R2017b GUIDE does not create callbacks

Have a GUIDE GUI with associated code created usng R2015b. In R2015b, GUIDE offers automatic creation of default callbacks for GUI a control - e.g., a toolbar toggle - and writes the function skeleton into the GUI code.

This does not happen with my R2017b installation. Furthermore, specifying the callbacks manually on the property sheet also does not create the skeleton/template in the GUI code?

Work around?

[dpb]

Not ever built an app using GUIDE and have only R2021b here, but making a new GUIDE app with a pushbutton when saving the GUIDE figure file, the callback prototype for the pushbutton was there. Interesting that none of the functions use the "end" keyword...

I wouldn't know what to say about R2017b other than to ask why only move from R2015b to R2017b and not something quite a lot newer?

[Dave Watson]

Interesting, thanks for running the expt. No end statement was normal for functions in m-files that are not classdef (non-OO).

Moved to R2017b because it took me half an hour and not prepared to invest in a major conversion at this time. Move was precipitated by R2015b installer links continually breaking at MathWorks.

[dpb]

While deprecated, GUIDE is still in releases at least through R2022b. I've got stuff for the local community college foundation I've been supporting pro bono and it's on an IT-controlled network so I've stuck with this release to not have to fight that battle. I'm likely not going to the new interface; it's simply not in a direction of interest to me.

"No end statement was normal for functions in m-files..."

Yeah, but one would have thought good practice would have introduced them at some point. I suppose with the decision GUIDE was going to go away, it was not considered a fruitful use of resources which can see from the business pov.

[Dave Watson]

Exactly, it's a big port to move to AppDesigner and I have better things to do. Unfortunately, the older versions start to break after a while, one way or another and a move is forced. Have seesawed on whether to keep up with the MATLAB releases but many of them don't offer useful (for my app) functionality.

[dpb]

I grok...was just suggesting that if making a move anyway, perhaps jumping up to around the R2021b to R2023b time frame might be longer-range choice.

FYI I just confirmed that if I opened the prior test GUIDE app from R2021b and added a radio button on top of the prior push button that the prototype code callback was generated in R2022b.

So, if something is broken in R2017b that that doesn't work, at least it appears it is functional in R2021b and R2022b from the most simple-minded of tests.

[Dave Watson]

Agreed, thanks again.

[dpb]

The only issue I observed with R2021b and R2022b is that the annoying warning about GUIDE being removed in future release is only minimized in the window, not completely closed.

Unfortunately, while one can use

>> [msg,id]=lastwarn
msg =
    'GUIDE will be removed in a future release. Use APPDESIGNER instead.'
id =
    'MATLAB:guide:GUIDEWillBeRemovedUseAppDesigner'
>> warning('off',id)

and not get the warning message in the command window on starting GUIDE, it doesn't hold over to not displaying the warning sub-figure in the design environment.

A quick search didn't reveal a spot at which one could simply bypass that internally; it's buried somewhere in the bowels of the figure generation. The base template is just a bare figure and none of the other fig files contain that image so at that point I quit.

I surely wish Mathworks would not try to be big brother but let users simply decide on their own which course they wish to follow. Telling once is fine; continuing to nag and putting stuff in the way is simply being rude.

[Rik]

Perhaps interesting in this context: https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/discussions/tips/847921-how-to-create-a-gui

[dpb]

I stumbled over the above link and considered attaching it also, @Rik...it's a most interesting read, indeed.

[Dave Watson]

@dpb 21 Sep 2025 at 15:20 "I surely wish Mathworks would not try to be big brother but let users simply decide on their own which course they wish to follow. Telling once is fine; continuing to nag and putting stuff in the way is simply being rude."

Amen x 10!

Answer 1

[dpb]

I installed R2017b w/ update 9 and it seems to create the callback code just fine...did you install the last update?

While I was at it, I then jumped to R2019b to check about the nagging and it is in it with the same issue in the design view of being able to collapse it to a single row but not close it entirely.

I didn't try either R2018 release gargle says the warning was introduced in R2018a so I presume that's probably when the warning in the design view shows up as well.

But, I can't reproduce your issue in R2017b/Update 9.

[Dave Watson]

Well, that's a very good point and the answer is, no. I will update and try. Thank you!

[dpb]

Good luck, I can only report that with very minimal testing of creating a new app with a couple of controls added it seemed to work here. One wouldn't have thunk they would have munged up something in GUIDE during a release in that time frame, but "ya' never know!".