Startup and Shutdown :: (MATLAB Release Notes)

MATLAB Release Notes

Startup and Shutdown

MATLAB is now using Java (JVM) 1.4.2.

Desktop

See the complete Desktop documentation online.

Demo of MATLAB Desktop

If you are using the Help browser, watch the new Desktop and Command Window video demo for an overview of the major functionality.

Arranging Documents

The MATLAB desktop now provides you with new options for arranging the following types of documents:

M-files and other files in the Editor/Debugger
Arrays in the Array Editor
Figure windows
HTML documents in the MATLAB Web browser

You can dock these types of documents in the desktop, undock them from the desktop so each is in its own separate window, or group undocked documents together in their tool. You can now position the documents using these features: tile, left/right split, top/bottom split, floating, or maximized. Use the Window menu or toolbar icons to position documents.

Docking Tools and Documents. There are now dock buttons in the menu bars of undocked tools and documents. Click a dock button to move the tool into the desktop, or to move the document into its tool.

Document Bar. There is now a Document Bar in tools that support documents that you use to go to open documents. It appears when there is more than one maximized document open in a tool. You can hide or move the Document Bar by selecting Desktop -> Document Bar menu options.

Saving Layouts. You can save desktop layouts. Select Desktop -> Save Layout and provide a name. To restore a saved layout, select Desktop -> Desktop Layout -> name.

Launch Pad. The Launch Pad tool was removed. Use the Start button instead.

Adding Your Own Toolbox to Start Button. Add your own toolbox to the Start button. Select Start -> Desktop Tools -> View Source Files. Click Help in the resulting dialog box for details.

Finding Files and Content

Search for files and directories, as well as for content within files by selecting Edit -> Find Files from any desktop tool. For details, see Finding Files and Content Within Files in the online documentation.

MATLAB Shortcuts

You can create and run MATLAB shortcuts, where a shortcut is an easy way to run a group of MATLAB statements. A shortcut is like an M-file script, but unlike an M-file, a shortcut does not have to be on the MATLAB search path or in the current directory when you run it.

Create a shortcut by selecting Start -> Shortcuts -> New Shortcut and completing the dialog box. Run the shortcut from the Start button.

You can also create a shortcut by dragging selected statements to the shortcut toolbar. This adds the shortcut to the toolbar, from where you can then run it. For details, see Shortcuts for MATLAB in the online documentation.

MATLAB Web Browser

MATLAB now displays HTML documents it produces in a new desktop tool, the MATLAB Web browser. You can display HTML documents in this Web browser using the web function.

The web function now opens the MATLAB Web browser by default, instead of opening the MATLAB Help browser. Use the web function's -helpbrowser option to display files in the Help browser.

Menus

You can now access debugging features from the Debug menu of most desktop tools.
There is no longer a desktop View menu, although some tools still have a View menu.The Window menu in the desktop has changed. Use the new Desktop menu to select a layout, and to open and close tools. Use the Window menu to access open tools and documents, as well as to position documents. The menus and the menu items in the desktop change, depending on the current tool selected.
The Web menu was removed. Access the items it contained from Help -> Web Resources.

Keyboard Shortcuts

There is now a keyboard shortcut you can use to go to each tool and to each open document. For example, use Ctrl+0 to go to the Command Window, and Ctrl+Shift+0 to go to the most recently used Editor document. See the Window menu for the shortcuts to go to currently open tools and documents.

There have been some changes to the keyboard shortcuts you use with desktop tools. For example, Ctrl+Tab now moves you to the next open tool or group of tools tabbed together. In previous releases, Ctrl+Tab moved you to the next open document or tool. In MATLAB 7, use Ctrl+Page Down to move to the next open document or tool in a tabbed group. For the complete list, see Keyboard Shortcuts in the online documentation.

Drag and Drop

You can drag selected text or files between desktop tools. For example, you can

Select text in the Editor and drag it to the Command Window, which cuts and pastes it into the Command Window. You can use Ctrl while dragging to copy selected text instead of just moving it.
Select a file in the Current Directory browser and drag it to the Editor, which opens the file in the Editor.

You can also drag selected text or files between desktop tools and external tools and applications. For example, you can

Select a MAT-file from the Microsoft Windows Explorer and drag it to the Command Window, which loads the data into the MATLAB workspace.
Select text from a page displayed in a Netscape browser and drag it to a file in the Editor, which pastes the text into the file in the Editor.

Arranging Columns in Tools

In desktop tools that contain columns, you can drag a column to a new position. For example, this includes the Current Directory browser, and the Help browser Index and Search panes. Click a column head to sort by that column. For some tools, you can click again to reverse the sort order.

When a column is too narrow to show all the information in it, position the cursor over a long item in that column, and a tooltip displays showing the complete content of the item.

Font and Color Preferences for Tools

Access font and color preferences for all desktop tools in the Fonts and Colors preference panels. Select File -> Preferences -> Fonts or File -> Preferences -> Colors. For more information, click the Help button in the preferences dialog box, or see Fonts, Colors, and Other Preferences in the online documentation.

Desktop Tools and Development Environment Features Running Functions--Command Window and History