delete variables without deleting gui

i design a GUI.... and inside a button i give "clear all" to clear all variables as it takes lots of space... but the gui design tables and static text and axes and all the other design items also gets cleared.... how to clear only variables without clearing the gui design....

[Sara]

Why don't you just clear your variables by listing them after clear, like

clear var1 var2

Answer 1

[Geoff Hayes]

Elysi - if there are specific variables that you want cleared, then you can clear them by name:

x = zeros(100,100);  
y = zeros(1000,33);
z = ones(32,32);

% do some stuff

% clear just x and y only
clear x y;

Type help clear from at the command window for more details.

[Elysi Cochin]

i have lots of variables... i wanted to clear all the variables when i execute it the second time.... but the gui controls also gets cleared... how to delete only variables without deleting the gui controls....

[Geoff Hayes]

The clear command has the following option (type help clear for details):

clear -REGEXP PAT1 PAT2 can be used to match all patterns using regular expressions. This option only clears variables. For more information on using regular expressions, type "doc regexp" at the command prompt.

So if you can somehow distinguish between your variables and the ones in the GUI, then you can use some sort of pattern to remove/clear the ones you want (or don't want).

Maybe this question should have already been asked, but what variables do you have that need clearing that don't get cleared automatically when a function is exited (no longer has scope)? Are you creating lots of global variables for use everywhere? Perhaps provide an example of how you are using variables that need to be cleared.

[Elysi Cochin]

i still didnt get a solution.... how to keep the gui controls and delete all other variables...

[Geoff Hayes]

Elysi - please provide a sample of your code that describes where all these variables are coming from i.e. those that you wish to clear, and your use of the clear all command. I still don't understand why you have so many variables that need to be cleared and why you are invoking the clear all command within your code.

Or, you can prefix all of your GUI controls with a gui_ prefix, and then execute the clear command on anything but those variables. For example, in the Command Window type:

 clear all;        % clear all existing variables and other
 x=123;            % create five different variables
 y=zeros(12,12);
 z=cell(1,34);
 gui_text1=123.4;
 gui_text2=345.3;

Now you can clear all but the gui_ variables with the following command:

clear -regexp ^(?!gui_)\w