How can I have System.Console.WriteLine write to the MATLAB command window while using the .NET API in MATLAB 7.8 (R2009a)?

I have a C# .NET assembly (MATLABWriter.dll) project with the following code:

 namespace MATLABWriter {

     public class WriterClass {

         public void Write() {

             System.Console.Write("Hello, world!");

         }

     }

 }

I have loaded the .NET DLL in MATLAB using the NET.addAssembly command:

>> NET.addAssembly("MATLABWriter.dll");

>> writerObj = MATLABWriter. WriterClass;

The Write() method has a call to System.Console.Write to write the specific text out to the command window.

However, if I execute the Write() method, MATLAB does not print the text:

>>  writerObj.Write

Is there a way to write this text to the MATLAB command window?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

The ability to have System.Console.WriteLine write to the MATLAB command window is not available in MATLAB 7.8 (R2009a).

To work around this issue, use the following MATLAB code:

function output = captureConsole(myMethod)

%Capture the output of Console.Write or Console.WriteLine in MATLAB

% Input:  A string to pass it to Console.Write method

% Output: Captured output

import System.*

%create a streamwriter class

writer = IO.StreamWriter(IO.MemoryStream);

%save the old console

oldConsole = Console.Out;

%set the new console output

Console.SetOut(writer);

%set the stream length to 0

stream = writer.BaseStream;

stream.SetLength(0);

% Call a method that prints out a string

evalin('base',myMethod)

%capture the output from the streamwriter

writer.Flush;

output = char(writer.Encoding.GetString(stream.ToArray));

%set the old Console back after done

Console.SetOut(oldConsole);

end

Save the above code as captureConsole.m and pass the method which calls System.out.Write to this function as follows:

>> NET.addAssembly('C:\work\MATLABWriter.dll');

>> writerObj = MATLABWriter.WriterClass;

% Instead of writerObj.Write

>> captureConsole('writerObj.Write')   

ans =

Hello, world!