MATLAB Function Reference

unix

Execute UNIX command and return result

Syntax

• unix command
  status = unix('command')
  [status,result] = unix('command')
  [status,result] = unix('command','-echo')
  

Description

unix command calls upon the UNIX operating system to execute the given command.

status = unix('command') returns completion status to the status variable.

[status, result] = unix('command') returns the standard output to the result variable, in addition to completion status.

[status,result] = unix('command','-echo') displays the results in the Command Window as it executes, and assigns the results to w.

Examples

List all users that are currently logged in.

• [s,w] = unix('who');
  

MATLAB returns 0 (success) in s and a string containing the list of users in w.

In this example

• [s,w] = unix('why')
  s =
      1
  w =
  why: Command not found.
  

MATLAB returns a nonzero value in s to indicate failure, and returns an error message in w because why is not a UNIX command.

See Also

dos, ! (exclamation point), perl, system

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

unique

unmkpp

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