Relocate Code Generated from MATLAB Code to Another Development Environment

This example uses:

Once you generate code from your MATLAB^® algorithm, you can relocate the code to another development environment, such as a system or an integrated development environment (IDE) that does not include MATLAB. You can package the files into a compressed file using the packNGo function at the command line or the Package option in the MATLAB Coder™ app. Once you create the zip file, you can relocate and unpack the compressed zip file using a standard zip utility.

Package the Code

This example shows how to package the executable generated from the Generate C Code from MATLAB Code example using the packNGo function. You can also generate and package a static library file or a dynamic library file. You cannot package a C-MEX file since a MEX file requires MATLAB to run. For more information on packNGo, see packNGo in RTW.BuildInfo Methods (MATLAB Coder).

The files needed to generate the executable are reconstructSignalTestbench.m, GenerateSignalWithHighEnergyFFTCoeffs.m, and the reconstructSignalTestbench_Main.c files from the Generate C Code from MATLAB Code example. Copy all these files into the current working folder. To generate the executable, run the following commands in the MATLAB command prompt:

cfg =  coder.config('exe');
cfg.CustomSource = 'reconstructSignalTestbench_Main.c';
cfg.CustomInclude = ['"',pwd,'"'];
codegen -config cfg -report reconstructSignalTestbench

If you are using Windows, you can see that reconstructSignalTestbench.exe is generated in the current folder. If you are using a Linux machine, the generated executable is reconstructSignalTestbench. The codegen function generates the dependency source code and the buildinfo.mat file in the codegen\exe\reconstructSignalTestbench folder.

Load the buildInfo object.

load('codegen\exe\reconstructSignalTestbench\buildinfo.mat')

Package the code in a .zip file using the packNGo function.

packNGo(buildInfo,'fileName','reconstructSignalWithHighEnergyFFTCoeffs.zip');

The packNGo function creates a zip file, reconstructSignalWithHighEnergyFFTCoeffs.zip in the current working folder. In this example, you specify only the file name. Optionally, you can specify additional packaging options. See Specify packNGo Options (MATLAB Coder).

This .zip file contains the C code, header files, .dll files, and the executable that needs to run on the external environment. Relocate the .zip file to the destination development environment and unpack the file to run the executable.

Prebuilt Dynamic Library Files (.dll)

If you compare the contents of the codegen\exe\reconstructSignalTestbench folder and the reconstructSignalWithHighEnergyFFTCoeffs.zip folder, you can see that there are additional .dll files that appear in the zip folder. These .dll files are prebuilt dynamic library files that are shipped with MATLAB. Executables generated from certain System objects require these prebuilt .dll files. The Generate C Code from MATLAB Code example uses dsp.FFT and dsp.IFFT System objects whose 'FFTImplementation' is set to 'FFTW'. In the FFTW mode, the executables generated from these objects depend on the prebuilt .dll files. To package code that runs on an environment with no MATLAB installed, MATLAB Coder packages these .dll files in the zip folder. For a list of all the System objects in DSP System Toolbox™ that require prebuilt .dll files, see How To Run a Generated Executable Outside MATLAB.

To identify the prebuilt .dll files your executable requires, run the following command in the MATLAB command prompt.

files = getNonBuildFiles(buildInfo,'true','true');

For more details, see getNonBuildFiles in Build Process Customization (MATLAB Coder).

For an example showing the Package option workflow to relocate code using the MATLAB Coder app, see Package Code for Other Development Environments (MATLAB Coder).