Error 'MATLAB:er​r_while_lo​oking_up_f​unction' while using readtable.

I just upgraded to MATLAB 2018 and now when I try to use readtable, it gives the following error:

Error using readtable (line 197)

An error occurred while trying to determine whether "readData" is a function name

Note: readtable detected the following parameters:
'Delimiter', ',', 'HeaderLines', , 'ReadVariableNames', true, 'Format', ''

Line 197 in readtable is (to only uncommented line in the whole function):

t = table.readFromFile(filename,varargin);

Anyone knows what causes this error?

[dpb]

No, but that's the same way readtable has been implemented from beginning so it's not that there's a change at that level.

I'd guess it's an installation issue, is it any file or just a specific file?

Do you have previous release still installed to compare to for the same file just to prove it isn't the file options or somesuch?

[Tim VW]

Thanks for your answer! It happens with every file I tried so far (all .csv). I do not have an other version installed anymore, however I can try to run it on other computers.

[dpb]

I never overwrite an existing version when upgrade... :)

Presuming this is a new install and it hasn't ever worked since, contact official TMW support; they support install issues as part of the deal even w/o continuing support. Use the "real" TMW support link <Support>

[Edoardo Giusto]

Hi everyone, it happens to me also. But ONLY on Linux. I have Matlab R2018a installed both on a Mac and a Linux machine. The one in Linux does not work. The strange thing is that version R2017b was actually working. I suppose some bug has been introduced.

[Derrick]

Same here, works with previous versions but not 2018a. It doesn't do it to all files though, it is selective in my case, but 2017b will open all of them just fine. Sometimes restoredefaultpath will fix the issue (at least with some files).

[Nimit Dhulekar]

Can you upload a file that exhibits this issue? Also, this might be just an installation issue. Please try re-installing MATLAB.

[Jackson]

Hello, I have this error with a fresh install of R2018a on a fresh install of Ubuntu 18.04. The offending file is attached. All my code worked very well in R2015b, which I was previously using.

[Joe Wishon]

I am having same issue with fresh install of R2018a in Windows 10. Not a problem with R2017b.

Answer 1

[Tim VW]

I contacted official support and after some investigation, they told me it was because my linux distribution (Manjaro) is not officially supported. So I guess there is no real solution except for using an older matlab version or other OS.

[Joe Wishon]

Same issue Windows 10. Matlab2017b works flawlessly. Fresh install.

Answer 2

[Ilario Gelmetti]

As OP specified that Support pointed him to a Linux distro-specific issue, here is how I solve this issue on Arch Linux:

Preloading libfreetype library prepending this

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libfreetype.so.6

to the terminal command I use for running Matlab.

So for R2018a the full command is:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libfreetype.so.6 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2018a/bin/matlab