Development Environment

File Operations

MATLAB file operations use the current directory as a reference point. Any file you want to run must either be in the current directory or on the search path. Also, when you open a file in MATLAB, the starting point for the file Open dialog box is the current directory. The key tools for performing file operations are

• Current directory field
• Current directory browser

Current Directory Field

A quick way to view or change the current directory is by using the Current Directory field in the desktop toolbar.

To change the current directory from this field, do one of the following:

• In the field, type the path for the new current directory.
• Click the down arrow to view a list of previous working directories, and select an item from the list to make that directory become the MATLAB current working directory. The directories are listed in order, with the most recently used at the top of the list. You can clear the list and set the number of directories saved in the list--see Preferences for the Current Directory Browser.
• Click the browse button (...) to set a new current directory.

Saving Settings to the Path

Current Directory Browser