Programming

Designing User Classes in MATLAB

This section discusses how to approach the design of a class and describes the basic set of methods that should be included in a class.

The MATLAB Canonical Class

When you design a MATLAB class, you should include a standard set of methods that enable the class to behave in a consistent and logical way within the MATLAB environment. Depending on the nature of the class you are defining, you may not need to include all of these methods and you may include a number of other methods to realize the class's design goals.

This table lists the basic methods included in MATLAB classes.

Class Method	Description
class constructor	Creates an object of the class.
display	Called whenever MATLAB displays the contents of an object (e.g., when an expression is entered without terminating with a semicolon).
set and get	Accesses class properties.
subsref and subsasgn	Enables indexed reference and assignment for user objects.
end	Supports end syntax in indexing expressions using an object; e.g., A(1:end).
subsindex	Supports using an object in indexing expressions.
converters like double and char	Methods that convert an object to a MATLAB data type.

The following sections discuss the implementation of each type of method, as well as providing references to examples used in this chapter.

Tips for C++ and Java Programmers

The Class Constructor Method

© 1994-2005 The MathWorks, Inc.