Function definition not supported on cluster, but available in interactive mode

When I try to run the following program

% Test program
for i=1:3600
    waitawhile(1)
    disp(i)
end

function waitawhile(time)
% wait time seconds
    pause(time)
end

in Matlab (2020a) on a cluster in interactive mode (also with the -no-display option) and Matlab online it works perfectly, but when I submit it as a job on a cluster (srun matlab -nodisplay test.m) I get the following error

function waitawhile(time)

Error: Function definition not supported in this context. Create function in code file.

End

Error: Illigal use of reserved keyword 'end'

I am not sure why this error occurs and why Matlab should have a problem with a local function within a script. Is there a specific reason why this code does not work on the same cluster in interactive mode and not when submitted as a job?

[Walter Roberson]

I would recommend verifying the srun gives you a MATLAB session that is running R2016b or later. It is possible that since srun is a script, that it is invoking a different version of MATLAB.

[Sander Vos]

The version information shows the same version (R2020a [9.8.0.1451342] - 64 bit) for both the interactive and submitted test script.

[Walter Roberson]

srun matlab -nodisplay test.m

That would, I think, attempt to execute test as a function and access a field named ".m"

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/396122-how-to-run-a-matlab-function-using-sbatch-file#answer_538165

[Sander Vos]

The '. m' does not have much influence on running the code. If I remove the function in the test script and replace waitawhile with pause the code runs just fine. It has more to do the infile subroutine I presume.

Answer 1

[Baoning Wu]

I encounter the exact same problem. Any solution you found?