MATLAB: Doesn’t the startup.m file work

MATLAB

Why doesn't my startup.m file work?

I am having an issue where my "startup.m" file is not executing. I need it to set up the path for a particular script to run. I launch MATLAB and execute that script from a different program, so without "startup.m" I get the error " [Script/Function] is not found in the current folder or on the MATLAB path, but exists in: [Some other directory]".

Best Answer

Is your "startup.m" file located at your userpath? If it is located somewhere else, you may not get the behavior that you are expecting.

To locate your userpath, type:

>> userpath

To locate your "startup.m" file (if it is somewhere on your path), type:

>> which startup

The "userpath" is the standard location for the "startup.m" file. Here is the MATLAB Documentation page describing the use of a "startup.m" file:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/startup.html

Related Solutions

MATLAB: How to move the ‘pathdef.m’ file from its default location to another location in MATLAB 8.1 (R2013a)

The ability to select an arbitrary location for the MATLAB path file 'pathdef.m' is not available in MATLAB 8.1 (R2013a). One possible workaround is detailed below.

By default, the 'pathdef.m' file may be located in either the '$MATLABROOT/toolbox/local' directory or the '$USERPATH' directory, where $MATLABROOT and $USERPATH are the directories displayed after entering the commands

matlabroot

and

userpath

at the MATLAB command line respectively.

The 'pathdef.m' file can be manually copied from either of these directories and placed in an arbitrary directory. To use the copied 'pathdef.m' file at initialization, create a MATLAB file titled 'startup.m' and place it in the '$USERPATH' directory. Copy the lines of code below to the file. If a 'startup.m' file already exists in '$USERPATH', add the lines of code to the end of the file:

% save starting directory
startdir = pwd ;
% specify arbitrary directory containing pathdef.m
pathdir = '<MODIFY>' ;
% change directory so that target 'pathdef.m' has highest precedence
% in the MATLAB search path
cd(pathdir)
% set the MATLAB search path using PATH
path(pathdef)
% change directory back to the starting directory
cd(startdir)

Make sure to modify the string marked "MODIFY" in the above code to the directory to which the 'pathdef.m' file was copied. The 'startup.m' script will be automatically executed upon MATLAB initialization.

MATLAB: How to set the default figure view to show plottools

This can be done by adding the following line of code to a "startup.m" file.

>> set(groot,'defaultFigureCreateFcn','plottools(gcf)')

If a "startup.m" file does not already exist, create a "startup.m" file in the "userpath" folder, which is on the MATLAB search path. Add commands you want executed at startup. Please see the following link for more information:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/startup.html

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MATLAB: How to move the ‘pathdef.m’ file from its default location to another location in MATLAB 8.1 (R2013a)

MATLAB: How to set the default figure view to show plottools

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