system (MATLAB Functions)

Execute operating system command and return result

Description

system('command') calls upon the operating system to run command, for example dir or ls or a UNIX shell script, and directs the output to MATLAB. If command runs successfully, ans is 0. If command fails or does not exist on your operating system, ans is a nonzero value and an explanatory message appears.

[status, result] = system('command') calls upon the operating system to run command, and directs the output to MATLAB. If command runs successfully, status is 0 and result contains the output from command. If command fails or does not exist on your operating system, status is a nonzero value, result is an empty matrix, and an explanatory message appears.

Examples

Display the current directory by accessing the operating system.

```
system('pwd')
```

MATLAB displays the current directory and shows that the command executed correctly because ans is 0.

```
D:/mymfiles/ 

ans =
     0
```

Similarly, run the operating system pwd command and assign the current directory to curr_dir.

```
[s, curr_dir] = system('pwd')
```

MATLAB displays

s =
     0

curr_dir =
     D:/mymfiles/

See Also

! (bang), dos, perl, unix, winopen

Running External Programs in the MATLAB Desktop Tools and Development Environment documentation

symvar tan