uigetfile does not work in a loop

I am running the code below to generate a list of files separated by spaces. If I put a break point in the while loop or step into the loop using a break point outside the loop, everything works correctly. If I run the code normally by calling the function it is in, it never opens the uigetfile window. I have put a disp('Hi') in the loop after the uigetfile command, at it does display the text in the command window so the loop is running. How can I get this to work without stepping through it?

RelatedFiles='N/A';
FileName=1;
while FileName
  [FileName, PathName]=uigetfile('*.*','Select Related Test Files (Press Cancel when Finished)','MultiSelect','on');
  if ischar(FileName)
      FileName={FileName};
  end
  if iscell(FileName)
      for I=1:length(FileName)
          if strcmp(RelatedFiles,'N/A')
              RelatedFiles=[PathName,FileName{I}];
          else
              RelatedFiles=[RelatedFiles,', ',PathName,FileName{I}];
          end
      end
      FileName=1;
  end
end

[Azzi Abdelmalek]

Your code is working

[Alan Hoskins]

It skips the uigetfile when I run it. What version of matlab are you running?

I just switched to R2012b 2 weeks ago and I still have R2011b working on my computer. I just tested the code in the R2011b version at it works as it should, but it skips the uigetfile line in the R2012b version.

Anybody have any ideas on where to go from here?

[Jan]

Are there any EVALs in your code, which redefine built-in functions? In debug mode, variables created by EVAL are handled differently than in non-debug mode.

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

It works as expected for me in R2012b. Put "echo on" at the start of your code, and take off the semicolons. Then examine the command window and see if it did every line. And if you have disp('hi') in the loop, does it just print that millions of times as it goes blasting through the loop not waiting for uigetdir()?

Answer 2

[Alan Hoskins]

Hmmm, the bug seems to be related to a function that I call before the attached code. When I just put a function wrapper around this code, it works fine. I then inserted my other function call just before the loop and it stopped working again. I then tried to insert the echo 'on' command as you suggested and it works again, though interestingly it makes Matlab lose focus. By lose focus, I mean my Matlab window (command window / editor / workspace / etc...) goes into the background behind my chrome browser window, explorer window, etc.. and I need to alt-tab or re selected in the windows task bar.

I need to play with it some more to find the actual sequence that causes the issue. It is not as simple as I first thought. Since it works in my R2011b copy of Matlab and since adding echo 'on' also makes it work, I have two workarounds. If I discover what sequence actually causes the problem I will post again.

[Sean de Wolski]

Hi Alan,

Please contact support when you figure out the reproduction steps. We'd like to hear about it.

[Alan Hoskins]

Will do.

[Image Analyst]

Weird that echo on fixes it. Are you going to answer my question about "hi"?

Answer 3

[Alan Hoskins]

Well, I don't know exactly why it did what it did and why it only did it in R2012b, but I figured out how to fix it. It seems that the problem was caused by me not having an end in the previously called function. The previously called function opens a figure (with uicontrols including a OK/Cancel button pair) and has as part of the code uiwait(h_figure). When one the buttons is pressed, it has at part of its callback uiresume(h_figure) and then it finishes running the code and deletes the figure. I added the end to the function just to clean it up (I was planning on posting it here) and now everything works.

Thanks for the assistance.

Answer 4

[Daniel]

I ran into the same issue with uigetfile in R2012b. I fixed it by making a call to drawnow just before the call to uigetfile. ex:

drawnow;
[fn,pn] = uigetfile('*.mat','Find file');

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

[Andrew Reibold]

Hi, I had this same issue before.

Sometimes matlab runs faster than figures can populate and it moves on to steps too quickly.

I can't remember if its before or after, but try putting like a 10ms pause before or after your uigetfile.

You won't notice the difference, and it will possibly solve your problem.

pause(.1)