Matlab and Unix server - path issues when trying to create and save to folder from Matlab

Hi, I am running Matlab on a remote Unix server. I am new to Unix, so something with the file structure is not meshing with my Matlab code. I first run my Matlab code on my windows machine, and everything works great. However, I run into problems on the Unix server. For example,

graph_path_fig = ['graphs\fig\'];
graph_path_pdf = ['graphs\pdf\'];

if exist([graph_path_fig],'file')
   rmdir([graph_path_fig],'s')
else
end
if exist([graph_path_pdf],'file')
   rmdir([graph_path_pdf],'s')
else
end

mkdir(graph_path_fig)
mkdir(graph_path_pdf)

Then, I form a graph and try to save it as a .pdf and a .fig. The .pdf saves to the correct folder, while the .fig does not.

fh = figure(1);
hold all
h1 = plot(grid_num,grid_num_sq);
set(h1,'LineStyle','-','LineWidth',2.0,'Color','Blue')
hold off
filename = ['fig_practice'];
save_fig = [graph_path_fig,filename];
save_pdf = [graph_path_pdf,filename];
saveas(fh,save_fig,'fig')
saveas(fh,save_pdf,'pdf')

The .pdf saves to the correct file. The .fig does not. It saves in the directory of the mfile that I am running with the following name: graphs%5Cfig%5Cfig_practice

This is instead of the correct filepath of graphs\fig\fig_practice. Any help about how to circumvent this problem would be greatly appreciated.

All the best, Bob

Answer 1

[Fangjun Jiang]

My guess is that it is due to the difference of the file seperator for Windows (\) and Unix (/). But why it works for .pdf file but not for .fig file?

help filesep;
help pathsep;
help fullfile;

[Bob Johnson]

Perfect. Thanks!

Answer 2

[Jan]

Use the file separators matching to your OS:

graph_path_fig = fullfile('graphs', 'fig');
graph_path_pdf = fullfile('graphs', 'pdf');

If you cannot mmodify the functions, which create the file names, you can fix them afterwards:

function PathName = FixPath(PathName)
if ispc
   PathName = strrep(PathName, '/', '\');
else
   PathName = strrep(PathName, '\', '/');
end

Most system functions should work with both file separators - but obvioulsy there is still the one or other incompatibility. See also: FEX: GetFullPath

BTW: If Matlab's MLint tells you that the additional square brackets are not needed, remove them - they waste time and reduce readability.

[Bob Johnson]

Thanks for the comment. Much appreciated.

[Walter Roberson]

Windows works with \ and / but Unix type systems only work with / and using \ often leads to parsing problems if the command gets interpreted at the Unix shell level. Thus if you had to choose just one of them as a path delimiter, choose / as the delimiter.

Answer 3

[Jason Ross]

Can you create a file in graphs\fig\fig_practice outside of MATLAB?

Do you get any errors when you run your code?

If you run this in the debugger, what are the values of save_fig and save_pdf before you get to the saveas lines?

[Bob Johnson]

Thanks