how to reduce the calculation time when calling a .exe file from a MATLAB function

I'm going to use "gamultiobj" genetic algorithm multi objective function optimisation and in my objective function I call an .exe file instead of defining it directly in MATLAB. I tried two simple parabolic functions as my objectives (a given example in MATLAB help for gamultiobj). It takes 26 seconds when use objective functions defined in MATLAB, but when I call a .exe file which calculates same functions, it takes 21 minutes!! Is this normal? Is there any way to reduce the time? Will the time reduce if I convert my Fortran program to a MEX file and call this one instead of compiled .exe file?

[Walter Roberson]

We don't know because we do not have the sources to compare.

[Gitesh Nandre]

How are you calling the exe file from MATLAB?

[Mohsen2015]

You can see details here:

"can I use a compiled (.exe) file to generate my objective functions..."

any ideas to reduce the time?

[Sean de Wolski]

What is the exe?

[Mohsen2015]

exe is an executable file which I make by compiling ny fortran program and then call it from MATLAB as below:

function y = myfun(x)
%write the x data
xh = fopen('x.txt', 'w');
fprintf(xh, '%f  %f\n', x);
fclose(xh);

%run your program
system('test3.exe');
%read the f data

fh = fopen('f.txt');
y = fscanf(fh, '%f  %f');
fclose(fh);
end

but execution time to optimise "myfun(x)" with any procedure in MATLAB takes much more time than the case that I directly write the function in "myfun(x)".

[Quy Nguyen]

i have a project that generates exe files from matlab/guide. Instructions on how to reduce matlab exe application processing time

Answer 1

[Sean de Wolski]

Without knowledge of how the exe works this is hard to answer.

One thing you might want to try, if you are calling the exe multiple times is parfeval in the Parallel Computing Toolbox. This will allow you to submit asynchronous calls to the exe and the file read in parallel so that it can be running multiple times concurrently. This won't speed up calling the exe but will allow you to call it more frequently.