How do you assign into a function space a variable that exists in the caller script?

I have a an anonymous function that uses specific inputs. When I call the function from the caller script, I want to also pass a parameter vector into the function space. However, I can't seem to do this correctly.

I am trying this repeatedly using the "assigning" function, with various permutations of 'base' and 'caller," and can't seem to make it work.

[Stephen23]

It would be simpler and more efficient to parameterize the function, rather than relying on slow and buggy assignin:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/math/parameterizing-functions.html

Or using nested functions:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/optim/ug/passing-extra-parameters.html

[Patrick Anderson]

Thanks, Stephen and Walter.

I tried both of these approached previously. For some reason--or maybe multiple reasons--they did not work with the functions I was using. The Matlab documentation for these is confusing, and in some cases, ambiguous. I will try again with your advice and let you know if it works.

[Steven Lord]

If you try Stephen's and Walter's advice and it still doesn't work, I recommend showing a small segment of code to illustrate concretely what you're trying to do. Your original problem description was very general, so the advice we could give also could only be general. The more detailed and specific the description of the problem we have, the more focused our suggestions can be.

[Patrick Anderson]

The "nested" suggestion turned out to be the best one, but was a little difficult to figure out from the Matlab documentation. Thank you, Stephen, for the suggestion.

The "assignin" documentation is downright ambiguous and, in my opinion, should be extensive improved.

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

Demonstration code:

function at
    junk = 123;
    freedo = 222;
    foo = @(junk) fprintf('%d, %d\n', alter1()+junk, alter2()+junk)*0+freedo;
    foo(junk)
function r = alter1
    assignin('caller', 'junk', 987);
    assignin('caller', 'freedo', 111);
    r = 0;
function r = alter2
    assignin('caller', 'junk', 456);
    assignin('caller', 'freedo', 888);
    r = 0;

[Patrick Anderson]

We ended up using the "nested" suggestion. However, I appreciate this suggestion as well. I recommended the Mathworks improve their description of this commmand also.