`addpath`

Adds folders to the top of the search path.

Category: Programming > Files and Folders

Syntax

addpath(folder)

Puts folder at the front of the path.

addpath(folder1, ..., folderN)

Adds several folders; the first one ends up at the very front.

addpath(___, '-end')

Appends the folders at the end of the path instead.

oldpath = addpath(___)

Also returns the path as it was before the change.

Description

When a function name is used, the interpreter looks in the current folder first and then in each folder of the path, in order. addpath puts a folder in that list so that the .m files inside it can be called by name. A folder placed at the front shadows functions of the same name found later.

addpath does not search inside subfolders; combine it with genpath to add a whole tree. The change lasts for the session, and rmpath undoes it.

Input arguments

folder: Folder name as text, relative or absolute. Several folders can be given in one text separated by pathsep.
'-end': Option that appends instead of prepending.

Output arguments

oldpath: The previous path, a character vector.

Example

Making a folder's functions callable

mkdir mylib
writelines('function y = triple(x), y = 3*x; end', 'mylib/triple.m');
exist('triple')
addpath('mylib')
exist('triple')
triple(4)

Output

ans = 0
ans = 2
ans = 12

exist returns 2 once the file is found on the path.

Notes

The path keeps the folder text as given, so a relative folder stays relative.

addpath