MATLAB Creating Graphical User Interfaces

2 How to Create a UI with GUIDE

Files Generated by GUIDE

In this section...

“Code Files and FIG-Files” on page 2- 24

“UI Code File Structure” on page 2- 24

“Adding Callback Templates to an Existing UI Code File” on page 2- 25

“About GUIDE-Generated Callbacks” on page 2- 26

Code Files and FIG-Files

By default, the first time you save or run your program, GUIDE save two files:

• A FIG-file, with extension .fig, that contains a complete description of the UI layout
  and each UI component, such as push buttons, axes, panels, menus, and so on. The
  FIG-file is a binary file and you cannot modify it except by changing the layout in
  GUIDE. FIG-files are specializations of MAT-files. See “Writing Custom Applications
  to Access MAT-Files” for more information.


• A code file, with extension .m, that initially contains initialization code and templates
  for some callbacks that control UI behavior. You generally add callbacks you write for
  your UI components to this file. As the callbacks are functions, the UI code file can
  never be a MATLAB script.

When you save your UI the first time, GUIDE automatically opens the code file in

your default editor.

The FIG-file and the code file must have the same name. These two files usually reside

in the same folder, and correspond to the tasks of laying out and programming the UI.

When you lay out the UI in the Layout Editor, your components and layout is stored in

the FIG-file. When you program the UI, your code is stored in the corresponding code file.

If your UI includes ActiveX® components, GUIDE also generates a file for each ActiveX

component.

For more information about FIG-files and code files, see “Save a GUIDE UI”.

UI Code File Structure

The UI code file that GUIDE generates is a function file. The name of the main function

is the same as the name of the code file. For example, if the name of the code file is