ftoc (v1.2)

Creates a table of contents of functions contained in an m-file

Description

Since some of the m-files I work with are very large, and contain many nested functions and subfunctions, I find it helpful to keep a short and simple table of contents in the top comment block that tells me which functions are in the m-file, their line numbers, and how they are nested. I wrote FTOC to generate this function table of contents automatically. This was inspired by a posting by Yair Altman on the mathworks newsgroup where he described how to use the undocumented function MLINTMEX. If you're interested in getting even greater detail about m-file contents, you should check out the postings by Urs Schwarz acknowledged below.

Here's how FTOC is used:

STR = FTOC(FILE) returns a character array table of contents STR for all nested functions and subfunctions within the m-file FILE (built-in functions are not displayed). The line numbers of each function are included, and the indentation of the function names indicates the nesting order. FILE should be an m-file name. If FILE is not found, or there are no subfunctions or nested functions, STR will be an empty string.

STR = FTOC(FILE,'insert') will return a character array table of contents STR formatted for the purpose of inserting it into the header comment block of the m-file FILE. Each line begins with the character '%' and the line numbers are adjusted to account for the fact that STR will be inserted somewhere within the top comment block of FILE. (NOTE: you will want to first remove any old table of contents from the comment block before pasting the new one in, to make sure the line numbers are adjusted correctly.)

(See function help for examples)

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the following in the creation of this submission:
farg: a pedestrian M-file parser showing all used functions' syntax, fdep: a pedestrian function dependencies finder

• MATLAB release: MATLAB 7.1.0 (R14SP3)
• Other Files: ftoc.m, ; license.txt

[Urs (us) Schwarz]

good...
you also may want to look at FARG, available here

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/loadFile.do?objectId=15924&objectType=FILE

or FDEP, available here

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/loadFile.do?objectId=17291&objectType=FILE

us

[Ken Eaton]

I've submitted a slightly updated version to remove some mlint messages. The help description was also not formatting properly (no indents appeared, so you have to look at the function header for correct examples).

[Ken Eaton]

Thanks for the heads up, us. I don't know how I managed to miss FARG when I was looking around to see if anything like this had been done. It looks like a much more beefed-up and detailed version of what I was doing here... I'll have to check it out =).

Ken

[fex observer]

The submissions mentioned by the first reviewer do an excellent job and are clearly superior to your program.

[Ken Eaton]

Is there some reason someone is downloading hundreds of copies of this?

[m p]

Program don’t show this, don’t show clssification. Future versions will show classification: You=Infinite==Infinite|or|Circle*NaN...

[Ken Eaton]

Is that comment supposed to make sense?... because it doesn't.

[A N]

Wording and initials suggest the poor poor rating was written by the infamous file exchange author 'marco', either by accident or in revenge. So far I thought DNFTT, but if it's true he now starts to mess up the rating system, I think there should be a way to block him and to annul his rating.

[M P]

mp of 7 jun 2008 am not I, but will be this the true???? to live will be to know

[John D'Errico]

 

[John D'Errico]

While I cannot force the trash ratings by Marco to be removed, this is far better than his rating indicates. The help is quite good. This will be a useful utility if you work on large software projects in MATLAB.

[Tim Davis]