Model Portability - Troubleshooting Directory Path Error

Hello.

I have a MATLAB model that runs only if my current working directory is set to its saved file path. I should note that the model calls a bunch of external files (both MATLAB custom functions and files completely unrelated to MATLAB), all contained within the same folder. I'd like to correct this problem, allowing me to just copy and paste all the folder in whatever other directory, or computer for that matter, and still be able to run the program. What kinds of commands would you guys suggest I investigate? That would be really a great help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

[Joseph Cheng]

You probably want to look at the following:

 pwd %get current working directory
 addpath  %add a path to matlab's list of places to search function/files
 genpath  %get subfolders, don't really think you need this but there it is
 cd      %change working directory
 %folder/file navigation
 uigetfile/uiputfile/uigetdir..... etc  %user inputs
 fullfile() %combine folder and file path to a full path

so depending on what you mean by "working directory is set to its saved file path" you can build the working directory and specified folders based relative to the initial working directory and then the uigetfile/uiputfile/etc in conjunction with fullfile() lets you write to a specific folder location.

Answer 2

[Vicente]

Thank you for your suggestions. Adding a cd(pwd) line to the code helped me get rid of the warnings and error messages, but a problem remains. My model calls a MATLAB custom function, which was originally coded in C script, and such function is responsible for computing a series of arrays. It worked perfectly when my current working directory was set to the the directory where all the files were originally saved. But now that I want to add portability to my model, how can I make it so that the calling of such custom function is working even though I don't always have the same current working directory? Is that possible to be done without altering the MATLAB custom function? Because I wasn't even the one to design it, and I don't have it's compiling code at the moment. I hope there is a way around it. Thank you again.

[Joseph Cheng]

what is the error or warning or whatever is stopping you? Does this function look for the data files directly by itself (ie whatever folder it is in grabs all *.bin files for processing), do you pass file names to this function, or does this function have nothing to do with the data files and processes a matrix that you give it?

[Vicente]

This function reads a property file, completely unrelated to MATLAB, and by calling it within the .m script and by assigning output variables, it executes a series of calculations necessary for my work. There are no further error messages, but when the current working directory is not set to the save folder, the function doesn't find the property file it needs, and the computations come out blank. So, is there a way around it anyways?

Answer 3

[Vicente]

This function reads a property file, completely unrelated to MATLAB, and by calling it within the .m script and by assigning output variables, it executes a series of calculations necessary for my work. There are no further error messages, but when the current working directory is not set to the save folder, the function doesn't find the property file it needs, and the computations come out blank. So, is there a way around it anyways?