MATLAB Central Newsreader - Using feature('memstats') fails with 'An unknown feature was specified'

Using feature('memstats') fails with 'An unknown feature was specified'

Ralph Wahrlich — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:14:50 -0400

Hi:

I want to find out what Matlab is doing with its allocated memory. A
command called "feature" looks promising. But when I try it as instructed:

  feature('memstats')

it doesn't work - I get this:

  >> m = feature('memstats')
  ??? Error using ==> feature
  An unknown feature was specified

I try another syntax:

  >> feature memstats
  ??? Error using ==> feature
  An unknown feature was specified

And, I try omitting the arguments, hoping that the function might give me a
list of valid arguments:

  >> feature
  ??? Error using ==> feature
  Not enough input arguments.

The base command seems to definitely be on the system...

  >> which feature
  built-in (undocumented)

I can't find much help though:

  >> help feature
  feature.m not found.

Any help appreciated!
Cheers,
Ralph
(Remove the string ".dot" from my email address, to email me.)

Re: Using feature('memstats') fails with 'An unknown feature was specified'

Yair Altman — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:13:30 -0400

> >> m = feature('memstats')
> ??? Error using ==> feature
> An unknown feature was specified

You're probably using an old version of Matlab, that didn't
have this feature yet. It works ok on one of the latest
releases (including the very latest R2007b).

> >> which feature
> built-in (undocumented)
>
> I can't find much help though:
>
> >> help feature
> feature.m not found.

feature is an internal undocumented function, used by
Mathworks for internal program development and debugging.
There's not much info about it floating around, mostly in
this newsgroup. Specific features are liable to change
between Matlab releases, so if you see some neat feature in
an old thread, there's a chance it won't work on the latest
release... There are some excellent undocumented Matlab
functions that I'd be happy to recommend relying on, but
feature is not one of them - it's way up on the risk scale.

Yair Altman
http://ymasoftware.com