| MATLAB 5 Late-Breaking News | Help Desk |
helpdesk command.
Currently the Help Desk should be used with Netscape Navigator Release 2.0 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 (the Help Desk does not work as well with earlier releases of those products).
When invoked from Microsoft Internet Explorer, the index search facility generates HTML output that takes the place of the Help Desk page in the browser's page hierarchy. Consequently, the Back button or hyperlinks to the Help Desk will not work as expected. To return to the Help Desk from the index search page, use the Refresh button.
Also, the search may not work correctly when invoked the first time over a slow network; subsequent searches will work correctly.
Note the Java JIT compiler must be disabled to run the index search applet under Internet Explorer. To turn off JIT, click the View menu and then click Options. Select the Advanced tab, and then deselect the check box labeled Enable Java JIT Compiler.
On the 68K Macintosh, the index search facility requires Netscape 3.0. In addition, the index search facility is extremely slow on the 68K Platform-Specific Issues
See "PC-Specific Problems" for additional information about known MATLAB software problems on PC platforms.Printing Under Microsoft Windows
Before you can print from a Microsoft or Novell NetWare network environment under Windows 95 or NT, you must map the LPT1 port to the printer you want to use. To map LPT1 on Microsoft networks, issue this command at the system's command prompt:net use LPT1: \\server\printerwhere
server is the name of the server sharing the printer and printer is the name of the printer.
On Novell NetWare networks, use this command:
capture l=1 q=printerwhere
printer is the name of the print queue.
If you are using a Microsoft network, you can map LPT1, or you can edit the printopt function to change the definition of pcmd to:
COPY /B %s \\server\printer:where
server is the name of the server sharing the printer and printer is the name of the printer.
Problems Printing Using Z-Buffer
PC-Specific Characteristics of MATLAB That May Change
This section lists some specific characteristics of MATLAB for the PC that are likely to change in future releases.drawnow 'discard' is not working.
print command redraws the figure each time it is called.
pathdef.m instead of in matlabrc.m.
README file for additional information concerning MATLAB for Macintosh.
Using license.dat for UNIX Installations
To expedite the installation of the software, we have included thelicense.dat file needed to install the software on the CD-ROM.
Copy this file from the CD-ROM into the file $MATLAB/etc/license.dat before proceeding with your installation.
Tar: blocksize = 16You may safely ignore this message.
A fatal error occurred while running 'xsetup' the X Window System version of 'install'. The following error was returned by this program:
X Error of failed request: BadMatch (invalid parameter
attributes)
Major opcode of failed request: 42 (X_SetInputFocus)
Serial number of failed request: 12029
Current serial number in output stream: 12030
API Characteristics That May Change in Future Releases
This section lists some specific characteristics of the MATLAB 5 API (Application Program Interface) that are likely to change in future releases.mexAtExit routines. This was not true of MATLAB 4. You can override this behavior by calling the new MEX API routine, mexLock(). This allows you to lock the MEX-file in memory. MEX-files that are locked should be on the MATLAB path. If, after changing directories, a locked MEX-file is no longer on the MATLAB path, it will not be unloaded but can no longer be executed.
mexIsLocked currently always returns the value 1.
Known Software Problems
This section describes MATLAB 5 known software problems, providing workarounds for most problems. MATLAB 5 allows you to pass arrays with more than two dimensions to certain functions that are not designed to take an argument of this kind. For example, you can supply a three-dimensional array as an argument toplot, but it treats the data as a two-dimensional array for plotting. Passing plot a 3-by-3-by-2 array produces the same result as passing plot the same array reshaped to 3-by-6. In this case, the shape of the original array in the workspace (3-by-3-by-2) is unchanged. However, if the first dimension of the array that you pass to plot is 1, plot reshapes the original array in the workspace to a row vector with the same number of elements. If A is a 1-by-3-by-2 array, typing plot(A) causes A to be reshaped to a 1-by-6 vector in the workspace, which may lead to errors in subsequent calculations. If this occurs, you can return A to its original dimensions with the reshape command.
In general, avoid passing multidimensional arrays to functions that are not expecting them.
