Explorer Toolbar Shortcut

Add a shortcut for Windows Explorer to the Matlab toolbar

Although the Matlab current directory browser is handy, it is no substitute for the Windows Explorer. This submission to the File Exchange provides instructions for creating a button on the Matlab shortcuts toolbar that opens the current directory in the Windows Explorer. This is a convenient tool that I use frequently.

The screenshot provides a graphic illustration of the process and written instructions are below. An icon to use with the shortcut is provided in the zip file.

Instructions for shortcut creation

1. Unzip the attached zip file and extract the icon image ExplorerIcon.gif to the location you want to store it (e.g., c:\MATLAB\work or elsewhere).

2. Execute "winopen(pwd)" on the Matlab command line. This will open Explorer for the current directory in Matlab.

3. In the Matlab command history, select the most recent command that you just executed (winopen(pwd)).

4. Drag the selected command up to the shortcuts toolbar. This will open the Shortcut Editor.

5. Enter a label for this shortcut (e.g., Explore) and browse (using the "..." button on the far right of the line starting with Icon) to the location of ExplorerIcon.gif and select that file for the icon.

6. Click the save button in the Shortcut Editor and you are ready to go; clicking the Explore button on the Matlab shortcuts toolbar will now open the current Matlab directory in Windows Explorer.