MATLAB: How to make a path relative instead of absolute when I deploy the app as a standalone

absolute pathdeploytoolMATLAB Compilerrelative path

I'm using the MATLAB Compiler GUI to manage my project and the deploytool function to generate the .exe. I've noticed that the main file and the "files required for your application to run" are stored with absolute path (unlike all other parameters when I looked at the .prj file with text editor). This leads to an error if someone else gets the project and try to generate the .exe.

Is there a way to make all path relative without having to modify the .prj file with a text editor afterward?

Best Answer

The main file will be expressed as a relative path if the file you select is in the subfolder hierarchy of the PRJ. For example, if the PRJ is at location "<root>/foo.prj", then the main file could be in <root> or any subfolder of root and it will be recorded in the PRJ as a relative path. If the main file cannot be expressed as a path relative to the PRJ in this manner, MATLAB falls back to the absolute path.

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MATLAB: What is the best practice for referencing a full file path in the deployed application

You are correct that the folder structure has changed from R2018b forward.

In general, the best practice to use when referencing files included in the CTF is to use just the filename, as all files that you include with your application are added to your application's path. However, in cases where this is not possible (e.g. you need to specify a full file path as a function argument), you can do the following:

Use the which function to locate your desired JDBC file on the MATLAB path. For instance, if you include the 'mysql-connector-java-8.0.20.jar' file in your compiled application, you can find the full file path in your compiled application by executing:

>> driverPath = which('mysql-connector-java-8.0.20.jar');

You can then pass the resulting driverPath variable as an input to the setConnectionOptions function.

MATLAB: Relocating a MATLAB Compiler project to a different machine and recompiling

A .prj file contains information about your app, such as included files and a description. The .prj file enables you to update the files in your app without requiring you to re-specify descriptive information about the app. You can pack up the .prj file and all the dependent .m and .mat and .fig files it points to, move them to a different machine. You can then double click on .prj file and it opens the deploytool GUI. You can recompile the files. Relocation of files won’t cause them to break. However, if you are only relocating the “.prj” file to a different location in the same machine, you can right click on it and open it as text, this will show the location of files that are used by the application. For Ex:

    <fileset.main>
      <file>${PROJECT_ROOT}\surfPlot.m</file>
    </fileset.main>

Here my main file is located at a relative location indicated by : ${PROJECT_ROOT}\surfPlot.m

You can modify this location manually to indicate the location of main files or other files that are used by the application.

Note: “.prj” file is just a build file. You can omit the “.prj” file and move all the files that are needed in an application to another machine and use deploytool to recompile them. This will generate a new “.prj” file.

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Related Solutions

MATLAB: What is the best practice for referencing a full file path in the deployed application

MATLAB: Relocating a MATLAB Compiler project to a different machine and recompiling

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