How can we know whether the current execution of command is conducting inside a function or not?

How can we know whether the current execution of command is conducting inside a function or not?

When I develop a function, I frequently check some parts of the code for the function in base command envirenment.

I wonder is there any method to identify whether the current execution is conducting inside of a function or

it is conducting in the base environment.

Thanks in advance !!!

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

The functions nargin and nargout will error if executed at the base. So you can use try/catch

inbase = false; try; nargin; catch ME; inbase = true; end

Answer 2

[Image Analyst]

You can call fprintf immediately upon entering and just befor leaving the function:

fprintf('Entering MyFunction().\n');
fprintf('Leaving MyFunction().\n');

If you stop at a break point, you can check the call stack on the tool bar. Or you can get the call stack from my attached function and print it out inside the function.

[Saang Bum Kim]

Thanks for your kind answer.

I'd like to know is there any system command which tell us where the command has been executed, whether it is inside of a function or it is on the bare base command environment.

[Image Analyst]

@Saang Bum Kim

Doesn't the call stack do that? Of course if you want to know where every line of code is and where it's called, just search for it in the editor. The line numbers in the left margin will tell you where every line of code is.

[Walter Roberson]

@Image Analyst

dbstack() and exception objects do not tell you whether any particular level is a script or a function.

The user is talking about doing all of this inside of code, and wants to know if something is executing inside of base or not. In order for something to be executing at base level, there are two possibilities:

1. All files in the stack are script files; or
2. something used evalin('base') and all levels called from that have been script files.

[Saang Bum Kim]

@Image Analyst

As I understand the attached file, GetCallStack.m, runs like,

try

% Some code that might throw an error......

catch ME

callStackString = GetCallStack(ME);

end

I think that the dbstack() what @Stephen suggested could similar works more easily.

@Image Analyst

I fount that the modified method from what @Stephen suggested works well until now:

~(length({output(@() dbstack,1).name})-2)

[Image Analyst]

@Saang Bum Kim, okay. I don't see Stephen on this thread, but it looks like you've accepted the Answer from Walter so I guess everything is figured out and working now. Best wishes.