MATLAB Object-Oriented Programming

A.B = C

Introduce a new variable, A, that is a struct containing a field B whose value is C. If A.B

= C could refer to a static property of class A, then class A would take precedence over

variable A.

This behavior would be a significant incompatibility with prior releases of MATLAB. For

example, the introduction of a class named A on the MATLAB path could change the

meaning of an assignment statement like A.B = C inside a .m code file.

In other languages, classes rarely use static data, except as private data within the class

or as public constants. In MATLAB, you can use constant properties the same way you use

public final static fields in Java. To use data that is internal to a class in MATLAB,

create persistent variables in private or protected methods or local functions used

privately by the class.

Avoid static data in MATLAB. If a class has static data, using the same class in multiple

applications causes conflicts among applications. Conflicts are less of an issue in some

other languages. These languages compile applications into executables that run in

different processes. Each process has its own copy of the class static data. MATLAB,

frequently runs many different applications in the same process and environment with a

single copy of each class.

For ways to define and use static data in MATLAB, see “Static Data” on page 4-2.

Common Object-Oriented Techniques

This table provides links to sections that discuss object-oriented techniques commonly

used by other object-oriented languages.

Technique How to Use in MATLAB

Operator overloading “Operator Overloading” on page 17-47

Multiple inheritance “Subclassing Multiple Classes” on page 12-22

Subclassing “Design Subclass Constructors” on page 12-9

Destructor “Handle Class Destructor” on page 7-16

Data member scoping “Property Attributes” on page 8-9

Packages (scoping

classes)

“Packages Create Namespaces” on page 6-25

5 Class Definition—Syntax Reference