How to access input variable in base workspace?

Hi I want to write a function with one input parameter and no output parameters. How do I access the input parameter in its base worksapce in order to manipulate it?

[Paulo Silva]

Please provide the code so we can have a better idea of what your are doing.

Answer 1

[Fangjun Jiang]

You have to start with the base workspace. For example, you have par=1 in base workspace. Then you call your function Process(par).

Your function might look like:

function Process(Var)
VarName=inputname(1);
assignin('base',VarName,Var+rand);

However, this is not recommended because you are manipulate variables across boundary or scope. You can always do it this way, assume initially par=1 in base workspace

par=Process(par);

Where your Process() function looks like:

function out=Process(par)
out=par+rand;

[Paulo Silva]

Fangjun the question isn't detailed enough for such conclusions, we should always avoid such code.

[Fangjun Jiang]

@Paulo, the question seems clear to me. But I added caution and recommended using function with return argument to avoid cross variable scope.

[Paulo Silva]

It isn't clear at all and he wants to do more than one thing without providing code, it's one of those doit4me questions.

[Stagleton]

@Fangjun Jiang Thanks for the help. I will try this and see if I can get it to work.

@Paulo Silva I don't think my question was that unclear, but it is fair to ask for more of my code but it is a bit unfair to say "it's one of those doit4me questions". I was not aware of the function assignin and that seems to be what I was looking for.

[Stagleton]

@Fangjun Jiang looks like you knew exactly what I was trying to do.

Here is my code:

function inc( in_arg )

%INC Summary of this function goes here

% Detailed explanation goes here

a=inputname(1);

assignin('base',a,in_arg+1);

end

Im trying to increment a double from the base workspace that is sent to this function.

So I write:

r=1;

inc(r);

r

r=3

Works great!

[Fangjun Jiang]

@Stagleton, that could work. But you could also do as below if you define the output argument of your function. That is more safer and follow a good programming practice regarding variable scope.

r=1;

r=inc(r);

[Stagleton]

ok, thanks for the advice!