea(rad)
    area = pi*rad.^2;
end

Or you could have them in two separate files:

A script in test.m:

area = calcarea(10)

A function in calcarea.m:

function area = calcarea(rad)
    area = pi*rad.^2;
end