The expression A == [] produces a scalar (1-by-1) value in MATLAB 5, although the other Boolean operators (>, <, etc.) yield an empty matrix, []. MATLAB produces the following warning message when this expression is used:
Warning: X == [] is technically incorrect. Use isempty(X)
instead.
dbstop returns a Can't find M-file function error if you include the .m extension on the name of the M-file when you type the command. To avoid this error, leave off the .m extension when you type the command. For example, type dbstop myfile, not dbstop myfile.m.
Note that there are some additional Handle Graphics® issues discussed
in the section "PC-Specific Problems"
and "UNIX-Specific Problems".
GUIs that have a very large number of Uicontrols may take a long time to print when you use the print -dwin command.
Additionally, if you open another application on top of the GUI window while printing is in progress, elements of the top window may appear in the printout. To avoid this, wait until MATLAB indicates printing is finished before opening another window on top of your GUI.
Graphics on Black and White Monitors
On all platforms except Macintosh, if you use a black and white monitor, you will see the following message when MATLAB opens:Warning: uimenu BackgroundColor is non-functional, and will
be removed in a future release.
matlabrc.m using the M-File Editor/Debugger (or another editor) so that lines 62-70 look like the code shown on the next page. Note that lines 65, 67, and 68 in the original are changed, and line 74 in the original is moved to line 63 in the edited code.
% Make uicontrols, uimenus and lines look better on
% monochrome displays.
colordef(0,'white') % Set up for white defaults
if get(0,'ScreenDepth')==1,
set(0,'DefaultUIControlBackgroundColor','white');
% set(0,'DefaultUIMenuBackgroundColor','white');
set(0,'DefaultAxesLineStyleOrder','-|--|:|-.')
set(0,'DefaultAxesColorOrder',[0 0 0]);
set(0,'DefaultFigureColor',[1 1 1]);
end
A second way to correct the plotting problem is to add the following
lines to your startup.m M-file. This will not remove the warning, however.
set(0,'DefaultAxesLineStyleOrder','-|--|:|-.')
set(0,'DefaultAxesColorOrder',[0 0 0]);
set(0,'DefaultFigureColor',[1 1 1]);
The dragrect function assumes that rectangles passed to it are specified in pixel units, not current Figure units. To avoid incorrect scaling of the rectangle(s) when using dragrect, make sure that arguments are specified in pixel units.
In function rbbox(initialRect,fixedPoint,stepSize), the stepSize argument is in pixel units. Arguments initialRect and fixedPoint are in the current Figure units. Under Linux, the cxxopts.sh file does not work with the latest version of gcc (2.7.2). To correct the problem, change the value of LD to gcc, and edit the value of LDFLAGS to remove the flag -rdynamic.
MEX-files generated from M-files using the MATLAB 4 Compiler do not run in MATLAB 5, and cannot be recompiled with the -V4 switch to the mex.m script. You will need to regenerate your MEX-files using the MATLAB 5 Compiler. This product was not yet available at the time of printing. Please contact The MathWorks, Inc. for availability.
The documentation for the mxAssert macro indicates that assertions are off by default, and are activated when MEX-files are compiled with the-g flag. Currently, however, assertions are on by default.
To remove assertions, add the -DNDEBUG flag in the call to mex (this is then passed on to the compiler). To turn assertions off by default, append the -DNDEBUG flag to the COPTIMFLAGS string in the mexopts.sh shell script.
The following problems apply to Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT platforms running MATLAB, unless otherwise indicated.
Launching the M-File Editor/Debugger without MATLAB
When you launch the M-File Editor/Debugger without MATLAB open, the following warnings are displayed:Unable to connect to MATLAB and Error in evaluating an expression. The editor will open as usual when you dismiss these dialog boxes.
To avoid the warnings, have MATLAB open when you launch the M-File Editor/Debugger from Microsoft Windows, or start the M-File Editor/Debugger from within MATLAB.
