MATLAB: Stop Figure from taking Focus!!

figurefocusstealing focus

I have created a function that repeatedly display a uitable (in a figure) that is looped every 10 seconds using a timer object. TheI global TASK variable in the function is continually being changed by a main function (not shown). The function displays information about tasks being performed and who (in a group) is performing what tasks. TASK is a global structure variable in the main program's data, that continually changes (what this function is built to display).
My question: How do I keep figure(2) from taking focus every time it loops??? I just want it to update in the background, and not pop up evey time or make my computer switch window to the figure! Seems simple. I'v tried two examples, listed below my function. The first is closest to what i want to happen, but havnt figured out how to adapt it to mine. Please help! Thank you!
%DISPLAY FUNCTION for main program:
function displayCurrent()
global a; global TASK;
if a==0 
    return; %If program has ended, stop updating the Display
end
%Create and Display Table (OUTPUT):
memberNames = {TASK(1).name,TASK(2).name,TASK(3).name}
tasktime    = {TASK(1).hh_mm_ss,TASK(2).hh_mm_ss,TASK(3).hh_mm_ss};
memberIDs   = {num2str(TASK(1).grpTsk_members), num2str(TASK(2).grpTsk_members), num2str(TASK(3).grpTsk_members)};
tasks       = {TASK(1).title, TASK(2).title, TASK(3).title};
T = table(memberNames', tasktime', memberIDs', 'RowNames', tasks');
T.Properties.Description = 'DAILY TASK LIST';
T.Properties.VariableNames = {'AllMembers' 'TaskTime' 'CurrentIDs'};
%sfigure(figure(2))                         %Does not work, or not using correctly
%h1 = figure(2);set(gcf,'Visible', 'off');  %Just makes figure go away compeltely...
figure(2)                                   %STEALS FOCUS! HOW TO STOP????
UIT = uitable('Data',T{:,:},'ColumnName',T.Properties.VariableNames,...
'RowName',T.Properties.RowNames,'Units', 'Normalized', 'Position',[0, 0, 1, 1],'ColumnWidth', {150,100,70},'FontSize', 15);
%Looping timer-
t=timer; t.StartDelay = 10; t.TimerFcn = @(~,~) displayCurrent(); start(t)%Loops DISPLAY function
disp('');
end
I have tried many MATLAB resources. Here are a few I tried to implement with no luck:
1) The closest in effect to what want:
function example_focusin
T = timer('timerfcn',@updatePlot,'period',5,'executionmode','fixedrate','taskstoexecute',10);
figure; h = plot(rand(1,10));start(T);
    function updatePlot(src,evt)
        set(h,'ydata',rand(1,10)); 
    end
end
AND
2) Couldnt get to work:
function h = sfigure(h)
% SFIGURE  Create figure window (minus annoying focus-theft)... Usage is identical to figure. Daniel Eaton, 2005
if nargin>=1 
    if ishandle(h)
        set(0, 'CurrentFigure', h);
    else h = figure(h); end
else h = figure; end
end

Best Answer

Do not keep calling figure and making new uicontrol . create the objects ahead of time and update the appropriate properties .
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