Is it possible to have strings as I/O for S-function blocks?

There is an example model where I want to have that the Simulink S-Function block accepting inputs and outputs to a S-function as strings.

I was hoping to have the function below been modified as shown:

ssSetInputPortDataType( S, eIN_STRING, SS_UINT8 );

Modified version:

ssSetInputPortDataType( S, eIN_STRING, SS_STRING);

Is there a possibility to make this happen?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

From R2020b:

It should be possible to register a string type in C-Mex S-functions using ssRegisterStringDataType and set the input port to the Data type ID output given by ssRegisterStringDataType.

There are other relevant APIs added for Strings in S-functions under the Data Type and Sample Time > Strings of this documentation. 

MATLAB S-functions still don't support string data types as I/O.

Before R2020b:

Including a string I/O is a documented limitation of S-Functions for both MATLAB and C. Please see the following link:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/simulink/ug/simulink-strings.html#mw_588e9a27-6f3e-48f4-ad7a-4c66f6b0526c

It is suggest to use UINT8 as probably the best workaround.