Is there a generic modal dialog for appdesigner that can be customized?

I like the modal uialert and uiconfirm dialogs in appdesigner.

Is there a way to make custom dialogs that behave like those (that is, stick within the bounds of the UIFigure and darken it)

I would like to make dialogs like that but be able to add custom buttons, check boxes, pulldown menus, etc to them

[Randy Price]

Were you ever able to figure this out? I have the same exact question.

[Rick]

I would very much like this functionality too.

[RST]

So would I. Surely there must be way without using a GUIDE-style uifigure...

Answer 1

[Pranav Verma]

Hi Duijnhouwer,

From your query I understand that you need a way in MATLAB to create a customizable dialog box. Please refer to the below link which explains the functions and examples to create a customizable dialog box:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/dialog.html

Thanks

[Duijnhouwer]

Hi, Thanks for your answer but dialog creates a regular dialog.

I'm looking for the equivalent for use in the new appdesigner style.

For example, the existing command "uialert"

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/uialert.html

Creates a uialert dialog as a child of a uifigure, and is contained within the boundaries of that uifigure and disables all interaction with the children (for example buttons) of the parent uifigure until the dialog has been dealt with.

Besides uialert, there are uiconfirm, and a uiprogressdlg which look nice.

What i'm hoping for is a more generic "uidialog" function that can have any custom UI elements. For example to prompt the user to enter some numbers, or pick an item from a list, etc.

Cheers,

Jacob

Answer 2

[RST]

Since R2020b we can make a custom AppDesigner modal dialog by using these features:

• app.UIFigure.WindowStyle = 'modal'
• uiwait() on our app.UIFigure
• a callback property in the app, and
• a function to create and wait on the app, with a nested function for the callback

See: FileExchange: custom modal appDesigner dialog

This app is modal, has two buttons, and a ValueChangedFcn property. Here is a snip of the relevant AppDesigner code:

classdef modalApp1 < matlab.apps.AppBase

% Properties that correspond to app components

properties (Access = public)

UIFigure matlab.ui.Figure

Button2 matlab.ui.control.Button

Button1 matlab.ui.control.Button

end

properties (Access = public)

ValueChangedFcn function_handle {mustBeScalarOrEmpty(ValueChangedFcn)};

end

% Callbacks that handle component events

methods (Access = private)

% Code that executes after component creation

function startupFcn(app)

app.UIFigure.WindowStyle = 'modal';

end

% Button pushed function: Button1

function Button1Pushed(app, event)

if ~isempty( app.ValueChangedFcn)

app.ValueChangedFcn( 1 );

end

delete( app );

end

% Button pushed function: Button2

function Button2Pushed(app, event)

if ~isempty( app.ValueChangedFcn)

app.ValueChangedFcn( 2 );

end

delete( app );

end

end

The startupFcn sets the WindowStyle to be 'modal'. The button callbacks call the ValueChangedFcn callback to pass on the result and then delete() the app.

Now we want a function that displays the app, hooks into the callback and then waits for the app to close. It returns [] if the app is closed, or 1 or 2 according to the button pressed.

function result = showModalApp()

result = []; % result, set by nested funcion

hMA = modalApp1(); % show tha app

hMA.ValueChangedFcn = @valueChanged; % set nested function

uiwait(hMA.UIFigure); % wait for the app to close

function valueChanged( val )

% collect the result to a variable in the parent function

result = val;

end

end

This appears to be working for me in R2023a. I think it should work since R2020b when WindowStyle 'modal' was introduced.