How do you keep a MATLAB GUI open when launched from Excel VBA?

I have a MATLAB GUI built using the guide tool. I wish for it to be launched externally from an Excel VBA macro. The code I have currently launches it, but it instantly closes as soon as it has finished launching and opening.

Is there any way to keep the GUI from closing automatically?

Sub RunMATLABGUI()
    Dim MatLab As Object
    Dim result As String
    Dim Flocation As String
    Flocation = ThisWorkbook.Path
    Dim hMatlab As Object
    Set hMatlab = CreateObject("Matlab.Application")
    result = hMatlab.Execute("cd " & Flocation)
    result = hMatlab.Execute("run ResultsGUI_For_MultiYrs_Sheet.m")

      'This was the old code.  It worked, but required a direct link to the MATLAB executible
      'ChDir Application.ActiveWorkbook.Path
      'Shell ("""C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2017b\bin\matlab.exe"" -nodisplay -nosplash -nodesktop -r ""run('ResultsGUI_For_MultiYrs_Sheet.m');""")
  End Sub

[Matthew Weis]

I found a nonideal solution to this, but I'd still like a cleaner solution.

I found I can use this MATLAB object to ask it where the MATLAB root is using the matlabroot command. Then, I format a string and use a VBA shell command:

Sub RunMATLABGUI()
    Dim MatLab As Object
    Dim MATLABROOT As String
    Dim Flocation As String
    Flocation = ThisWorkbook.Path
    Dim hMatlab As Object
    Set hMatlab = CreateObject("Matlab.Application")
    MATLABROOT = hMatlab.Execute("matlabroot")
    MATLABROOT = Mid(MATLABROOT, 13, Len(MATLABROOT) - 12) 'This is to get rid of the ans = part of the MATLAB returned string
    MATLABROOT = Replace(MATLABROOT, "'", "") 'MATLAB returns this in apostrophe quotes
    MATLABROOT = Replace(MATLABROOT, Chr(10), "") 'There are carriage returns in the string that shouldnt be there
    MATLABROOT = MATLABROOT & "\bin\matlab.exe"
    MATLABROOT = Chr(34) & MATLABROOT & Chr(34)
    MATLABROOT = MATLABROOT & " -nodisplay -nosplash -nodesktop -r run('ResultsGUI_For_MultiYrs_Sheet.m')"
    ChDir Application.ActiveWorkbook.Path
    Shell (MATLABROOT)
End Sub

[Guillaume]

I've just tested your code with a simple GUI (the default GUI with UI controls autogenerated by guide) and the GUI stays up and I can interact with it with no issues.

Therefore I suspect that your GUI closes because of a bug with it. Possibly, the slightly different environment that you get when starting the matlab COM server causes your gui to crash.

[Matthew Weis]

I thought that may be the case too. When I run it with MATLAB open, however, it has no problem, which led me to believe it was the way in which I was launching my GUI that was at fault.