uicontrol(​'style','s​lider') in new App Design (uifigure)

Dear Community,

I want to migrate an old-style GUI containing many uicontrols to the new app design based on uifigure.

How can I replace scrollbar-like 'uicontrol('style', 'slider')' with an object that has similar properties and may consist of a uislider and two single step buttons? Has anyone already developed a class object that uses all the properties of uislider, such as the overall position of the object and the single step button feature at both ends of the uislider?

Are alternatives available?

Answer 1

[Taylor]

Have you tried the GUIDE to App Designer Migration Tool? There is also a slider/spinner component in the Widgets Toolbox Add-On that is pretty close to what you're describing.

[Andre Zeug]

Many thanks for your fast reply.

No, we did not test the Migration Tool. Does this also work for 'self-written' GUI code? We did not use GUIDE.

The link to the "Widgets Toolbox" Doku does still exist?

Documentation and Examples (link)

Widgets Toolbox User Guide (<- this does not work at my side)

To give you an idea of what we are struggling with:

Left: MATLAB R2024b (old Desktop design)

right: MATLAB R2025b (new Desktop design)

matVis is a matrix visualization tool that adapts uicontrol arrangement depending on the size of the data to visualize and the display mode.

it looks like that with the new Desktop minimum uicontrol size is too big.

In addition to the desktop design issues, many other desktop-related functionalities, such as mouse controls, do not behave as they did previously, making the transition to the new desktop very challenging anyway.

[Taylor]

No, the Migration Tool will only work if you originally created the app with GUIDE.

That documentation link you sent will work after you install the add-on in MATLAB and open that GettingStarted.mlx file in the Editor.

There are definitely some limitations around component sizes, but I would recommend looking at grid layouts and apps with auto reflow. Both of those are useful for managing the layout of the app.

[Andre Zeug]

Thanks for clarifying.

I found out documentation can also be explored in "MATLAB online". So no local installation is required.

What I would love to have is an "Combo Object" like this

which mimics the ScollBar. And

which would extend the ScrollBar to provide ranges.

Unfortunately, I don't have much experience in developing object classes that automatically link combined object properties.

Has anyone done this before, or could they help me develop such a combined object?

Alternatively, could such elements be considered for the next version of the 'Widgets Toolbox' add-on?

General question: when using 'Widgets Toolbox' elements for my 'matVis' application, is the 'Widgets Toolbox' add-on required to be installed in the recipient environment when sharing 'matVis' with others?

[Taylor]

You should look into creating your own custom component. You can combine one uislider and two uispinner components in your own custom component that does exactly what you want.

When you compile your "matVis" application, if you include the files for any components used in the Widgets Toolbox, your end user will not need to install the Widgets Toolbox.