Tools Menu (MATLAB Environment)

MATLAB Environment

Tools Menu

The Tools menu provides access to several dialog boxes that allow you to control existing features and to define new features for use with the Editor/Debugger. For more information, see:

Run

Initially present on the Tools menu, Run saves all files and runs the current file. It is an example of the type of command you can create and add to the Tools menu using the Customize menu item.

Customize

Use Customize to create your own custom tool that can run any MATLAB command. See Chapter 2 in the Using MATLAB book for details.

General Options

Choose Options from the Tools menu and select the General tab.

Show worksheet-style tabs. Controls if the Editor window displays tabs for navigating among open files.

Show DataTips. When the cursor remains positioned over a variable, the item is expanded and the results are displayed in the Editor window.

Automatically reload externally modified files. Files changed outside of the Editor are automatically reloaded. Otherwise, the Editor asks if you want to reload the file.

Disable overtype mode (Insert key). Disables the Insert key, which switches overtype mode on and off.

Append "m" to filename on Save As. The .m extension is appended to the filename provided in the Save As dialog box if that extension is not already present. If this option is not checked, the file is saved with the filename exactly as typed.

Print in color. Prints the M-file in color when a color printer is used.

Recently used file list. Controls number of files listed on the recently used file list under the File menu. The Editor must be restarted for the new number to take effect.

Editor Options

Choose Options from the Tools menu and select the Editor tab.

M-file syntax-based formatting. Use these options to control color and indenting in Editor.

Syntax highlighting: As you type into the Editor, the text is colored according to the kind of text entered.
Auto indent on return: Pressing the Return or Enter key indents the current and next lines.
Auto indent size: Type the number of columns to indent for each level of nested code.
Emacs-style tab key auto indenting: The default accelerator for indenting in the MATLAB Editor is Ctrl-I. The Emacs editor uses the Tab key to indent the current line. If you want the Tab key to indent the current line, check this option.

Bracket and quote matching. The Editor can indicate which bracket, parenthesis, brace, or quote balances another in your file. Four settings control this matching:

Bracket Matching: Enables matching for brackets, braces, and parentheses.
Quote Matching: Enables matching for quotes.
Search distance: Controls the number of lines forward or backward the Editor searches for a match.
Show match for: Controls duration of the match indicator.

Tab key settings. These settings control what happens when you type a tab character (with Emacs-style tab key auto indenting off) and when the Editor encounters a pre-existing tab in your file.

Tab key inserts: Chooses whether the Tab key inserts a tab character or a number of spaces equivalent to a tab character.
Tab size: Controls number of space equivalents between tab stops. Note that the Auto indent size parameter is separately tunable from this setting. Automatic indenting always inserts spaces.

Saving Editor Options. The MATLAB Editor stores your options in a registry file. This registry is not portable across different UNIX platforms. When you start the Editor, if you get messages about missing options, it is possible that your registry has somehow been corrupted. See Chapter 2 of the Using MATLAB book for more information.

Font

Use the Font submenu to change the font family, style, and size for the text in the Editor/Debugger and the Path Browser.

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