Set Add-ons path using commands

Hi,

I'm interested in setting the Add-ons path using commands rather than going through the MATLAB preferences dialog. Is there a way to do this?

Thanks

Alan

Answer 1

[Henry Giddens]

Use addpath?

https://uk.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/addpath.html

[aL]

That doesn't control where add-ons are installed. It appears the MATLAB command: preferences('Add-Ons') always brings up the gui to let the user type/select the path. I want to script it so that it is set automatically.

[Henry Giddens]

Oh sorry, I completely misread the question. I wonder if you've figured it out yet? Does this help?

https://undocumentedmatlab.com/blog/changing-system-preferences-programmatically

[aL]

Hi Henry,

Thanks for trying. Unfortunately Add-On preferences are not stored in that file. I actually have no idea where they are stored.

However, I did find a (rather unstable) solution. After hunting around in MATLAB functions for setting different preferences, I found a Settings/settings command (depending on which version of MATLAB). It returns a handle to MATLAB settings, though most of the properties are hidden. After some trial and error, I figured out how to change the Add-on path. However, I've also discovered that the ability to apply my solution is limited to the version of MATLAB. This is what I came up with for the different versions of MATLAB I have access to:

try
  s = Settings;
  try % R2016
      set(s.matlab.addons,'InstallationFolder',addonpath)
  catch % R2015
      set(s.matlab.apps,'AppsInstallFolder',addonpath)
  end
catch % R2017
  s = settings;
  s.matlab.addons.InstallationFolder.PersonalValue = addonpath;
end

[John Harris]

Thanks for that, aL! I was only needing to get the current value but running into the same problem. You saved me a lot of time!

For the S/s issue with settings, could you try out this command?

matlab.internal.getSettingsRoot

It works on my 2017b and appears to have been in use at least by R2014b

To clarify, for 2017b:

   rootSettings = matlab.internal.getSettingsRoot
   folder = rootSettings.matlab.addons.InstallationFolder.ActiveValue

returns these

    rootSettings = 
    SettingsGroup with properties:
          connector: [1×1 SettingsGroup]
           Simulink: [1×1 SettingsGroup]
    installedAddons: [1×1 SettingsGroup]
          slhistory: [1×1 SettingsGroup]

    folder =
    'C:\Users\harrisj2\Documents\MATLAB\Add-Ons'

I don't have better solution for the change from 'AppsInstallFolder' to 'InstallationFolder' that you detected at R2016; the try/catch works well for that.

[John Harris]

One place the add-ons directory is stored, at least on Windows, is a matlab.settings file in the AppData folder. For example, mine is c:\users\username\AppData\Roaming\MathWorks\MATLAB\R2017b\matlab.settings with a key name of "InstallationFolder".

[James Richard]

So what's the solution to change the add-ons directory directly?

We have this to change the hardware support package directory.

matlabshared.supportpkg.setSupportPackageRoot

But why don't we have something like this?

matlab.internal.setSettingsRoot