MATLAB: Pass Variable to Calling App

appextract dataMATLABoutput datapass data

I have searched around for the best practice to pass an app variable back to the calling app. For example, app1 is the main app and calls app2. I can easily pass variables into app2 via h = app2(a, b) when I run it from app1. However, I would like to pass back a and b to the calling app when app2 is closed. I have been using setappdata and getappdata, but don't believe this is technically the right approach.

app1 pseudocode:

function ButtonPress(app)

a = 5;

b = 10;

h = app2(a,b); % app2 modifies a and b

uiwait(h.UIFigure)

% at this point when app2 is closed, i want a and b returned to app1

end

Best Answer

Please refer to the following documentation on how to pass data between appdesigner apps.

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/creating_guis/creating-multiwindow-apps-in-app-designer.html

Related Solutions

MATLAB: App Designer How to “StartUp” within the App

(1) Two possibilities to reset your app to its default state:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/489003-reset-or-clear-property-values-in-app-designer#comment_763148

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/489003-reset-or-clear-property-values-in-app-designer#answer_399598

I prefer the first. A simple example using a function called resetComponents:

classdef app1 < matlab.apps.AppBase
    % Properties that correspond to app components
    properties (Access = public)
        UIFigure        matlab.ui.Figure
        EditFieldLabel  matlab.ui.control.Label
        EditField       matlab.ui.control.EditField
        Button          matlab.ui.control.Button
    end
    % Component initialization
    methods (Access = private)
        % Create UIFigure and components

        function createComponents(app)
            % Create UIFigure and hide until all components are created
            app.UIFigure = uifigure('Visible', 'off');
            app.UIFigure.Position = [100 100 640 480];
            app.UIFigure.Name = 'UI Figure';
            % Create EditFieldLabel

            app.EditFieldLabel = uilabel(app.UIFigure);
            app.EditFieldLabel.HorizontalAlignment = 'right';
            app.EditFieldLabel.Position = [382 282 56 22];
            app.EditFieldLabel.Text = 'Edit Field';
            % Create EditField

            app.EditField = uieditfield(app.UIFigure, 'text');
            app.EditField.Position = [453 282 100 22];
            % Create Button

            app.Button = uibutton(app.UIFigure, 'push');
            app.Button.Position = [129 282 100 22];
            app.Button.Text = 'Reset';
            app.Button.ButtonPushedFcn = @app.resetButtonCallback;
            % Show the figure after all components are created
            app.UIFigure.Visible = 'on';
        end
        
        function resetComponents(app)
            % Create EditFieldLabel
            app.EditFieldLabel = uilabel(app.UIFigure);
            app.EditFieldLabel.HorizontalAlignment = 'right';
            app.EditFieldLabel.Position = [382 282 56 22];
            app.EditFieldLabel.Text = 'Edit Field';
            % Create EditField
            app.EditField = uieditfield(app.UIFigure, 'text');
            app.EditField.Position = [453 282 100 22];
            % Create Button
            app.Button = uibutton(app.UIFigure, 'push');
            app.Button.Position = [129 282 100 22];
            app.Button.Text = 'Reset';
            app.Button.ButtonPushedFcn = @app.resetButtonCallback;
            
            % Or, alternatively, instead of redefining each component, just figure out all
            % properties which could be changed by the user and reset them to their
            % defaults:
            %

            % app.EditField.Value = '';
            %
            % Simpler here, but takes more work for more complicated apps.
        end
        
        function resetButtonCallback(app, ~, ~)
            resetComponents(app);
        end
    end
    % App creation and deletion
    methods (Access = public)
        % Construct app
        function app = app1
            % Create UIFigure and components
            createComponents(app)
            % Register the app with App Designer
            registerApp(app, app.UIFigure)
            if nargout == 0
                clear app
            end
        end
        % Code that executes before app deletion
        function delete(app)
            % Delete UIFigure when app is deleted
            delete(app.UIFigure)
        end
    end
end

(2) You can access a callback function if you have access to an instance of the app and you are calling from a location allowed by the function's Access attribute (e.g. Public, Private, etc).

Example 1: You cannot call a callback function from within a static method, because the static method does not have access to an instance of the app.

Example 2: You cannot call a callback function externally if its Access attribute is Private.

MATLAB: In App Designer, how can I refer to the controls in one GUI from another GUI

After doing some research, the solution to this question can be found in this Matlab example:

https://uk.mathworks.com/help/matlab/creating_guis/creating-multiwindow-apps-in-app-designer.html

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MATLAB: App Designer How to “StartUp” within the App

MATLAB: In App Designer, how can I refer to the controls in one GUI from another GUI

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