User input that can remain on screen and be adjusted?

I have only just in the last month or so learnt how to use MATLAB. I'm currently trying to make a basic GUI for a series of race car dynamics calculations.

I'm using questdlg and inside one case, prompt. The values entered in this prompt once OK is pressed are run through a series of equations, a graph appears, and the results are returned in a uiwait msgbox - once OK is pressed another graph is displayed (and the results go)

My question - how can I have functionality like this, but allow the user input box to remain on screen, and the results, and graphs, so one variable could be changed, and the effect on the results easily seen?

Currently I have to finish running the code (close graphs and msgbox) and re-run, re-typing all values, adjusting the one I want to change.

Do I need to use GUIDE? I avoided it initially as I knew a basic GUI (as it is now) with prompts/questdlg/msgbox would take only a few lines of code.

Please see my M-file - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/18683367/Code.m

Thanks in advance - Matt.

[Kirby Fears]

This thread has the answer for a very similar question:

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/81670-updating-edit-text-box-in-gui

Hope this helps.

[Matt]

I'm afraid I'm struggling to see what the code does there. Will study on a fresh head tomorrow.

I've got it to work exactly how I want though with a while loop, with the value initially set to Yes so that the code runs fine the first time.

I ask the user if they want to change any of the data input, and the code returns to the code where the input box opens.

How can I pre-populate these boxes in the prompt window?

If I can do that you can easily change one number - currently you need to have written down what you entered and re-enter.

I want to avoid this.

[Geoff Hayes]

Matt - I think that creating a GUI with GUIDE is the best way to proceed. You seem to have about 15-16 attributes that the user is allowed to modify/edit and so using edit text boxes for each may be the way to go (especially if you allow the user to change one attribute and then want the graph to update soon after).

[Matt]

Thanks Geoff - I think you might be right.

I've improved it - but I still want to pre-populate the input boxes with the original values the user entered on the initial run when the user chooses to edit the values - it seems there isn't a way to do this, but hopefully there is. If not it'll have to be GUIDE.

See the updated M-file if you like: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/18683367/DONE_GUI_improvement_trials.m

Answer 1

[Geoff Hayes]

Matt - if you want to re-populate your input boxes with the list that the user had already selected then you can by making use of the default answers property of inputdlg. Since the output from your call to this function is the local variable answer, then do the following: outside of your while loop, initialize this local variable to be an empty cell array as

 answer = {};
 while choice_final == 'Yes'; %#ok<STCMP>
     % etc.

Now, when it comes to launching the dialog, do

 if isempty(answer)
     answer=inputdlg(prompt,heading);
 else
     answer=inputdlg(prompt,heading,1,answer);
 end

If the cell array is empty, as it would be the first time he user launches the dialog, then don't provide any default answers. Else, if the user chooses to edit some of his or her previous answers, then provide the answers from the previous "round".

As an aside, for your string compare use strcmp or strcmpi, so that the condition in your above while loop becomes

 while strcmpi(choice_final,'yes')
     % etc.

rather than using == to compare strings directly.

[Matt]

Thank you very very much!

With a bit of fiddling I got it working well. Much better than my other attempt where the user had to select the variable to edit in a listdlg and then type the value in an inputdlg - sounds ok but was a complete bodge job.

I will message you my file if you care to try it :)

[Geoff Hayes]

Glad that you got it working, Matt!