Call a function in MATLAB GUIDE gui

Question

I have a script called 'main.m' that basically takes the paths where I've saved all my images and insert them in arrays. It saves the images name in a .dat file and call a function named 'selectFolder.m'.

I posted all the script and functions under, my request is at the bottom.

%% Folders
imgFolder   = './1.Dataset/';
functFolder = './2.Functions/' ;
%resFolder   = './3.Results/';

%% Add path
addpath(genpath(imgFolder));
addpath(genpath(functFolder));

%% Listing Folders where my images are at

myFolder1 = '../Always'; %folder path
[..] %12 folders in total
myFolder12 = '../Random'; %folder path
%% Distinguish folder 'Always' & 'Random'

% Always Folders: subset of images for all users
mfA = {myFolder1, myFolder3, myFolder5, myFolder7, myFolder9, myFolder11};
dimA = length(mfA);
% Random Folders: subset of images randomly showed
mfR = {myFolder2, myFolder4, myFolder6, myFolder8, myFolder10, myFolder12}; 
dimR = length(mfR);
% check if folders are present
for i = 1:dimA
    if ~isdir(mfA{i})
        errorMessage = sprintf('Error: The following folder does not exist:\n%s', mfA{i});
        uiwait(warndlg(errorMessage)); 
        return;
    end
end
for j = 1:dimR
    if ~isdir(mfR{j})
        errorMessage = sprintf('Error: The following folder does not exist:\n%s', mfR{j});
        uiwait(warndlg(errorMessage)); 
        return;
    end
end
%% Take images and insert'em in Arrays

% Always
MyImgs1 = dir(fullfile(mfA{1}, '*.jpg'));
[..] %for every cell 
MyImgs6 = dir(fullfile(mfA{6}, '*.jpg'));

% Random
MyImgs1r = dir(fullfile(mfR{1}, '*.jpg'));
[..] %for every cell 
MyImgs6r = dir(fullfile(mfR{6}, '*.jpg'));

% create arrays with images names
Array_mfA = {MyImgs1.name, MyImgs2.name, MyImgs3.name, MyImgs4.name, MyImgs5.name, MyImgs6.name};
Array_mfR = {MyImgs1r.name, MyImgs2r.name, MyImgs3r.name, MyImgs4r.name, MyImgs5r.name, MyImgs6r.name};

%% Print content of array on file

fileIDA = fopen('2.Functions/Array_Always.dat','w');
formatSpec = '%s,';
nrows = length(Array_mfA);
for row = 1 : nrows
    fprintf(fileIDA, formatSpec, Array_mfA{row});
end
fclose(fileIDA);

fileIDR = fopen('2.Functions/Array_Random.dat','w');
formatSpec = '%s,';
nrows = length(Array_mfR);
for row = 1 : nrows
    fprintf(fileIDR, formatSpec, Array_mfR{row});
end
fclose(fileIDR);

%disclaimer
nrc = 1;
file = fopen('2.Functions/disclaimer.dat', 'w');
fprintf(file, '%d', nrc);
fclose(file);

%% call function

selectFolder(mfA, mfR);

This function takes two array as input, these array contains all the names of my images sorted. It does some operation and then it calls another function 'selectImage.m' that displays fullscreen the selected image.

function [] = selectFolder(mfA, mfR)
    clc

    %% Open Arrays from file

    % Always
    fileID = fopen('2.Functions/Array_Always.dat', 'rt');
    Array_A = textscan(fileID,'%s', 'Delimiter', ',');
    fclose(fileID);

    % Random
    fileID2 = fopen('2.Functions/Array_Random.dat', 'rt');
    Array_R = textscan(fileID2,'%s', 'Delimiter', ',');
    fclose(fileID2);

    %% Show Disclaimer
    file = fopen('2.Functions/disclaimer.dat', 'r');
    dis = fscanf(file, '%d');
    fclose(file);
    if (dis == 1)
        set(gcf,'Toolbar','none','Menubar','none', 'NumberTitle','off');
        set(gcf,'units','normalized','outerposition',[0 0 1 1]);
        hAx  = gca;
        set(hAx,'Unit','normalized','Position',[0 0 1 1]);
        imshow('1.Dataset/Disclaimer/DIS.jpg');
        drawnow;

        nrc = 0;
        file = fopen('2.Functions/disclaimer.dat', 'w');
        fprintf(file, '%d', nrc);
        fclose(file);

