MATLAB: Single-File Object-Oriented Script

Question

How can I define a class and instantiate it within the same script? Something like …

object = some_class()
while 1
     object.method
end
classdef(some_class)
     properties: ...
     methods: ...
end

I understand that class definitions, in Matlab, are supposed to be implemented in separate files. I'm asking about some kind of work-around…

with the sole purpose of keeping the script self-contained, even if the actual program stretches out. A guess is shown below.

string = "classdef(.....)"
classdef_file = export-to-file(string)
load(classdef_file)
object = some_class()
while 1
    object.method
end

… or maybe something with C code, or handle objects? Like… some way to make a 'pseudo-class' that acts like a class but has different implementation?

I'm putting this out there because someone must have found a similar solution for defining functions in the script prior to 2016.

Here are the half-solutions that I'm aware of:

• Jupyter Notebooks with %%file method.
• Define a structure and just use anonymous functions, a.b = @ (x) …

If anyone finds or knows a solution, this would be awesome!

Answer 1

You could just create a static class method that runs what you would normally run in the workspace of the script,

classdef some_class
    
     methods(Static)
         function script_code
             
                object = some_class();
                
                while 1
                     object.some_method();
                end             
             
         end
         
     end    
    
     %% Non-Static class definitions
     properties
        ...
     end
 
     methods
         function some_method(obj)
             
         end
         
       ....
         
     end
     
end