Update app designer field in external function

I'm designing a Matlab app with the app designer. In the app GUI_mirror_cooling I have a 'run' button that executes a simulation script, sim_cooling_GUI. Since the simulation may take a long time, it would be nice to have a progress field. By calling a GUI_mirror_cooling update function periodically, this text field would be updated.

function RunButtonPushed(app, event)
    sim_cooling_GUI(app.GUI_settings)   % call the simulation function
end

And in sim_cooling_GUI, when current time is a fraction of the end time:

if t/t_end >= disp_update/100
    disp(['Progress: ',num2str(t/t_end*100),'%'])                       % show progress in matlab command window
    disp_update = disp_update + 1;                                      % increment, disp_update/100 could also be used as output
    update_progress_indicator(GUI_mirror_cooling,round(t/t_end*100),1); % show progress in app, ETA not yet implemented
end

The time step size is nonconstant, therefore I have a >= with disp_update.

Now, in the app GUI_mirror_cooling,

methods (Access = public)
    function update_progress_indicator(app,progress,ETA)
        app.ProgressEditField.Value = [num2str(progress),'%'];  % progress in percent
        app.ExpectedendtimeEditField.Value = num2str(ETA);      % ETA, to be implemented
        pause(0.001)                                            % allow field to be updated
    end
end

This however opens a new app window for every 1 % progress (with the correct progress field value). What I need is that the app window that is already open has its value updated. I have seen similar (old) questions that use handles, however I am unsure how to access the fields of the app window.

Answer 1

[Geoff Hayes]

Koen - it looks like your sim_cooling_GUI is a function (since you are passing in the app.GUI_Settings so why not just pass in the app object as well so that you update its progress rather than creating a new instance of the GUI?

function RunButtonPushed(app, event)
    sim_cooling_GUI(app, app.GUI_settings)   % call the simulation function
end

and

function sim_cooling_GUI(app, GUI_settings)
% some code

if t/t_end >= disp_update/100
    disp(['Progress: ',num2str(t/t_end*100),'%'])        % show progress in matlab command window
    disp_update = disp_update + 1;                       % increment, disp_update/100 could also be used as output
    update_progress_indicator(app,round(t/t_end*100),1); % show progress in app, ETA not yet implemented
end

So we use the passed in app rather than creating a new instance of the GUI.

[Koen]

Hello Geoff, thank you for your simple and clear answer. This solves my problem and helps me learn the language!