Publishing result order when using functions

Here is my published result:

--------------------------------------------------------

function [] = main(a,b)
  disp(['adding ',num2str(a),' + ',num2str(b),' gives: '])
  q=add(a,b);
  disp(['a result of ',num2str(q)])
end % end main

adding 4 + 10 gives:

function [z] = add(x,y)
  z=x+y;
end % end add

a result of 14

--------------------------------------------------------

Why does the "a result of 14" show up at the end and not under function main? Is there anyway to change this odd behavior?

Answer 1

[Roman Kogan]

Workaround to Matlab bug #496201

I have found the following workaround to the bug #496201 (which, as of 2015, has been unfixed for 10 years!).

If your sub-functions don't call other sub-functions, then the call to the first sub-function will publish incorrectly.

Otherwise, the first sub-function that calls other sub-functions will be published incorrectly, but others seem to be publishing in the right order.

Workaround: include a dummy sub-function that calls my sub-function, and publish it before calls to the sub-functions that I want to publish.

Example 1: the following publishes incorrectly:

function matlab_bug()
    %%The answer to everything is...
    my_subfunction();
end
function my_subfunction()
    disp('42');
end

..but the following will publish alright:

function matlab_bug()
    workaround()
    %%The answer to everything is...
    my_subfunction();
end
function workaround()
end

function my_subfunction()
    disp('42');
end

Example 2: the following code publishes incorrectly:

%%Main

function matlab_bug()
    not_a_workaround()
    %%The answer to everything is...
    my_subfunction();
end

%%Functions

function [val]=my_mult(a, b)
    val = a * b;
end

%%Tests
function not_a_workaround()
end

function my_subfunction()
    a = my_mult(7,6);
    disp(a);
end

...but the following will publish as intended:

%%Main

function matlab_bug()
    workaround()
    %%The answer to everything is...
    my_subfunction();
end

%%Functions

function [val]=my_mult(a, b)
    val = a * b;
end

%%Tests
function workaround()
    my_mult(0, 0);
end

function my_subfunction()
    a = my_mult(7,6);
    disp(a);
end

Maybe this won'r work for all cases, but, I hope, it will help someone.

[Jacob Mitchell]

I'm mad that this still isn't fixed. I'm trying to do homework and be good by doing things in functions and Matlab makes me jump through hoops to publish it correctly

[Jingze Li]

Same here, all my fprintf and codes are flying around. print result ended up in wrong sections

Answer 2

[per isakson]

I have this comment in an old file of mine (FEX, tracer4m, Matlab 7.10)

    Output in the wrong order. The tracer output above is created by disp(log) in
    the last line of this cell! PUBLISH inserts the output in the wrong place. 
    That's because of the bug "#496201, Summary: Publishing a MATLAB file containing
    subfunctions: sometimes the output appears in the wrong place in the document." 
    - I guess.

In Matlab Bug Reports List I just found

    13 Dec 2005, 496201, Publishing a MATLAB file containing subfunctions: sometimes
    the output appears in the wrong place in the document.

It's on "Watch", which I guess means that it is still in the code.

Report to the tech support. I'm sure The Mathworks want to add your example to their testsuite.