Error when using uigetdir() in deployed MATLAB application (java.lang​.IllegalAr​gumentExce​ption: eval requires a valid MCR id when running in standalone mode)

When calling uigetdir() in a deployed application I get this error sometimes, seemingly more often than not. I can't seem to find anything about this online.It might be related to my resent switch to 2018a.

Error using matlab.ui.internal.dialog.FolderChooser/doShowDialog (line 70)
  Java exception occurred:
  java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: eval requires a valid MCR id when running in standalone mode.
          at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.PostMatlabMessage(Native Method)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.postMatlabMessage(NativeMatlab.java:224)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.postMatlabMessage(NativeMatlab.java:240)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabLooper.postMatlabMessage(MatlabLooper.java:150)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabMCR.postAsync(MatlabMCR.java:1542)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabMCR.eval(MatlabMCR.java:518)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.Matlab.eval(Matlab.java:1197)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabPath$PathCallback.completed(MatlabPath.java:1449)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabMCR$InterestHandler.messageReceived(MatlabMCR.java:1663)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.ProcessPendingEvents(Native Method)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.processPendingEvents(NativeMatlab.java:508)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$MatlabLatch.safeWait(AWTUtilities.java:892)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$MatlabLatch.waitFcn(AWTUtilities.java:907)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$Latch.acquire(AWTUtilities.java:770)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$Invoker.invoke(AWTUtilities.java:500)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities.invokeAndWaitInternal(AWTUtilities.java:250)
          at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities.invokeAndWait(AWTUtilities.java:111)

    Error in matlab.ui.internal.dialog.FolderChooser/show (line 48)

    Error in uigetdir_helper (line 32)

    Error in uigetdir (line 61)

    Error in Settings_Window>Select_Output_Report_Callback (line 275)

    Error in gui_mainfcn (line 95)

    Error in Settings_Window (line 42)

Answer 1

[Nate Ellingson]

Called Mathworks, this is a known bug. They are not sure how they plan to fix it yet. It could be an update in within version 2018a, but we may have to wait for 2018b.

[Steven Lord]

Copying the answer given by Stefanie Schwarz into the Accepted Answer to give it additional visibility:

This is a known bug in MATLAB R2018a. Please refer to the below Bug Report for workaround instructions: https://www.mathworks.com/support/bugreports/1729458

Answer 2

[Stefanie Schwarz]

This is a known bug in MATLAB R2018a. Please refer to the below Bug Report for workaround instructions: https://www.mathworks.com/support/bugreports/1729458

[William Warriner]

One thing I'd caution other users who might use the workaround is that the default behavior of the built-in uigetdir is to return 0 if cancel or X is pressed (i.e. for JFileChooser.CANCEL_OPTION in the workaround).

Answer 3

[Roberto Spreafico]

I have the same problem with the uigetdir() function with the same Matlab version (R2018a)

Answer 4

[Honghua Hu]

The same symptom here, after I switch to 2018a...

[Nate Ellingson]

Called Mathworks, this is a known bug. They are not sure how they plan to fix it yet. It could be an update in within version 2018a, but we may have to wait for 2018b

Answer 5

[Marco Witte]

After switching to 2018a I got the same problem. This is very annoying, especially if I think about the amount we pay each year for the maintainace Service to mathworks...

[Nate Ellingson]

Wouldn't hurt to bug them, I would go to this address:

https://www.mathworks.com/support/bugreports/search_results?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search_executed=1&keyword=&release_filter=Exists+in&release=283&selected_products=126&commit=Search

and flick the switch that says "This bug affects my work"

[Brent Kostich]

I don't know if it's relevant. But it seems MathWorks posted a workaround on this bug (Same link Nate posted above). I tried it out and it fixed this issue in my deployed application.

[Nate Ellingson]

It fixed mine as well.

[Image Analyst]

To me that workaround is not worth it and I'm going back to R2017b. Imagine if you put in all that code just to workaround a bug, then they fix the bug in the next version, and now you have to rip out all that complicated code and go back to the original, simple call to uigetdir()? And I'm constantly compiling and rolling out apps so I'd have to figure out which ones I put all that messy code in and fix them all. Too much work. For what I need, R2017b still works - I'm not using any of the new R2018a features so I'll just wait. I guess I should have tested the prerelease!

[Nate Ellingson]

This is very understandable, my workaround to make the workaround easier to deal with was to throw their code into a function called "uigetdir.m" which will override the native uigetdir. So when a fixed version comes out I will just remove the workaround "uigetdir.m" from the matlab path and use the native uidgetdir again.

This will prevent the need for any changes to the rest of your source code. Then again, if your not using any 2018a features. The easiest thing to do is probably to just back up to 2017b.

[Nate Ellingson]

Realized I could attach a file, place this file in your matlab path and use uigetdir like you normally would. and when a fixed version of matlab comes out simply remove this file from you matlab path.

[Peter Bottelier]

Thanks Nate. Very helpful. I too experienced the same R2018a behaviour w.r.t. built-in uigetdir.m. It's rather annoying MathWorks did not detect this during release validation testing (apparently). @MathWorks, please improve testing your basic function tests!

