Access to Matlab Main Window position coordinates

Is there any way that I could access the MAIN MATLAB WINDOW (Matlab 7.9.0 (R2009b)) the same way I can access a figure ? With a handle ?

What I am trying to do is reposition the main window as part of a script.

For example I already have a script that will reposition and resize all my figures stacked in the middle of my screen, but I would like to access the main window and the script editor window as well.

So far the only information I can get is the Matrix size of the command window(about useless), which in my case is just some part of what I call the main window using.

get(0,'CommandWindowSize')

Thank you for the help.

Answer 1

[Kaustubha Govind]

You could use the MATLAB Java API (see examples on the blog Undocumented MATLAB) to do this kind of thing:

desktop = com.mathworks.mde.desk.MLDesktop.getInstance;
desktopMainFrame = desktop.getMainFrame;

% Get desktop dimensions
desktopDims = desktopMainFrame.getSize;
desktopW = desktopDims.getWidth;
desktopH = desktopDims.getHeight;

% Resize desktop to half of original size
desktopMainFrame.setSize(desktopW/2,desktopH/2);

You can explore the other methods on the objects for more.

Use this with caution, however, because this API is undocumented, and may change in a future release. It may be best to protect your code with some version checking (older or newer versions may have different APIs).

I tried to do something similar with the Editor window by using:

editor = desktop.getGroupContainer('Editor');

But, I couldn't get the window to resize. You might be able to have something working by exploring further.

PS: I am using R2010b

[Oleg Komarov]

+1

[Pete]

Excellent answer, very helpful.

Btw, for analogous process using the editor, the following works for me [R2012]:

container = desktop.getGroupContainer('Editor').getTopLevelAncestor
container.setSize ... etc.

[Royi Avital]

It seems not to work on MATLAB R2016a. Namely can't change the properties (Can see, but not change).

[Walter Roberson]

Example:

container.setSize(java.awt.Dimension(1350,1100))

[Royi Avital]

Hi Walter, It worked! Could you explain me why? What about setting all 4 parameters of the rectangle (Like 'Position' for figures)? Thank You.

[Walter Roberson]

desktop = com.mathworks.mde.desk.MLDesktop.getInstance;
container = desktop.getGroupContainer('Editor').getTopLevelAncestor;

x = 200; y = 319; w = 952; h = 1077;
container.setLocation(java.awt.Point(x, y))
container.setSize(java.awt.Dimension(h, w))

The underlying java object does not use the [x, y, h, w] kind of Position settings: it has a location of the upper left corner (in pixels from the upper left corner), and it has a size, which is height and width.

"Why"... I do not know enough about Java to know why it does anything. Before I researched the answer for you, I had no idea how to set the dimensions or position. I took the easy route: I just searched the source code in one of the private methods.

[Royi Avital]

Fabulous!

Thank You.

Answer 2

[j dr]

I guess this will have to do...

Maybe I shouldn't have accepted it tho

[Oleg Komarov]

Why not?

Answer 3

[Jan]

This tool bundles some functions to access the command window: FEX: CmdWinTool