File Management Operations :: Workspace, Search Path, and File Operations (Desktop Tools and Development Environment)

Desktop Tools and Development Environment

File Management Operations

MATLAB file operations use the current directory and the MATLAB search path as reference points. Any file you want to run must either be in the current directory or on the search path. The key tools for performing file operations are

Note You generally cannot perform operations on files and directories for which you do not have proper permission. For example, you cannot copy a file to a read-only directory using the Current Directory browser, however, you can do so using movefile with the appropriate option.

Current Directory Field

A quick way to view or change the current directory is by using the current directory field in the desktop toolbar.

Image of current directory field.

To change the current directory from this field, do one of the following:

In the field, type the path for the new current directory.
Click the down arrow to view a list of previous working directories, and select an item from the list to make that directory become the MATLAB current working directory. The directories are listed in order, with the most recently used at the top of the list. You can clear the list and set the number of directories saved in the list--see Preferences for the Current Directory Browser.
Click the Browse to New Folder button (...) to set a new current directory.
Use the Go Up One Level button to move the current directory up one level.

The current directory field in the desktop also appears in the Current Directory browser, when the Current Directory browser is undocked. Consider it to be one tool with two different means of accessing it.

Recovering from Problems with the Search Path Current Directory Browser