What is the Order of Function Precedence in MATLAB 2019b or 2020a?

If I put a .m file in the current directory or in MATLAB search path, and then call it from the MATLAB Command Window, would MATLAB look for certain file types (e.g. built-in functions) in certain directories first before it searches for the required file? For example, suppose I created a file and called it anything like u1 and then put u1 in the current directory or in MATLAB search path. Now, when I call u1 and say the built-in sine function sin from the Command Window, would MATLAB invoke sin faster than it would for u1?

Answer 1

[Rik]

Here is the official list: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_prog/function-precedence-order.html

I don't know what you would mean by 'faster'.

[Kareem Elgindy]

Thanks Rik. By faster I mean in terms of the time required to invoke a function from the MATLAB Command Window. The webpage you referred to states at the very beginning that This topic explains how MATLAB® determines which function to call when multiple functions in the current scope have the same name. What about different names?

[Rik]

I would expect Matlab would search this list until it found a match for the first call, but a second call within the same function will skip that search. There is a lot of optimization happening under the hood, so the difference in timing could change within subsequent calls.

[Kareem Elgindy]

This was very helpful. Thank you.