About Preferences :: Desktop (Desktop Tools and Development Environment)

Desktop Tools and Development Environment

About Preferences

Use preferences to specify options for each desktop tool:

Select File -> Preferences.
In the left pane of the Preferences dialog box, preferences appear for MATLAB tools as well as for any other MathWorks products installed on your system.

Choose a tool and click the + to display more preferences for that tool. From the expanded list, select the entry you want. The right pane shows the preferences for that item.

Change settings. Click Apply or OK to set the preferences. Preferences take effect immediately. They remain persistent across MATLAB sessions.

Note that some tools allow you to control these settings from within the tool without setting a preference. Use that method if you only want the change to apply to the current session.

Function Alternative

Open the preferences dialog box using the preferences function.

Preferences File--matlab.prf

Preferences are stored in a preferences file, matlab.prf. Type prefdir in the Command Window to see the location of the file.

On Macintosh platforms, the directory might be in a hidden folder, for example, myname/.matlab/R14. To access the directory, select Go -> Go to Folder in the Mac OS Finder. In the resulting dialog box, type the path returned by prefdir and press Enter. The matlab.prf file is loaded when MATLAB starts and is overwritten when you close MATLAB.

When you install a new version of MATLAB, it tries to use your existing preferences from the previous version, where possible. To return to default preferences, delete matlab.prf in the directory for your current version, for example, R14, as well as in the directories for previous versions, for example, R13.

Summary of Preferences

Preference
What You Can Specify

General Preferences
Toolbox path caching, figure window printing, delete function behavior, MAT-file save formats, confirmation dialogs, and source control.

Fonts
Font type, style, and size for desktop tools. Customize for any tool.

Colors
Colors for text, background, and syntax highlighting in desktop tools.

Command Window
Numeric format and display, key bindings, tab size, tab completion, and hyperlink color.

Command History
Display, filtering, and saving.

Editor/Debugger
Editor type, startup options, display, keyboard, indenting, language, publishing, and autosave.

Help
Product filter and synchronization.

Web
Internet proxy server settings.

Current Directory
Number of entries in history and display options.

Array Editor
Numeric format and use of Enter key.

GUIDE
Display options.

Figure Copy Template
Application, text, line, uicontrols, axis, format, background color, and size.

Other products
Preferences for other installed MathWorks products.

Preference	What You Can Specify
General Preferences	Toolbox path caching, figure window printing, `delete` function behavior, MAT-file save formats, confirmation dialogs, and source control.
Fonts	Font type, style, and size for desktop tools. Customize for any tool.
Colors	Colors for text, background, and syntax highlighting in desktop tools.
Command Window	Numeric format and display, key bindings, tab size, tab completion, and hyperlink color.
Command History	Display, filtering, and saving.
Editor/Debugger	Editor type, startup options, display, keyboard, indenting, language, publishing, and autosave.
Help	Product filter and synchronization.
Web	Internet proxy server settings.
Current Directory	Number of entries in history and display options.
Array Editor	Numeric format and use of Enter key.
GUIDE	Display options.
Figure Copy Template	Application, text, line, uicontrols, axis, format, background color, and size.
Other products	Preferences for other installed MathWorks products.

MAT-Files Running Functions--Command Window and History