Saving and Loading MATLAB APP Configuration

Hello,

I have a MATLAB App that has been devolped in the MATLAB App Designer. I have saved all of the apps properties when the user selects the save config menu option and saved it into a .mat file.

Now I want to be able to load this file and update the app to the properties saved in this file. Currently, the program will store the variables in the app structure, but will not update the app's UIFigure. If I save the the UIFigure itself the program will create a new UIFigure and the code in App Designer will no longer work. Hence, why I've added not to save the UIFigure.

if strcmp(propName, 'SuperMarioUIFigure')
        continue;
end

Does anyone know how I can get the app structure to update the current UIFigure that App Designer is running?

Here is my current code.

% Menu selected function: SaveConfigMenu
        function SaveConfigMenuSelected(app, event)
            % Create a structure to hold all the properties of the app
            config = struct();

            % List all properties of the app
            metaProps = properties(app);

            % Loop through properties and store their values in structure
            for i = 1:length(metaProps)
                propName = metaProps{i};
                if strcmp(propName, 'SuperMarioUIFigure')
                    continue;
                end
                try
                    config.(propName) = app.(propName);
                catch
                    % Handle any properties that can't be saved
                    fprintf('Could not save property: %s\n', propName);
                end
            end

            % Prompt user to specify a file to save the configuration
            [file, path] = uiputfile('*.mat', 'Save Configuration As');
            if isequal(file, 0) || isequal(path, 0)
                return; % User cancelled
            end

            % Save the configuration structure to a file
            save(fullfile(path, file), '-struct', 'config');
            uialert(app.SuperMarioUIFigure, 'Configuration saved successfully!', 'Save Configuration');
            
        end

        % Menu selected function: LoadConfigMenu
        function LoadConfigMenuSelected(app, event)
            % Prompt user to select a configuration file
            [file, path] = uigetfile('*.mat', 'Load Configuration');
            if isequal(file, 0) || isequal(path, 0)
                return; % User cancelled
            end

            % Load the configuration structure from the file
            config = load(fullfile(path, file));

            % List all properties of the app
            metaProps = properties(app);

            % Update app properties with values from the configuration file
            for i = 1:length(metaProps)
                propName = metaProps{i};
                if isfield(config, propName)
                    try
                        app.(propName) = config.(propName);
                    catch ME
                        % Handle any properties that can't be updated
                        fprintf('Could not load property: %s. Error: %s\n', propName, ME.message);
                    end
                end
            end
      
            % Display a success message
            uialert(app.SuperMarioUIFigure, 'Configuration loaded successfully!', 'Load Configuration');

        end

Thanks

Answer 1

[Ruchika Parag]

Hi @William, to update the app’s UI components in MATLAB App Designer after loading a saved configuration, you need to ensure that the UI components are refreshed with the new property values. Simply updating the properties in the app's structure will not automatically update the UI. Here's how you can handle this:

1. Update UI Components: After loading the saved settings, manually update each UI component (such as text boxes, sliders, etc.) with the new property values. This ensures the UI reflects the loaded configuration.
2. Create a Refresh Method: Write a method that systematically updates all UI components based on the app's current properties. Call this method after loading the configuration to update the UI.

Adjust the refresh method to include updates for all relevant UI elements and you should be able to make sure that your app's interface matches the loaded settings, providing a consistent user experience.