Folder and Filenames with Spaces
MATLAB produces an error when you try to open an M-file using Open... in the Command Window File menu (or using the toolbar shortcut), if there are spaces in the filename or in the name of any folder in the file's path. To open files with spaces in their names or in their paths, either open them from within the M-File Editor/Debugger, or open them from Microsoft Windows (see the previous problem description). In the Path Browser, the Restore Defaults... button may not function properly if thepathdef.m file becomes sufficiently corrupted.
In this case, you can restore the defaults from the file pathdeforig.m in the matlab\toolbox\local directory. First, identify whether the corrupted pathdef.m is in the matlab\toolbox\local directory or in the MATLAB startup directory, by typing which pathdef at the command line when you experience the problem. Then simply rename the offending pathdef.m (as pathdef.old, for example) and make a copy of pathdeforig.m from matlab\toolbox\local in the same location. Rename this copy pathdef.m and restart MATLAB.
When you click on the Browse... button in the Path Browser, the Change Current Directory dialog may not default to the current directory. If you have a path highlighted in the Path listing when you click Browse..., that path is displayed in the Change Current Directory dialog. To start browsing from your current directory, click in the Current Directory box before clicking the Browse... button.
You cannot change the background color of a Uicontrol.
On computers running Windows NT 3.51, GUIDE (Graphical User Interface Development Environment) may leave extra menus (Options, Tools) visible on the figure window when you close it.
In MATLAB for Windows 95, the line width of a nonsolid line cannot be changed.
MATLAB 5 for Microsoft Windows 95 requires the TCP/IP networking software that came on your Windows 95 CD to be installed on your computer. Type help mipc at the command line for information about installing TCP/IP from your Windows CD.
If you start MATLAB without TCP/IP installed, you will see the warning Unable to initialize MIPC., and certain components of MATLAB will not function properly.
If your computer does not have networking software installed at all (for example, your computer is not networked and does not have a modem) you may also need to install Dial-Up Networking from the Windows 95 CD. If you continue to experience MIPC-related warnings after installing TCP/IP on your computer, install Dial-Up Networking:
Printing with Ghostscript Drivers
Theprint command does not currently work using Ghostscript drivers on the HP700, DEC Alpha, and IBM RS6000 platforms.
On X-Windows, a Uimenu may not function properly if you set the 'enable' property to 'on' when it was already 'on', and a modal figure is visible at the time. (A modal figure is a figure that has its 'WindowStyle' property set to 'modal', such as a dialog box that requires a user response before allowing access to other MATLAB windows.)
Under Linux, the cxxopts.sh file does not work with the latest version of gcc (2.7.2). To correct the problem, change the value of LD to gcc, and edit the value of LDFLAGS to remove the flag -rdynamic.
In the Vibration movie demo, MATLAB produces an error message if you press the Info button after making the movie (by pressing the Make button). To view the information, press the Info button before making the movie.
Some command line demos (like imagedemo) leave a Figure window open on the screen when they finish running. You can close the window as you normally would.
The makevase command line demo can cause a MATLAB segmentation violation when the Close button is pressed while the shape is being drawn. This error occurs if the Close button is pressed after the New Shape button is pressed, and before the last point of the shape is placed. To avoid this error, complete the shape (by clicking with the right mouse button or Shift-clicking) before pressing the Close button.
Notes for MATLAB 5 Beta Users
Read this section only if you have worked with Alpha or Beta versions of MATLAB 5, and are now working with the FCS (First Customer Ship) version of MATLAB 5. This section describes features and characteristics of MATLAB 5 that were introduced during the MATLAB 5 Alpha/Beta program that have changed either during the MATLAB 5 Alpha/Beta program or in the MATLAB 5 FCS version.argname Function Changed to inputname
Theargname function has been renamed to the inputname function.
bittest Function Renamed bitget
Thebittest function has been renamed bitget.
The function bug, which during the MATLAB Alpha/Beta program enabled you to create a bug report, has been removed for FCS. Use the Help Desk, as described above, to report bugs.
The function extract, which extracted cell array contents, has been removed. Use direct cell array indexing with the { } notation to access the contents of an array.
fields.m File Renamed fieldnames.m
The M-filefields.m has been renamed fieldnames.m.
