MATLAB: How to use functions from private directories

excelprivate directoryxlsreadxlswrite

While I was trying to improve the performance of Excel file reading and writing, I've noticed that xlsread is using some other functions, located in a directory called …\toolbox\matlab\iofun\private. I wrote a new function, which is composed of the code of xlsread, but it was impossible to access some functions that reside in the location above.

I tried using addpath:

addpath(fullfile(matlabroot, 'toolbox\matlab\iofun\private\'))

but I got a warning saying:

Warning: Private directories not allowed in MATLAB path

1. what's the reason for that?

2. are there any workarounds except of copying all the necessary related functions to my working directory?

Best Answer

You can have different private functions with the same name in different folders. If you inclucde such a private folder in the path, it is visible from all other functions also and then they are not "private" anymore. This can lead to ambigous dependencies and therefore it is nopt allowed.

The clean solution is to create a private folder in the folder, which contains your function, and copy the required files. Another, less clean method, is to add a wrapper function in the toolbox folder:

function varargout = myPrivateWrapperXYZ(FuncName, varargin)
[varargout(1:nargout)] = FuncName(varargin{:});

Care for a meaningful function name. This forwards all requests even to the private functions. The drawback is, that adding functions to Matlab's toolbox paths requires admin privileges and it is not portable. After a re-installation of Matlab your code will fail, and this is a bad idea in general.

Related Solutions

MATLAB: Add function to toolbox path

Well Private functions are meant for the purpose that it won't be seen from any other directory or functions kept other than its parent directory.

Now When you have created your own function and kept at MATLAB Toolbox path , it is not good idea,because that function is not visible to MATLAB due to licensing management. That's why you will get "function don't exist" error.

Any other MATLAB in-built function within that toolbox will not have issue.

To this below can be solution

1. Do Make a copies of private functions and create directory on local drive lets say D:\ then add parent directory of that private function to MATLAB ADDPATH. In this way, you will get warning but functions will run.

Warning occurs because MATLAB will have two paths for same private functions. To overcome this , you can rename private functions as your wish and use.

2. Make Local functions in your "myfunction" function and use outside matlab toolbox path while adding directory to matlab search path or making it current working directory.

3. Another quick-and-dirty solution is change directory to the private directory, and switch back at the end. (Not recommend)

MATLAB: Creating a custom copy of a Matlab function (xlsread)

If you type

which xlsread

you will see something like

C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2009a\toolbox\matlab\iofun\xlsread.m

In the parent folder ...\iofun\, there is a subfolder ...\iofun\private, and this contains the function validpath. Mine is at:

C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2009a\toolbox\matlab\iofun\private\validpath.m

If you also copy this file to the same location as your copy of xlsread, it should work. I highly recommend you change the name of the local copy of validpath (and change the call to it in your local copy of xlsread). It is clearly not a supported function, and may be used internally by other MATLAB functions. So if you altered your local file, you won't know what other consequences it might have.

Good luck.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MATLAB: Add function to toolbox path

MATLAB: Creating a custom copy of a Matlab function (xlsread)

Related Question