Why does MATLAB 6.1 (R12.1) crash when I use the Property Editor to set the axes upper limits of a log plot to smaller than the lower limit?

When I use SEMILOGX, SEMILOGY, or LOGLOG and then change the axes limits using the Property Editor, I receive a crash if I set the upper limit below the lower limit of a log-axis.All subsequent plots are then corrupt, i.e., no axes object appears in the figure.

In MATLAB 6.0, I receive the same behavior, but without the crash dump.

On UNIX, I do not receive a crash.However, MATLAB hangs, and I am unable to perform subsequent manipulations to my figure.

The following steps will reproduce the problem:

1. Execute the following command:

semilogy(1)

2. On the figure's menubar, choose "Edit-->Axes Properties...".

3. Un-check the "Auto" check box for the Y Limits, and change the upper limit to zero.

4. Press Apply.

The following is printed to the MATLAB command line:

 Warning: Requested axes limit range too small; rendering with minimum range allowed by machine precision.

 > In D:\Applications\MATLABR12p1\toolbox\matlab\uitools\jpropeditutils.m (jget) at line 150

 In D:\Applications\MATLABR12p1\toolbox\matlab\uitools\jpropeditutils.m at line 124

 [snip]

 ----------

 Segmentation violation detected at Mon Nov 12 09:38:45 2001

 ----------

 Configuration:

 MATLAB Version: 6.1.0.450 (R12.1)

 Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000

 Window System:Version 5.0 (Build 2195: Service Pack 1)

 Processor ID: x86 Family 6 Model 8 Stepping 6, GenuineIntel

 Virtual Machine:Java 1.1.8 from Sun Microsystems Inc.

 Register State:

 EAX = 00000000EBX = 00000001

 ECX = 3ff00000EDX = 00000000

 ESI = 02d7e190EDI = 00000000

 EBP = 01495cf0ESP = 01495cc0

 [snip]

 Stack Trace:

 [0] hg.dll:_CalculateTickMarkPos(2, 0, 0xffffffff, 0) + 1417 bytes

 [1] hg.dll:_compute_axis_ticks(0x1c998d58, 0x1c998d64, 0xfc040f24, 0x1c9989c8) + 420 bytes

 [snip]

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

This is a bug in MATLAB that has been reported to our development staff to be addressed in a future release of MATLAB.

As a workaround, we suggest changing the axes limits in such a way that the upper limit always exceeds the lower limit. For example, if the current limits are [0 100] and you would like to change them to [200 1000], then you should change the upper limit before changing the lower limit.