Matalb compiled App crash on plotting while code version runs correctly

Hello,

I have an App which works well when running it from Matlab and I compiled it as a standalone application (it is intended to be delivered to a customer). But then the compiled App starts well (basically at opening it draws an Earth) and then i try to read a set of files with data and after some computation it is supposed to draw iso-contours (done by contourf) but instead it closes abruptally - no message in the log, no clue.

Any idea how to progress on that ?

Thanks in advance,

Bertrand

Answer 1

[dpb]

This can be a bear, indeed...

The first place to look is to be sure you can find any input files needed; figuring out where the installer puts them can be a real pain; where things are when compiled is not where they are when running directly. Look on the installed machine for any such files to be sure you know where they are.

I wrote the following logging routine and then instrumented the app extensively to report where it was and when if completed each function call. For debugging, compile with the option to open the console as well so it will be visible and then the error messages can be seen until close the app.

function displayprogress(app,varargin)
% writes function, line number to command line if debug on

  if app.debugFlag
    S=dbstack;                                                                % call stack struct
    ix=find(matches(strip(string(strvcat(S(:).name))),'displayprogress'))+1;  % find who called us
    %out=sprintf('Function: %s Line: %d, %s',fncn,line,msg);
    if nargin>1, msg=varargin(1); else msg=''; end
    out=sprintf('Time: %7.4fs File: %s Name: %s Line: %d %s ',toc,S(ix).file,S(ix).name,S(ix).line,msg{:});
    disp(out)
  end
end

I added a menu item under an "Environment" menu in the app to be able to toggle the debug flag.

This turned out to be invaluable in tracking down a couple of elusive errors that I couldn't reproduce outside the compiled app.

[Bertrand PINSARD]

Hello and thanks dbp

Regarding you can find any input files needed I actually put the .exe (Lets call it ZACApp.exe for clarity) at the same place as the code is. Don't know if that's a clue.

Also I forgot to mention that a previous version (quite similar) did work with r2023b.

I'll give a try to your routine - thanks for it - but I am not sure to know how to compile with the option to open the console - I guess a look at mcc help will help

Will report.

[dpb]

"am not sure to know how to compile with the option to open the console"

If you build inside AppDesigner open the Additional Setting and there's a checkbox to not create the Windows Command Window that is checked by default. Uncheck it. I don't recall at the moment the actual switch...

[Bertrand PINSARD]

Hello dbp

Thaks for the tips ! I managed to track the various calls and it turned out that I forgot to inhibit a waitbar call - which I added to show that things are progessing - in the compiled version (using isdeployed).

Once i removed this call to waitbar, compiled version works well. I would like to have a way to show customer that something is happening (maybe by changing mouse cursor ? But it is not really visible)

Anyway thanks a lot for your help

Best regards,

bertrand

[dpb]

"... would like to have a way to show customer that something is happening"

Use uiprogressdialog in AppDesigner/uifigure instead...

The following code is in the Update button callback function in one of my compiled apps and works just fine...note that the handle to the dialog is passed to the called functions so they can update the same control; if that argument is omitted, they know not to try for standalone use as those are external m-file functions in this case and I have other command line drivers that don't need the gui for batch operation.

% insert a progress dialog for grins...
h=uiprogressdlg(app.RestrictedAwardsUIFigure, ...
"Title",'Please Standby...',"Message",'Reading Billing',"Indeterminate","on");
% and finally, do the work...
[tBill,tPay,allBills]=readBilling(app.billQualFile,app.billSheet,app.accountingYear,app.semester,app.billUpdate,h);
h.Message='Writing Awards';
writeAwards(tBill,tPay,app.year,app.semester,app.accountingYear,app.awardQualFile,app.awardSheet,h);
h.Message='Update Complete';
pause(0.5)
close(h)

[Bertrand PINSARD]

Thanks !!