Thread Subject: varargin - Best Practices?

I'd like to get some input on 'varargin', which I've come across
recently and have been using to add utility to various functions
depending on the number of things I choose to specify. For instance,
let's say I have a function:

function foo(varargin)
     NArg = size(varargin,2);

     if NArg == 1
          x = varargin{1};
     elseif NArg == 2
          y = varargin{1};
          z = varargin{2};
     else
          do something fancy;
     end

     perform some action using either x or y,z;
end

I'm sort of "overloading" that first input by letting it either be
some 'x' or some 'y'. Does anyone have any opinion on whether or not
this is a reasonable practice? Are there any potential pitfalls (aside
from poor documentation and misuse)? Input appreciated ....

neuromath wrote:
> I'd like to get some input on 'varargin', which I've come across
> recently and have been using to add utility to various functions
> depending on the number of things I choose to specify. For instance,
> let's say I have a function:
>
> function foo(varargin)
> NArg = size(varargin,2);
>
> if NArg == 1
> x = varargin{1};
> elseif NArg == 2
> y = varargin{1};
> z = varargin{2};
> else
> do something fancy;
> end
>
> perform some action using either x or y,z;
> end
>
> I'm sort of "overloading" that first input by letting it either be
> some 'x' or some 'y'. Does anyone have any opinion on whether or not
> this is a reasonable practice? Are there any potential pitfalls (aside
> from poor documentation and misuse)? Input appreciated ....

Those would seem significant ones to me... :)

Why would you put such seemingly unrelated functions together in the
first place is the first question that comes to my mind...

--

> NArg = size(varargin,2);

Why are you doing this vs just using the supplied nargin
variable?

James Tursa