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Using Web Browsers from MATLAB

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About Web Browsers in MATLAB Displaying Pages in Web Browsers Web Preferences

About Web Browsers in MATLAB

From MATLAB, Web sites and documents can display in any of the following browsers:

• MATLAB Web browser

• Help browser

• Your system Web browser, such as Mozilla^® Firefox^®

MATLAB uses different browser to display different types of information:

• Web sites display in your system browser.

• Documentation and demo pages display in the Help browser.

• Other HTML files display in the MATLAB Web Browser. For example, after publishing an M-file to HTML, the HTML file displays in the MATLAB Web Browser:

MATLAB Web Browser

Because the MATLAB Web and Help browsers are desktop tools, you can perform desktop operations on them, such as docking the tools in the desktop. For more information, see Desktop.

The MATLAB Web Browser may not support all the features that a particular Web site or HTML page uses. For example, the MATLAB Web Browser does not display .bmp (bitmap) image files. Instead use .gif or .jpeg formats for image files in HTML pages.

System Browser

The system browser that MATLAB uses depends on your platform:

• On Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh platforms, MATLAB uses the default browser for your operating system.

• On UNIX platforms, MATLAB uses the Mozilla Firefox browser. You can specify a different system browser for MATLAB using Web preferences.

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Displaying Pages in Web Browsers

To display an HTML document in the MATLAB Web Browser, double-click the document name in the Current Folder browser.

To display a Web page or file in the MATLAB Web Browser:

1. Select Desktop > Web Browser.

   An empty MATLAB Web browser window opens.

2. Type a URL or full path to a filename in the Location field.

To open a link to another page in a separate MATLAB Web browser window, click the middle mouse button, if you have one.

To open any type of document in any type of Web browser MATLAB supports, use the web function. Specify a URL or file to display, and the type of browser to use.

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Web Preferences

Use Web preferences to specify characteristics related to accessing the Internet:

• Specifying Proxy Server Settings

• Specifying the System Browser for UNIX Platforms

• Specifying Fonts for the MATLAB Web Browser

Specifying Proxy Server Settings

If your network uses a firewall or another method of protection that restricts Internet access, provide information about your proxy server to MATLAB.

To specify the proxy server settings:

1. Select File > Preferences > Web.

2. Select the Use a proxy server to connect to the Internet check box:

3. Specify values for Proxy host and Proxy port. Examples of acceptable formats for the host are: 172.16.10.8 and ourproxy. For the port, enter only an integer, such as 22. If you do not know the values for your proxy server, ask your system or network administrator for the information.

   If your proxy server requires a user name and password, select the Use a proxy with authentication check box. Then enter your proxy user name and password.

   Note   MATLAB stores the password without encryption in your matlab.prf file.

4. Ensure that your settings work by clicking the Test connection button.

   MATLAB attempts to connect to http://www.mathworks.com:

   • If MATLAB can access the Internet, Success! appears next to the button.

   • If MATLAB cannot access the Internet, Failed! appears next to the button. Correct the values you entered and try again. If you still cannot connect, try using the values you used when you authenticated your MATLAB license.

5. Click OK to accept the changes.

After specifying the preference, you can access the Internet from MATLAB through your proxy server.

Limitations of Specifying Proxy Server Settings.  

• You cannot specify the proxy server settings using a script.

• There is no automated way to provide the proxy server settings your system browser uses to MATLAB.

Specifying the System Browser for UNIX Platforms

For background information, see System Browser. To specify the system browser:

1. Select File > Preferences > Web. The Preferences dialog box opens to the Web pane.

   

   Note   The System Web browser preference is for UNIX platforms (excluding Macintosh) and does not appear in the preferences pane for other platforms.

2. Under System Web browser, in the Command field, specify the system command to open the browser, for example, opera, which opens the Opera Web browser.

3. Add options for opening your system browser in the Options field. For example, geometry 1064x860 specifies the size of the window for Opera.

4. Click OK.

Specifying Fonts for the MATLAB Web Browser

To modify the MATLAB Web Browser font, select File > Preferences > Fonts. The Web browser uses the font settings that you specify for the HTML Proportional Text tool. For more information about setting fonts, click the Help button in the preference pane for Fonts.

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Accessing Tools with the Start Button

Other Desktop Features

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