Creating Graphical User Interface (GUIDE) Upgrade Issues

MATLAB Release Notes

Creating Graphical User Interface (GUIDE) Upgrade Issues

The issues involved in upgrading from MATLAB 7.0 to MATLAB 7.0.1, in terms of graphical user interface features, are discussed below.

Ensuring Backward Compatibility for FIG-Files

GUI FIG-files that are created or modified with MATLAB 7.0 or a later MATLAB version are not automatically compatible with Version 6.5 and earlier versions. To make FIG-files, which are a kind of MAT-file, backward compatible, you must explicitly specify that you want the backwards compatibility.

GUIs Saved from GUIDE or from the Command Line

You can check the Ensure backward compatibility (-v6) preference in the Preferences dialog box under General -> MAT-Files. When this preference is checked, all MAT-files are saved so as to be backward compatible with Version 6.5 and earlier versions.

An Alternative for GUIs Saved from the Command Line

If you do not want to check the MAT-Files preference described above, but want to make individual GUI FIG-files backward compatible, use the 'v6' argument when you save the GUI with the hgsave function.

Panels, Button Groups, and ActiveX Components

Panels, button groups, and ActiveX components were introduced in MATLAB 7.0. These components are not compatible with versions earlier than 7.0 and you should not use them in GUIs that you expect to run in earlier MATLAB versions.

You can export a GUI that contains a panel, button group, or ActiveX component from GUIDE to a single M-file that does not require a FIG-file. However, you will not be able to run that M-file in MATLAB versions earlier than 7.0.

Optional Comments for Newly Generated Callback Functions

In prior releases, GUIDE automatically generated comment lines for each callback that you added to an existing GUI M-file. For example:

% --- Executes during object deletion, before destroying properties.
function figure1_DeleteFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to figure1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

In version 7.0.1, comment lines are optional for most callbacks. If you want the comments to be generated automatically when you add a callback, check the new preference Add comments for newly generated callback functions on the GUIDE panel of the Preferences dialog box. The factory default is checked.

If this preference is unchecked, GUIDE includes the comment lines only for callbacks that are automatically included for the GUIDE template you chose. No comments are included for any other callbacks that are added to the M-file.

Windows XP Display of Push and Toggle Buttons

In MATLAB 7.0.1, for Windows XP, GUI push buttons are displayed with a white background. If you have specified a background color other than the default, that color appears as a border around the push button. Unselected toggle buttons are displayed with the specified background color, but selected toggle buttons are displayed with a white background bordered by the background color.

Other Possible Upgrade Issues

Bug fixes sometimes result in minor changes to the look and feel of GUI components or to their behavior. You should also check Major Bug Fixes for changes that might affect your existing GUIs.

External Interface/API Upgrade Issues Major Bug Fixes