Run Matlab script under Windows

Tip 1298 Printable Monobook Previous Next

created 2006 · complexity intermediate · author Manu Hack · version n/a

---

If you have a Matlab script file (not function file), then you could add the following simple files to C:/Program Files/Vim/vimfiles/ftplugin/matlab (depends on where you installed Vim).

run.py

for i in range(len(vim.current.buffer)):
  print h.Execute(vim.current.buffer[i])

run.vim

:py from win32com.client import Dispatch
:py import vim
:py h=Dispatch('matlab.application')
map <buffer> ,r :w<CR>:cd C:/Program Files/Vim/vimfiles/ftplugin/matlab<CR>:pyf run.py<CR>

Then just type ,r you can run and get the results in the current windows.

Make sure you have a running Python. I'm using WinXP, Vim 7.0, Matlab 6.5, and Python 2.4.

See the improved version of this tip in script#1634.

Comments

Not working. I created the files run.vim, run.py, and the map. However, when I enter a matlab script I get this:

Couldn't open buffer 3 in window 2, creating a new window
Error message: NameError: name 'Dispatch' is not defined

---

Just a thought on this one, perhaps it would be better to enclose run.vim in:

if has("win32")
   ...
endif

just to ensure it doesn't cause problems for those of use who use the same Vim setup on Windows & Linux. Also, it would be beneficial to change the mapping to use $VIM instead of C:\Program Files\vim

---

Another thing is that there should be a tab before the line in the for-loop. You may get an error for omitting that.

---

Some more updates for the code:

1. One may need to add the path where your functions are stored. This can be done by Matlab function addpath.

2. After using for a while, I find that if my script call other functions which have been modified, Matlab is not able to use the updated version of the functions. One could add a line in run.py as follows.

run.py

h.Execute("rehash toolboxcache")
for i in range(len(vim.current.buffer)):
  print h.Execute(vim.current.buffer[i])

Then it should work well. At least at the moment I could start working without going back and forth between Matlab and Vim.

---

Finally got some time to improve the run.vim.

Now no need to use the run.py and just put the following run.vim in ftplugin/matlab.

if has("win32")
  :py from win32com.client import Dispatch
  :py import vim
  :py h=Dispatch('matlab.application')
  :py path=vim.eval('expand("%:p:h")')
  :py h.Execute("temppath='"+ path+"'")
  :py h.Execute("addpath(temppath)")
  :py h.Execute("clear temppath")
  map <buffer> ,r :w<CR>:py h.Execute("rehash path")<CR>:py print h.Execute(vim.eval('expand("%:t:r")'))<CR>
  map <buffer> ,b :w<CR>:py h.Execute("rehash path")<CR>:py print h.Execute('dbstop in '+vim.eval('expand("%:t:r")')+' at '+vim.eval('line(".")'))<CR>
endif

Still, you need Python with the win32com.

Tip: You might want to use 'matlab.desktop.application' for the complete matlab interface.

---