save_to_base(overwrite)

function save_to_base(overwrite)
%
% save_to_base() copies all variables in the calling function to the base
% workspace.  This makes it possible to examine a function's internal
% variables from the Matlab command prompt after the calling function
% terminates.
%
% If the optional argument "overwrite" is present and has a non-zero value,
% variables in the workspace of the caller will overwrite variables in the
% base workspace having the same name.  Otherwise, preexisting variables in
% the base workspace will not be overwritten.
%
% Phillip M. Feldman

% Version 1.1, 18 Aug. 2009: Added fix to exclude 'ans' variable.
%
% Version 1.0, 2 June 2009: Initial version.
%
% Note: I'd like to acknowledge assistance from Sean Little of the
% MathWorks.

ws_caller= evalin('caller','who()');

if length(nargin) && overwrite
   % Overwrite preexisting variables:
   variables= ws_caller;
else
   % Do not overwrite preexisting variables:
   ws_base= evalin('base','who()');
   variables= setdiff(ws_caller, ws_base);
end

for i= 1 : length(variables)
   if ~strcmp(variables{i},'ans')
      tmp= evalin('caller',variables{i});
      assignin('base',variables{i},tmp);
   end
end