Using a While Loop with a Pushbutton in GUI

Hello, I'm trying to limit the number of attempts a user of this graphical interface can calculate the cost and horsepower. I'd like to limit the attempts to 10 (I'm using 3 right now to assist in troubleshooting). I implemented a while loop and am trying to get the program to work so that each time horsepower and cost are calculated, the loop's count will increase by 1 eventually reaching the 3 mark where I'd like a message box to say 'max attempts' or something of that sort. The problem I'm getting right now is if I hit the calculate button once, the while loop instantly goes to 3 where I'd like it to index once each time the calculate button is pressed. Can somebody help me with this? Thanks in advance!!

% --- Executes on button press in pushbutton1.

function pushbutton1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)

% hObject    handle to pushbutton1 (see GCBO)

% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB

% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

f=get(handles.edit1,'string')

s=get(handles.edit2,'string')

d=get(handles.edit3,'string')

l=get(handles.edit4,'string')

cost=str2double(f)+str2double(s)/10+str2double(d)*20+str2double(l)*15

force=str2double(f)*str2double(d)/(60/str2double(s))

horsepower=force/6600

k=0;

while k<3

      k=k+1;
      if k==3
          msgbox('max attempts')
      else
  if str2double(d)/2>=str2double(l)
      msgbox('Connecting rod length must be longer than 1/2 the crankshaft diameter.')
      set(handles.text6,'string','')
      set(handles.text7,'string','')
      set(handles.text8,'string','')
      set(handles.text9,'string','')
  else
      if cost>=1000
          msgbox('The budget of this crankshaft is $1000 or less, please enter smaller values.')
          set(handles.text6,'string','')
          set(handles.text7,'string','')
          set(handles.text8,'string','')
          set(handles.text9,'string','')
      else
          plot(cost,horsepower,'xr')
          set(handles.text6,'string','The manufacturing cost of this crankshaft (in US dollars) is: ')
          set(handles.text7,'string',num2str(cost))
          set(handles.text8,'string','The horsepower of your design is: ')
          set(handles.text9,'string',num2str(horsepower))
      end
  end
      end
  end

hold on

[Dennis]

Right know your button gets pushed and you enter the while loop and k increments inside this loop. You want to increment k outside your loop when your button gets pressed. I suggest you do not use a while loop for this (is doable but your gui would be stuck in this loop until k reaches 10). I suggest storing k in appdata/guidata and to use if to check what your callback needs to do.

function pushbutton1_Callback(hObject,~,handles)
k=getappdata(hObject,'k');
if isempty(k)
    k=0
end
if k<=10
    %code here
else
    msgbox('max attempts')
end
k=k+1;
setappdata(hObject,'k',k)
end

[Rik]

Or even better: update the value before you start the (apparently expensive) calculation.

function pushbutton1_Callback(hObject,~,handles)
k=getappdata(hObject,'k');
if isempty(k)
    k=0
end
k=k+1;
setappdata(hObject,'k',k)
if k<=10
    %code here
else
    msgbox('max attempts')
end
end

[Logan Schwenker]

You guys are awesome in your quick response, thank you. I realize that the code is not very efficient, I just started working with matlab a couple months ago and this is my only experience with coding of any type. I'm trying to use a for/while loop as my project requires usage of at least one repetition structure. Again thank you for the help, is it possible for me to simply move the increment of k outside of the while loop and let me to continue on that way? I don't mind if the while loop is stuck until it reaches 10. If this is not effective or will take too much work, I will try to implement a repetition structure elsewhere in my project.

[Rik]

Do you want to limit the number of times the user can hit the button and have the calculation run? Or do you want the user to hit the button once and have the calculation run 10 times?

[Logan Schwenker]

Limit the number of times the user can hit the button and have the calculation run

[Logan Schwenker]

What it's sounding like is it doesn't make sense to do this as a while loop. I just need to have a while loop in my project and was really hoping this would be the answer.

[Rik]

Then use either solution we provided. You don't need a repeat structure, because the user is the repeating structure.

[Logan Schwenker]

Right but I NEED a repeat structure in my project and was hoping this'd be the one :'(

[Rik]

In that case, what is your homework assignment? Because I can't see a reason why you would put a loop here.

[Logan Schwenker]

I agree with you, I figured something else out. I really do appreciate your help in case you're curious what I finished with here it is. Doesn't really make sense the way it is, but at least the project is finished.

function varargout = GUIV3(varargin)
% GUIV3 MATLAB code for GUIV3.fig
%      GUIV3, by itself, creates a new GUIV3 or raises the existing
%      singleton*.
%
%      H = GUIV3 returns the handle to a new GUIV3 or the handle to
%      the existing singleton*.
%
%      GUIV3('CALLBACK',hObject,eventData,handles,...) calls the local
%      function named CALLBACK in GUIV3.M with the given input arguments.
%
%      GUIV3('Property','Value',...) creates a new GUIV3 or raises the
%      existing singleton*.  Starting from the left, property value pairs are
%      applied to the GUI before GUIV3_OpeningFcn gets called.  An
%      unrecognized property name or invalid value makes property application
%      stop.  All inputs are passed to GUIV3_OpeningFcn via varargin.
%
%      *See GUI Options on GUIDE's Tools menu.  Choose "GUI allows only one
%      instance to run (singleton)".
%
% See also: GUIDE, GUIDATA, GUIHANDLES

