External Interfaces

Introducing MEX-Files

You can call your own C or Fortran subroutines from MATLAB as if they were built-in functions. MATLAB callable C and Fortran programs are referred to as MEX-files. MEX-files are dynamically linked subroutines that the MATLAB interpreter can automatically load and execute.

MEX-files have several applications:

• Large pre-existing C and Fortran programs can be called from MATLAB without having to be rewritten as M-files.
• Bottleneck computations (usually for-loops) that do not run fast enough in MATLAB can be recoded in C or Fortran for efficiency.

MEX-files are not appropriate for all applications. MATLAB is a high-productivity system whose specialty is eliminating time-consuming, low-level programming in compiled languages like Fortran or C. In general, most programming should be done in MATLAB. Don't use the MEX facility unless your application requires it.

Calling C and Fortran Programs from MATLAB

Using MEX-Files

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