class (External Interfaces/API Reference)

Create object or return class of object

Syntax

str = class(object)
obj = class(s,'class_name')
obj = class(s,'class_name',parent1,parent2...)
obj = class(struct([]),'class_name',parent1,parent2...)

Description

str = class(object) returns a string specifying the class of object.

The following table lists the object class names that may be returned. All except the last one are MATLAB classes.

logical
Logical array of true and false values

char
Characters array

int8
8-bit signed integer array

uint8
8-bit unsigned integer array

int16
16-bit signed integer array

uint16
16-bit unsigned integer array

int32
32-bit signed integer array

uint32
32-bit unsigned integer array

int64
64-bit signed integer array

uint64
64-bit unsigned integer array

single
Single-precision floating point number array

double
Double-precision floating point number array

cell
Cell array

struct
Structure array

function handle
Array of values for calling functions indirectly

'class_name'
Custom MATLAB object class or Java class

`logical`	Logical array of `true` and `false` values
`char`	Characters array
`int8`	8-bit signed integer array
`uint8`	8-bit unsigned integer array
`int16`	16-bit signed integer array
`uint16`	16-bit unsigned integer array
`int32`	32-bit signed integer array
`uint32`	32-bit unsigned integer array
`int64`	64-bit signed integer array
`uint64`	64-bit unsigned integer array
`single`	Single-precision floating point number array
`double`	Double-precision floating point number array
`cell`	Cell array
`struct`	Structure array
`function handle`	Array of values for calling functions indirectly
`'class_name'`	Custom MATLAB object class or Java class

obj = class(s,'class_name') creates an object of MATLAB class 'class_name' using structure s as a template. This syntax is valid only in a function named class_name.m in a directory named @class_name (where 'class_name' is the same as the string passed into class).

obj = class(s,'class_name',parent1,parent2,...) creates an object of MATLAB class 'class_name' that inherits the methods and fields of the parent objects parent1, parent2, and so on. Structure s is used as a template for the object.

obj = class(struct([]),'class_name',parent1,parent2,...) creates an object of MATLAB class 'class_name' that inherits the methods and fields of the parent objects parent1, parent2, and so on. Specifying the empty structure, struct([]), as the first argument ensures that the object created contains no fields other than those that are inherited from the parent objects.

Examples

To return in nameStr the name of the class of Java object j

```
nameStr = class(j)
```

To create a user-defined MATLAB object of class polynom

```
p = class(p,'polynom')
```

See Also

inferiorto, isa, superiorto

The MATLAB Classes and Objects and the Calling Java from MATLAB chapters in Programming and Data Types.

Java Interface Functions import