How do you resolve conflict when multiple toolboxes have functions with the same name?

When I call the smooth function, I want the smooth function from the curve fitting toolbox which simply does a moving average of my data. However, Matlab runs the smooth function from the econometrics toolbox, which appears to be entirely different. How do I specify that I want the smooth function from the curve fitting toolbox?

[Benoit Espinola]

As a feedback for Mathworks. This is extremely bad programming practices. Users get confused and waste their time because of this. Unacceptable for a paid tool.

Answer 1

[Sean de Wolski]

which -all smooth

C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2015aPre\toolbox\curvefit\curvefit\smooth.m
C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2015aPre\toolbox\econ\econ\@ssm\smooth.m     % ssm method

The only way econ's smooth will be called is if you have an ssm object. In this case, the smooth method for ssm will be used as curve fitting's smooth has no knowledge of how to work on an ssm object.

[Aaron]

Thanks! I get three returns with the script you provided: econ, curve fitting and a third party function.

When I call the smooth function I get a recursion limit error.

    Maximum recursion limit of 500 reached. Use set(0,'RecursionLimit',N) to change the limit. Be aware that exceeding your
available stack space can crash MATLAB and/or your computer.

Neither the curve fitting nor the third party function use recursive methods so it must be calling the econ function which is recursive. I do not have an ssm object so I'm not sure why it would be calling the econ function. Is there a way I can specify that I want the curve fitting function?

[Sean de Wolski]

Whichever one is on top is the one being called. I have no clue what your third party one is so I can't comment on it. Best bet is run:

dbstop if error

Then execution will stop at the source of the error and you can see what's going on.

[Aaron]

Thanks! I agree that it is calling the function from the first folder of the list, the econometrics toolbox. When I remove the econometrics toolbox and the other third party toolbox from the Matlab's directory path the correct smooth function executes.

I'd rather leave the other toolboxes in Matlab's directory so I'm wondering if there is a way to tell Matlab which folder (toolbox) I'd like it to execute from in this specific script?

Thanks!

[Sean de Wolski]

I highly doubt that Econ is being called if no ssm object exists and that smooth is not recursive!

Furthermore, I will bet (a $1 or a beer!) that your third party smooth is on the top of the list and has something in it that is recursive (maybe not smooth itself but it could be calling something else that is). This is far and away the most common thing that MathWorks Tech Support sees.

Since MATLAB has a global namespace, there is really no way to have multiple files named the same thing at the same time. You could rename the third party smooth or put it in a package/class to hide it from the global namespace (like what econ's ssm did and why I guarantee it's not being called!).

[Aaron]

Ok. I'll rename it the third party. Thanks!

Answer 2

[khadija el maati]

i had falling in the same problem with the function findpeaks wich is defined in the toolbox signal/signal and wich is defined in the toolbox plot_hht (Matlab 2013) .the solution for me was to move the position of the toolbox signal up to the toolbox plot_hht ..for this go to:home-->Set Path-->clic in signal toolbox-->clic in the Move up botton to give a priority to signal toolbox than the plot_hht toolbox

[Jokin Ezenarro]

This was the best option for me, thanks.

Answer 3

[Sinan Islam]

I solved this problem by packaging the conflicting function.

I have two functions, both named "pca". The first pca function is in the Statistics & ML toolbox, and the second pca function from a file I downloaded from Matlab File Exchange Community.

I packaged the second pca function by simply adding a plus sign to the folders containing it.

So if the conflicting pca function is contained within 5 folders, you have to add plus sign to every folder.

In case you needed to use the packaged function, you have to explicitly import it.

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_oop/scoping-classes-with-packages.html

Note: You need to remove the conflicting function from the namespace before packaging it, then add it back when done.

Answer 4

[Deependra Mishra]

I had the similar issue, I want to use classify.m function from nnet toolbox, however, when I use, it calls the classify method from stats toolbox.

which -all classify

C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2022a\toolbox\stats\stats\classify.m

C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2022a\toolbox\nnet\cnn\@DAGNetwork\classify.m % DAGNetwork method

In Set Path, nnet toolbox is above the stats toolbox. How do I call the classify method from nnet toolbox?

[Steven Lord]

In order to call the classify function from Deep Learning Toolbox, the first input must be a "Trained network, specified as a SeriesNetwork or a DAGNetwork object. You can get a trained network by importing a pretrained network (for example, by using the googlenet function) or by training your own network using trainNetwork."

[Walter Roberson]

See https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/427309-classify-requires-at-least-3-arguments#answer_445205 for a discussion

[Deependra Mishra]

I did provide the correct argument to the classify method, still it was calling the method from stats toolbox.

Following is the line of code i used to call the classify method.

[YPred,probs] = classify(Net,imds,'MiniBatchSize',32);

Net --> DAGNetwork

imds --> imagedatastore

[Walter Roberson]

perhaps you do not have the Deep Learning Toolbox installed or licensed

What shows up for

whos Net
which classify(Net)
which -all classify