depfun (MATLAB Function Reference)

List the dependent functions of an M-file or P-file

Syntax

list = depfun('file_name');
[list,builtins,classes] = depfun('file_name');
[list,builtins,classes,prob_files,prob_sym,eval_strings,...
called_from,java_classes] = depfun('file_name');
[...] = depfun('file_name1','file_name2',...);
[...] = depfun('fig_file_name');
[...] = depfun(...,'-toponly');

Description

The depfun function lists all of the functions and scripts, as well as built-in functions, that a specified M-file needs to operate. This is useful for finding all of the M-files that you need to compile for a MATLAB runtime application.

list = depfun('file_name') creates a cell array of strings containing the paths of all the files that file_name.m uses. This includes the second-level files that are called directly by file_name.m, as well as the third-level files that are called by the second-level files, and so on.

Note If depfun reports that "These files could not be parsed:" or if the prob_files output below is nonempty, then the rest of the output of depfun might be incomplete. You should correct the problematic files and invoke depfun again.

[list,builtins,classes] = depfun('file_name') creates three cell arrays containing information about dependent functions. list contains the paths of all the files that file_name and its subordinates use. builtins contains the built-in functions that file_name and its subordinates use. classes contains the MATLAB classes that file_name and its subordinates use.

[list,builtins,classes,prob_files,prob_sym,eval_strings,... called_from,java_classes] = depfun('file_name') creates additional cell arrays or structure arrays containing information about any problems with the depfun search and about where the functions in list are invoked. The additional outputs are:

prob_files, which indicates which files depfun was unable to parse, find, or access. Parsing problems can arise from MATLAB syntax errors. prob_files is a structure array whose fields are:

name, which gives the names of the files
listindex, which tells where the files appeared in list
errmsg, which describes the problems

prob_sym, which indicates which symbols depfun was unable to resolve as functions or variables. It is a structure array whose fields are:

fcn_id, which tells where the files appeared in list
name, which gives the names of the problematic symbols

eval_strings, which indicates usage of these evaluation functions: eval, evalc, evalin, feval. When preparing a runtime application, you should examine this output to determine whether an evaluation function invokes a function that does not appear in list. The output eval_strings is a structure array whose fields are:

fcn_name, which give the names of the files that use evaluation functions
lineno, which gives the line numbers in the files where the evaluation functions appear

called_from, a cell array of the same length as list. This cell array is arranged so that

list(called_from{i})

returns all functions in file_name that invoke the function list{i}.

java_classes, a cell array of Java class names that file_name and its subordinates use

[...] = depfun('file_name1','file_name2',...) performs the same operation for multiple files. The dependent functions of all files are listed together in the output arrays.

[...] = depfun('fig_file_name') looks for dependent functions among the callback strings of the GUI elements that are defined in the .fig or .mat file named fig_file_name.

[...] = depfun(...,'-toponly') differs from the other syntaxes of depfun in that it examines only the files listed explicitly as input arguments. It does not examine the files on which they depend. In this syntax, the flag '-toponly' must be the last input argument.

Notes

If depfun does not find a file called hginfo.mat on the path, then it creates one. This file contains information about Handle Graphics callbacks.
If your application uses toolbar items from MATLAB's default figure window, then you must include 'FigureToolBar.fig' in your input to depfun.
If your application uses menu items from MATLAB's default figure window, then you must include 'FigureMenuBar.fig' in your input to depfun.
Because many built-in Handle Graphics functions invoke newplot, the list produced by depfun always includes the functions on which newplot is dependent:

'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\graphics\newplot.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\graphics\closereq.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\graphics\gcf.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\graphics\gca.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\graphics\private\clo.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\general\@char\delete.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\lang\nargchk.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\uitools\allchild.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\ops\setdiff.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\ops\@cell\setdiff.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\iofun\filesep.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\ops\unique.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\elmat\repmat.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\datafun\sortrows.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\strfun\deblank.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\ops\@cell\unique.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\strfun\@cell\deblank.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\datafun\@cell\sort.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\strfun\cellstr.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\datatypes\iscell.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\strfun\iscellstr.m'
'matlabroot\toolbox\matlab\datatypes\cellfun.dll'

Examples

list = depfun('mesh'); % Files mesh.m depends on
list = depfun('mesh','-toponly') % Files mesh.m depends on 
directly
[list,builtins,classes] = depfun('gca');

See Also

depdir

depdir det