Reading from GUI edit boxes using a self made function

Hello!

I'm creating a GUI application which contains, among other things, several edit boxes tagged joint1 through joint7. Since I don' want to have to read separately from each of them every time, I created a read function. First I defined a variable from which they'd be called in the main program:

internal_coord=['joint1';'joint2';'joint3';'joint4';'joint5';'joint6';'joint7']

and the function as:

function status=read(object)
k=size(object);
d=k(2);
k=k(1);
for i=0:k-1
    adr=object(i+1,1:d);
    status(i+1)=str2num(get(handles.(adr),'String'))
end

which would be called as read(internal_coord). I've tried this in the main program and it works normally, but when I try using the function it writes out an error: "Undefined variable "handles" or class "handles.joint1". I must admit that I don't know much of how handles are defined, but I presume the problem is that the function can't reach the edit boxes.

Any ideas how to solve that?

Luka Drobilo

Answer 1

[Matt Fig]

Where is that function located? Is it in the GUI m-file or a separate m-file? From where are you calling it? Are you calling it from a callback?

If the function is in the GUI m-file and you are calling it from the callback of, say, a pushbutton, then simply amend the function like this:

function status=read(object,handles)

Then when you call it from the callback, pass the object arg and the handles.

[Luka Drobilo]

The function is located in a separate m-file, but I tried adding the extra "handle" argument to the function and it works now.

Thanks a lot! :)

Answer 2

[Sean de Wolski]

Hi Luka,

I see two possibilities for the behavior you are seeing:

1. Are you running the *.m file or just opening the figure? You have to run the *.m file, opening the figure directly will cause this error since the opening stuff hasn't happened.
2. IS this code in your GUI's OpeningFcn? If it is, it is possible that the boxes have not been created yet.

I am guessing it is option 1.

[Luka Drobilo]

I've tried to run it both ways: by opening the *.m file and by opening the figure, same thing.

The variable is defined in the OpenningFcn and the function is called in the OpeningFcn, as well as in some other Callbacks. But like I said, I've tried running the code directly in the main program and it works normaly (even if it is in the OpeningFcn) so they must be created, but it seems the function can't reach them.