| MATLAB Function Reference | ![]() |
fileattrib
fileattrib('name')
fileattrib('name','attrib')
fileattrib('name','attrib','users')
fileattrib('name','attrib','users','s')
[status,message,messageid] = fileattrib('name','attrib','users','s')
The fileattrib function is like the DOS attrib command, or the chmod command used on UNIX® systems. (UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries).
fileattrib displays the attributes for the current directory. Values are as follows.
Value | Description |
|---|---|
Attribute is off | |
Attribute is set (on) | |
Attribute does not apply |
fileattrib('name') displays the attributes for name, where name is the absolute or relative pathname for a directory or file. Use the wildcard * at the end of name to view attributes for all matching files.
fileattrib('name','attrib') sets the attribute for name, where name is the absolute or relative pathname for a directory or file. Specify the + qualifier before the attribute to set it, and specify the - qualifier before the attribute to clear it. Use the wildcard * at the end of name to set attributes for all matching files. Values for attrib are as follows.
Value for attrib | Description |
|---|---|
Archive (Windows® operating system only) | |
Hidden file (Windows only) | |
System file (Windows only) | |
Write access (Windows and UNIX) | |
Executable (UNIX only) |
For example, fileattrib('myfile.m','+w') makes myfile.m a writable file.
fileattrib('name','attrib','users') sets the attribute for name, where name is the absolute or relative pathname for a directory or file, and defines which users are affected by attrib, where users is applicable only for UNIX systems. For more information about these attributes, see UNIX reference information for chmod. The default value for users is u. Values for users are
Value for users | Description |
|---|---|
All users | |
Group of users | |
All other users | |
Current user |
fileattrib('name','attrib','users','s') sets the attribute for name, where name is the absolute or relative pathname for a file or a directory and its contents, and defines which users are affected by attrib. Here the s specifies that attrib be applied to all contents of name, where name is a directory.
[status,message,messageid] = fileattrib('name','attrib','users','s') sets the attribute for name, returning the status, a message, and the MATLAB® error message ID (see error and lasterror). Here, status is 1 for success and is 0 for error. If attrib, users, and s are not specified, and status is 1, message is a structure containing the file attributes and messageid is blank. If status is 0, messageid contains the error. If you use a wildcard * at the end of name, mess will be a structure.
Not all platforms or applications respond to file attributes that you have set in the same way. For example, even though you disable the "write" privilege for a directory with fileattrib, files in that directory may still be writable on some platforms or by certain applications.
To view the attributes of myfile.m, type
fileattrib('myfile.m')MATLAB returns
Name: 'd:/work/myfile.m'
archive: 0
system: 0
hidden: 0
directory: 0
UserRead: 1
UserWrite: 0
UserExecute: 1
GroupRead: NaN
GroupWrite: NaN
GroupExecute: NaN
OtherRead: NaN
OtherWrite: NaN
OtherExecute: NaNUserWrite is 0, meaning myfile.m is read only. The Group and Other values are NaN because they do not apply to the current operating system, Windows.
To make myfile.m become writable, type
fileattrib('myfile.m','+w')Running fileattrib('myfile.m') now shows UserWrite to be 1.
To make the directory d:/work/results be a read-only directory for all users, type
fileattrib('d:/work/results','-w','a')The - preceding the write attribute, w, specifies that write status is removed.
To make the directory d:/work/results and all its contents be read only and be hidden, on Windows, type
fileattrib('d:/work/results','+h-w','','s')Because users is not applicable on Windows systems, its value is empty. Here, s applies the attribute to the contents of the specified directory.
To return the attributes for the directory results to a structure, type
[stat,mess]=fileattrib('results')MATLAB returns
stat =
1
mess =
Name: 'd:\work\results'
archive: 0
system: 0
hidden: 0
directory: 1
UserRead: 1
UserWrite: 1
UserExecute: 1
GroupRead: NaN
GroupWrite: NaN
GroupExecute: NaN
OtherRead: NaN
OtherWrite: NaN
OtherExecute: NaNThe operation was successful as indicated by the status, stat, being 1. The structure mess contains the file attributes. Access the attribute values in the structure. For example, typing
mess.Name
returns the path for results
ans = d:\work\results
Return the attributes for all files in the current directory whose names begin with new.
[stat,mess]=fileattrib('new*')MATLAB returns
stat =
1
mess =
1x3 struct array with fields:
Name
archive
system
hidden
directory
UserRead
UserWrite
UserExecute
GroupRead
GroupWrite
GroupExecute
OtherRead
OtherWrite
OtherExecuteThe results indicate there are three matching files. To view the filenames, type
mess.Name
MATLAB returns
ans = d:\work\results\newname.m ans = d:\work\results\newone.m ans = d:\work\results\newtest.m
To view just the first filename, type
mess(1).Name ans = d:\work\results\newname.m
copyfile, cd, dir, filebrowser, fileparts, ls, mfilename, mkdir, movefile, rmdir
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