How to run a script name inputed by the user within a script.

21 views (last 30 days)
So, I have a script that I want to use to enter variables from an .m file that the user enters.
So, I have
filename=input('Please enter the filename:');
But I want to then run the entered script within the script. Any idea how to do this? I know if I already knew the name of the script I could just put it directly in the script, but I don't know how to do it this way. Thanks.

Accepted Answer

Sean de Wolski
Sean de Wolski on 9 Apr 2012
  2 Comments
james
james on 9 Apr 2012
If I store the name of the file in "filename" and then type
run filename
It will attempt to execute a script named filename, and not the string that's stored in the input.

Sign in to comment.

More Answers (2)

Daniel Shub
Daniel Shub on 9 Apr 2012
There is the run function
doc run
  2 Comments
james
james on 9 Apr 2012
If I store the name of the file in "filename" and then type
run filename
It will attempt to execute a script named filename, and not the string that's stored in the input. How do I fix this?
Image Analyst
Image Analyst on 9 Apr 2012
Yes, running something with the command style is different than running it with the function style. With command style, no parentheses are used and it thinks that what you have there is the string itself except without the single quotes around it, so that's why it tried to run a script called "filename.m". With the function style, you pass in a variable and no quotes and it runs it assuming you made the variable with single quotes:
filename = 'c:/blah/foo.m';
run(filename);
So, bottom line, you should use parentheses and then your existing code should work correctly.

Sign in to comment.


Alan
Alan on 9 Apr 2012
use the 'eval' function
  2 Comments
Daniel Shub
Daniel Shub on 10 Apr 2012
While I don't like to bash solutions that work, I find this solution to be miserable. Yes, the run function, as suggested by Sean and myself, eventually uses eval, but there is a difference. The run function makes sure that the script is actually a file and not some arbitrary code.

Sign in to comment.

Categories

Find more on Variables in Help Center and File Exchange

Community Treasure Hunt

Find the treasures in MATLAB Central and discover how the community can help you!

Start Hunting!