Creating Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), MATLAB Version 7.0.1 (R14SP1) Release Notes

Creating Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), MATLAB Version 7.0.1 (R14SP1)

This version introduces the following new features and changes:

• FIG-File Format Change

• Panels, Button Groups, and ActiveX Components

• Comments Now Optional for Newly Generated Callback Functions

• Windows XP Display of Push and Toggle Buttons

FIG-File Format Change

GUI FIG-files that are created or modified with MATLAB 7.0 or a later MATLAB version are not automatically compatible with Version 6.5 and earlier versions.

• GUIs Saved from GUIDE or from the Command Line: You can check the Ensure backward compatibility (-v6) preference in the Preferences dialog box under General > MAT-Files. When this preference is checked, all MAT-files are saved so as to be backward compatible with Version 6.5 and earlier versions.

• Alternative for GUIs Saved from the Command Line: If you do not want to check the MAT-Files preference described above, but want to make individual GUI FIG-files backward compatible, use the 'v6' argument when you save the GUI with the hgsave function.

Compatibility Considerations

To make FIG-files, which are a kind of MAT-file, backward compatible, you must explicitly specify that you want the backwards compatibility.

Panels, Button Groups, and ActiveX Components

Panels, button groups, and ActiveX components were introduced in MATLAB 7.0. These components are not compatible with versions earlier than 7.0.

Compatibility Considerations

You should not use these components in GUIs that you expect to run in earlier MATLAB versions.

You can export a GUI that contains a panel, button group, or ActiveX component from GUIDE to a single M-file that does not require a FIG-file. However, you will not be able to run that M-file in MATLAB versions earlier than 7.0.

Comments Now Optional for Newly Generated Callback Functions

In prior releases, GUIDE automatically generated comment lines for each callback that you added to an existing GUI M-file. For example:

% --- Executes during object deletion, before destroying properties.
function figure1_DeleteFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to figure1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

Comment lines are now optional for most callbacks. If you want the comments to be generated automatically when you add a callback, check the new preference Add comments for newly generated callback functions on the GUIDE panel of the Preferences dialog box. The factory default is checked.

If this preference is unchecked, GUIDE includes the comment lines only for callbacks that are automatically included for the GUIDE template you chose. No comments are included for any other callbacks that are added to the M-file.

Windows XP Display of Push and Toggle Buttons

Push buttons and toggle buttons with background colors other than the default display differently in Windows XP.

Compatibility Considerations

For Windows XP, GUI push buttons are displayed with a white background. If you have specified a background color other than the default, that color appears as a border around the push button. Unselected toggle buttons are displayed with the specified background color, but selected toggle buttons are displayed with a white background bordered by the background color.

Graphics, MATLAB® Version 7.0.1 (R14SP1)

External Interfaces/API, MATLAB® Version 7.0.1 (R14SP1)