[William Warriner]

Thanks Nate, helped me a bunch! One thing I'd caution other users who might download the attachment is that the default behavior of the built-in uigetdir is to return 0 if cancel or X is pressed (i.e. for JFileChooser.CANCEL_OPTION in the workaround).

I am also posting this as feedback to the bug report given below.

Answer 6

[Rohan R]

I see there are 3 uigetdir.m files. All the three need to be modified/replaced?

/usr/local/MATLAB/MATLAB_Runtime/v94/mcr/toolbox/matlab/connector2/shadowfiles/shadows/uigetdir/uigetdir.m /usr/local/MATLAB/MATLAB_Runtime/v94/mcr/toolbox/matlab/uitools/uigetdir.m /usr/local/MATLAB/MATLAB_Runtime/v94/mcr/toolbox/compiler/mdwas/mcr/uigetdir.m

[Nate Ellingson]

Don't replace any of those, just place uigerdir in a place in your path higher than all of those. A good place, if your using windows, would be in your "Documents\MATLAB" folder. There probably is an equivalent in linux, but I'm not sure. This is automatically added to your path above these other instances of uigetdir.m.

If you are only working on one application, you can place my uigetdir.m in the same directory as the main file.

When Matlab get updated to fix this bug, simply remove the file that you added.

Do this before compiling the application.

Answer 7

[Victor Gonzalez]

This bug is marked as fixed with update 4, but in my deployed application the problem persists, the workaround is again the only "solution"

Answer 8

[D. Plotnick]

I am also still seeing this issue with Update 4.

[Steven Lord]

Updating is one part of the fix. Recompiling the application and contacting Support for the R2018a Update 4 Runtime to be installed where the application will be run are the other two pieces. Can you confirm that you have completed all three parts and still experience the bug? If so I recommend contacting Support and working with them to determine why the fix has not resolved the issue.

[D. Plotnick]

I meant to respond on this; the third stage is the key step that I did incorrectly. Thanks.

Answer 9

[Geoffrey Vincent]

Error for me also :

Error using matlab.ui.internal.dialog.FolderChooser/doShowDialog (line 70)
Java exception occurred: 
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: eval requires a valid MCR id when running in standalone mode.
  at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.PostMatlabMessage(Native Method)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.postMatlabMessage(NativeMatlab.java:224)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.postMatlabMessage(NativeMatlab.java:240)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabLooper.postMatlabMessage(MatlabLooper.java:150)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabMCR.postAsync(MatlabMCR.java:1542)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabMCR.eval(MatlabMCR.java:518)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.Matlab.eval(Matlab.java:1197)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabPath$PathCallback.completed(MatlabPath.java:1449)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabMCR$InterestHandler.messageReceived(MatlabMCR.java:1663)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.ProcessPendingEvents(Native Method)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.processPendingEvents(NativeMatlab.java:508)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$MatlabLatch.safeWait(AWTUtilities.java:892)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$MatlabLatch.waitFcn(AWTUtilities.java:907)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$Latch.acquire(AWTUtilities.java:770)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$Invoker.invoke(AWTUtilities.java:500)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities.invokeAndWaitInternal(AWTUtilities.java:250)
  at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities.invokeAndWait(AWTUtilities.java:111)

Error in matlab.ui.internal.dialog.FolderChooser/show (line 48)

Error in uigetdir_helper (line 32)

[Miguel Alfonso Mendez]

I have the same problem:

Error using matlab.ui.internal.dialog.FolderChooser/doShowDialog (line 70)

Java exception occurred:

java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: eval requires a valid MCR id when running in standalone mode.

at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.PostMatlabMessage(Native Method)

at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.postMatlabMessage(NativeMatlab.java:224)

at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.postMatlabMessage(NativeMatlab.java:240)

at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabLooper.postMatlabMessage(MatlabLooper.java:150)

at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabMCR.postAsync(MatlabMCR.java:1542)

at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabMCR.eval(MatlabMCR.java:518)

at com.mathworks.jmi.Matlab.eval(Matlab.java:1197)

at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabPath$PathCallback.completed(MatlabPath.java:1449)

at com.mathworks.jmi.MatlabMCR$InterestHandler.messageReceived(MatlabMCR.java:1663)

at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.ProcessPendingEvents(Native Method)

at com.mathworks.jmi.NativeMatlab.processPendingEvents(NativeMatlab.java:508)

at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$MatlabLatch.safeWait(AWTUtilities.java:892)

at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$MatlabLatch.waitFcn(AWTUtilities.java:907)

at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$Latch.acquire(AWTUtilities.java:770)

at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities$Invoker.invoke(AWTUtilities.java:500)

at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities.invokeAndWaitInternal(AWTUtilities.java:250)

at com.mathworks.jmi.AWTUtilities.invokeAndWait(AWTUtilities.java:111)

Error in matlab.ui.internal.dialog.FolderChooser/show (line 48)

Error in uigetdir_helper (line 32)