MATLAB: How to setup terminal for debugging MATLAB scripts while editing in vim

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I would like to be able to debug MATLAB files while editing them in vim.

Does MATLAB have support for using debugging and other features while using vim as an external editor?

Best Answer

MATLAB can be launched for use on the command line by passing it the command line flag '-nodesktop'. Commands can then be entered on the command line in the same way you would enter them in the MATLAB Command Window. Commands like 'plot' or 'figure' will still generate GUI windows.

By combining this functionality with a terminal multiplexing program like 'tmux' or 'screen', you can mimic the layout of the MATLAB desktop on the command line. You can then edit your files in vim while still having easy access to MATLAB commands to run and debug your script.

To debug MATLAB programs using MATLAB commands, please refer to the following documentation:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/releases/R2019b/matlab/debugging-code.html

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MATLAB: How to use Database Toolbox to query ACCDB/MDB file programmatically without JDBC/ODBC bridge on Windows

Please consider adding/removing the ODBC data source using command line options in Windows. Please refer to the following page from Microsoft for commands such as 'odbcconf' in command prompt or 'Add-OdbcDsn' in PowerShell:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/odbc/odbcconf-exe

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/wdac/Add-OdbcDsn?view=win10-ps

Since 'odbcconf' is not recommended by Microsoft, please find the following example of using '<https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/system.html system>' command in MATLAB to execute PowerShell command 'Add-OdbcDsn' with the following:

>> dbqfilepath = strcat("'dbq=", filepath, "'");
>> dbsource = strcat("powershell;Add-OdbcDsn -Name 'dbdemo' -DriverName 'Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb)' -DsnType 'User' -Platform '64-bit' -SetPropertyValue ", dbqfilepath);
>> system(dbsource);

The above would help adding the datasource to ODBC and you may then use '<https://www.mathworks.com/help/database/ug/database.html database>' command for native ODBC connection.

To remove the data source, please refer to the following page from Microsoft for the 'Remove-OdbcDsn' PowerShell command:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/wdac/remove-odbcdsn?view=win10-ps

An example command would look like the following:

system("powershell;Remove-OdbcDsn -Name 'dbdemo' -DsnType 'User' -Platform '64-bit'");

MATLAB: Am I unable to use the Vim external editor in MATLAB on a Unix system

This enhancement has been incorporated in Release 2006b (R2006b). For previous product releases, read below for any possible workarounds:

The ability to use the Vim external editor is not available in MATLAB. Currently, to work around this issue, the "edit.m" file needs to be modified.

There is a special case for the Vi external editor, which is similar to the Vim external editor, in the "edit.m" file because Vi needs to open in a terminal window:

 if strcmp(editor,'vi') == 1
     editor = 'xterm -e vi';
 end

Since Vim has the same restriction, do the following in order to use the Vim editor:

1) Type the following at the MATLAB prompt:

edit edit

2) Change the relevant lines in "edit.m" to the following:

 if strncmp(editor,'vi',2) == 1
     editor = ['xterm -e ' editor];
 end

This will enable you to use both Vi and Vim.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MATLAB: How to use Database Toolbox to query ACCDB/MDB file programmatically without JDBC/ODBC bridge on Windows

MATLAB: Am I unable to use the Vim external editor in MATLAB on a Unix system

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