1 How to create GUI's in MatLAB Rigo Dicochea

2 Introduction Graphical User Interface (GUI) MatLab provides Graphical User Interface Development Environment(GUIDE) A MatLab tool used to create GUI’s Decide between using GUIDE or writing the code from scratch GUI’s give the user a simplified experience running a program Associates a “function(s)” with components of the GUI

3 Graphical User Interface GUI should be consistent and easily understood. Provide the user with the ability to use a program without having to worry about commands to run the actual program Possible components of a GUI –Pushbuttons –Sliders –List boxes –Menus….etc Sample GUI

4 3 Essential Characteristics Components – –Graphical Components pushbuttons, edit boxes, sliders, labels, menus, etc… –Static Components Frames, text strings,… –Both are created using the function uicontrol Figures – components are contained in figures Callbacks – The functions which perform the required action when a component is pushed

5 GUIDE Properties Allows the user to drag and drop components that he/she wants in the “layout” area of the GUI All “guide” GUI’s start with an opening function –Callback is performed before user has access to GUI Saving automatically generates an.m file and.fig file.fig contains the binary GUI layout and.m contains the code that controls the GUI

6 Assessing the Value of Your GUI Ask yourself two basic questions when designing your GUI. –Do the users always know where they are? –Do they always know where to go next? Constantly answering these two questions will help you keep in perspective the goal of your GUI.

7 Callback Editor The “meat” of the GUI process Opening function is first callback in every “guide” generated GUI Usually used to generate data used in GUI Callbacks define what will happen when a figure component is selected Must write CODE!!!!

8 GUI EXAMPLE Utilize functions –Surf, Mesh, Contour Types of plots performed on data in example –Peaks peaks is a function of two variables, obtained by translating and scaling Gaussian distributions –Membrane –Sinc sinc computes the sinc function of an input vector or array, where the sinc function is

9 Summary At command prompt type “guide” After laying out your GUI in the layour editor Define data in Opening Function Edit/Align your components using –Tools Menu Align –View menu Property Inspector Write the Callbacks –This is the most difficult aspect when creating GUI’s

10 Where to Get More Information /techdoc/ref/peaks.html /techdoc/ref/peaks.html change/loadFile.do?objectId=5439&objectType= file change/loadFile.do?objectId=5439&objectType= file /techdoc/creating_guis/creating_guis.html?BB=1 Daniel Keller – thanks for taking time to help!