% Edit the above text to modify the response to help GUIV3

% Last Modified by GUIDE v2.5 08-May-2018 13:26:33

% Begin initialization code - DO NOT EDIT
gui_Singleton = 1;
gui_State = struct('gui_Name',       mfilename, ...
                   'gui_Singleton',  gui_Singleton, ...
                   'gui_OpeningFcn', @GUIV3_OpeningFcn, ...
                   'gui_OutputFcn',  @GUIV3_OutputFcn, ...
                   'gui_LayoutFcn',  [] , ...
                   'gui_Callback',   []);
if nargin && ischar(varargin{1})
    gui_State.gui_Callback = str2func(varargin{1});
end

if nargout
    [varargout{1:nargout}] = gui_mainfcn(gui_State, varargin{:});
else
    gui_mainfcn(gui_State, varargin{:});
end
% End initialization code - DO NOT EDIT

% --- Executes just before GUIV3 is made visible.
function GUIV3_OpeningFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles, varargin)
% This function has no output args, see OutputFcn.
% hObject    handle to figure
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)
% varargin   command line arguments to GUIV3 (see VARARGIN)

% Choose default command line output for GUIV3
handles.output = hObject;

% Update handles structure
guidata(hObject, handles);

% UIWAIT makes GUIV3 wait for user response (see UIRESUME)
% uiwait(handles.figure1);

% --- Outputs from this function are returned to the command line.
function varargout = GUIV3_OutputFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles) 
% varargout  cell array for returning output args (see VARARGOUT);
% hObject    handle to figure
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Get default command line output from handles structure
varargout{1} = handles.output;

function edit1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: get(hObject,'String') returns contents of edit1 as text
%        str2double(get(hObject,'String')) returns contents of edit1 as a double

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function edit1_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: edit controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
    set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

function edit2_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit2 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: get(hObject,'String') returns contents of edit2 as text
%        str2double(get(hObject,'String')) returns contents of edit2 as a double

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function edit2_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit2 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: edit controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
    set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

function edit3_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit3 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: get(hObject,'String') returns contents of edit3 as text
%        str2double(get(hObject,'String')) returns contents of edit3 as a double

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function edit3_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit3 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: edit controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
    set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

function edit4_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit4 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: get(hObject,'String') returns contents of edit4 as text
%        str2double(get(hObject,'String')) returns contents of edit4 as a double

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function edit4_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit4 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: edit controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
    set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

% --- Executes on button press in pushbutton1.
function pushbutton1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to pushbutton1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)
f=get(handles.edit1,'string');
s=get(handles.edit2,'string');
d=get(handles.edit3,'string');
l=get(handles.edit4,'string');
cost=str2double(f)+str2double(s)/10+str2double(d)*20+str2double(l)*15;
force=str2double(f)*str2double(d)/(60/str2double(s));
horsepower=force/6600;
if str2double(d)/2>=str2double(l)
    msgbox('Connecting rod length must be longer than 1/2 the crankshaft diameter.')
    set(handles.text6,'string','')
    set(handles.text7,'string','')
    set(handles.text8,'string','')
    set(handles.text9,'string','')
else
    if cost>1000
        msgbox('The budget of this crankshaft is $1000 or less, please enter smaller values.')
        set(handles.text6,'string','')
        set(handles.text7,'string','')
        set(handles.text8,'string','')
        set(handles.text9,'string','')
    else
        plot(cost,horsepower,'xr','markers',16)
        title('Maximizing Horsepower with Set Cost')
        xlabel('Cost  ($)')
        ylabel('Horsepower  (ft-lbs/s)')
        set(handles.text6,'string','The manufacturing cost of this crankshaft (in US dollars) is: ')
        set(handles.text7,'string',num2str(cost))
        set(handles.text8,'string','The horsepower of your design is: ')
        set(handles.text9,'string',num2str(horsepower))
    end
end
hold on
currentValue=str2double(get(handles.counter,'String'));
added=sprintf('%d',int32(currentValue +1));
set(handles.counter,'String',added);
p=1;
for k=1:str2double(added)
    p=1+p;
end
set(handles.text11,'string',num2str(p))

% --- Executes on key press with focus on pushbutton1 and none of its controls.
function pushbutton1_KeyPressFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to pushbutton1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  structure with the following fields (see MATLAB.UI.CONTROL.UICONTROL)
%  Key: name of the key that was pressed, in lower case
%  Character: character interpretation of the key(s) that was pressed
%  Modifier: name(s) of the modifier key(s) (i.e., control, shift) pressed
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)