The numeric function has been removed. Use double to convert a character into its numeric codes.
rightjust Function Renamed to strjust
The functionrightjust, which right-justifies a character array, has been renamed strjust.
structs Function Combined into struct
The functionstructs, which creates structures, has been combined into struct.
The Axes Stretch property has been removed. MATLAB now disables the stretch-to-fill behavior whenever the Axes DataAspectRatioMode, PlotBoxAspectRatioMode, or CamerViewAngleMode is set to manual. Note that specifying a value for the DataAspectRatio, PlotBoxAspectRatio, or CamerViewAngle sets the associated mode to manual.
Axes ViewPortScale and ViewPortScaleMode Properties Removed
The functionality that was embodied in theViewPortScale property is now achievable using the CameraViewAngle property. Note that setting ViewPortScale to 1 is equivalent to using the new zoom fill option.
ChangeFcn and CurrentProperty Properties Removed
TheChangeFcn and CurrentProperty properties have been removed.
bar and barh Functions Changed
Thebar and barh functions no longer support the two output argument forms that they did during the MATLAB 5 Alpha/Beta program:
[xb,yb] = bar [xb,yb] = barh
colordef Function Replaces Several Functions
Thecolordef function replaces the kdefault, wdefault, default4, and cleardef functions.
ExecutionQueue Property Removed
TheExecutionQueue property has been removed. The BusyAction property provides similar functionality.
See the axes function in the online MATLAB Graphics Reference for more information about each property.
HandleVisibility Property Replaces HiddenHandle Property
The HandleVisibility property replaces the HiddenHandle property.
HandleVisibility is a property of all objects. It controls the scope of handle visibility within three different ranges. Property values can be:
on -- The object's handle is available to any function executed on the MATLAB command line or from an M-file. This is the default setting.
callback -- The object's handle is hidden from all functions executing on the command line, even if it is on the top of the screen stacking order. However, during callback routine execution (MATLAB statements or functions that execute in response to user action), the handle is visible to all functions, such as gca, gcf, gco, findobj, and newplot. This setting enables callback routines to take advantage of the MATLAB handle access functions, while ensuring that users typing at the command line do not inadvertently disturb a protected object.
off -- The object's handle is hidden from all functions executing on the command line and in callback routines. This setting is useful when you want to protect objects from possibly damaging user commands.
For example, if a GUI accepts user input in the form of text strings, which are then evaluated (using the eval function) from within the callback routine, a string such as 'close all' could destroy the GUI. To protect against this situation, you can temporarily set HandleVisibility to off:
user_input = get(editbox_handle,'String'); set(gui_handles,'HandleVisibility','off') eval(user_input) set(gui_handles,'HandleVisibility','commandline')
-psdefcset Option for print Function Renamed -adobecset
The-psdefcset option to the print command has been renamed to -adobecset. This option specifies that MATLAB should use Adobe's default character set encoding for PostScript, rather than ISO Latin-1 character set encoding.
The ZBuffer Figure property has been removed. Statements that instruct you to set the ZBuffer property should be replaced with statements that set the Renderer Figure property. For example, replace:
set(gcf,'ZBuffer','on')with
set(gcf,'Renderer','zbuffer')
Application Program Interface (API) Feature Changes
mexSearchMATLABPath Function Removed
The functionmexSearchMATLABPath has been removed from the MEX interface. Replace mexSearchMATLABPath() with a call to the MATLAB which function using mexCallMATLAB().
mxCreatDoubleMatrixFromData Function Removed
The functionmxCreateDoubleMatrixFromData has been removed from the MEX interface. Replace mxCreateDoubleMatrixFromData with a call to mxCreateDoubleMatrix, followed by copying the data into the array.
mxReshape and mxGetSize MEX-functions Renamed
The following MEX functions that were introduced in the MATLAB 5 Alpha/Beta program have been renamed:mxReshape is now mxSetDimensions.
mxGetSize is now mxGetDimensions.
mxIsGlobal is now called mexIsGlobal. Rewrite and recompile MEX-files that call mxIsGlobal.
pathdef.m instead of in matlabrc.m.