        return;
    end
    %% select random folder from 'Array_A' aka Always Array

    dimA = length(mfA);

    if ~isempty(Array_A{1})
        rndn = randperm(dimA, 1);
        A_check = Array_A;
        while isequal(A_check,Array_A)
            Array_A = selectImage(mfA{rndn}, Array_A);
            if isequal(A_check,Array_A)
                rndn = randperm(dimA, 1);
            end
        end
        fileIDA = fopen('2.Functions/Array_Always.dat','w');
        formatSpec = '%s,';
        nrows = cellfun('length', Array_A);
        for row = 1 : nrows
            fprintf(fileIDA, formatSpec, Array_A{1}{row});
        end
        fclose(fileIDA);
        return;
    end

    %%  select random folder from 'Array_R' aka Random Array

    if ~isempty(Array_R{1})
        dimR = length(mfR);
        rndnr = randperm(dimR, 1);
        R_check = Array_R;
        while isequal(R_check,Array_R)
            Array_R = selectImage(mfR{rndnr}, Array_R);
            if isequal(R_check, Array_R)
                rndnr = randperm(dimR, 1);
            end
        end
        fileIDR = fopen('2.Functions/Array_Random.dat','w');
        formatSpec = '%s,';
        nrows = cellfun('length', Array_R);
        for row = 1 : nrows
            fprintf(fileIDR, formatSpec, Array_R{1}{row});
        end
        fclose(fileIDR);
    end
end

selectImage:

function [ Array ] = selectImage( myFolder, Array )
%% Check

MyImgs = dir(fullfile(myFolder, '*.jpg'));
dim = length(MyImgs);
n = 0;
for i = 1 : dim 
    MyImgs(i).name
        if ~any(strcmp(Array{1}, MyImgs(i).name))
            disp(MyImgs(i).name);disp('not present in ');disp(myFolder);
            n = n + 1;
        end
end
if (n == dim)
   disp('empty folder')
   return;
end

rN = randperm(dim, 1);
baseFileName = MyImgs(rN).name;

while ~any(strcmp(Array{1}, baseFileName))
     fprintf(1, 'not present %s\n', baseFileName);
     rN = randperm(dim, 1);
     baseFileName = MyImgs(rN).name;
end

%% Dispay image

dim = cellfun('length', Array);

for i = 1 : dim
    if strcmp(baseFileName, Array{1}(i))
         Array{1}(i) = [];
         break
    end
end

fullFileName = fullfile(myFolder, baseFileName);
fprintf(1, 'Now reading %s\n', fullFileName);
imageArray = imread(fullFileName);

set(gcf,'Toolbar','none','Menubar','none', 'NumberTitle','off');
set(gcf,'units','normalized','outerposition',[0 0 1 1]);
hAx  = gca;
set(hAx,'Unit','normalized','Position',[0 0 1 1]);
imshow(imageArray);  % Display image.
drawnow;

end

Now I have to integrate these functions in my gui. What I want to do is call the 'main.m' script just one time with a button like 'Let's Start' and with that will show the disclaimer. Then repeat the process calling only the 'Next' button, which calls 'selectFolder.m' and display the images with the procedure described above.

Is it possibile to do it this way? I mean, how can I pass the variable 'mfA' and 'mfR' to selectFolder? Is there a better and simpler way to do it?

The code in the gui is like:

-main:

% --- Executes on button press in Start.
function Start_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to Start (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)


axes(handles.axes1);
figure
main

-selectFolder:

function Next_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to Next (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

axes(handles.axes1);
figure %show the image in another window
selectFolder(mfA, mfR)

Answer 1

An easy way to share variables among the callback of a GUI is to use the guidata function.

With respect to your specific variables mfA and mfR you can use guidata to store them, this way: in the callback in which you generate the variables you want to share with other callback you can insert the following code:

% Get the GUI data
my_guidata=guidata(gcf);
%
% section of your code in which you create the mfA and mfR vars
%
% Store the variables to be shared among the callbacks in the guidata
my_guidata.mfA=mfA;
my_guidata.mfR=mfR;
% Save the updated GUI data
guidata(gcf,my_guidata);

In the callback in which you wnat to retreive the data, you can insert the following code:

% Get the GUI data
my_guidata=guidata(gcf);
% Retrieve the data from the GUI data structure
mfA=my_guidata.mfA;
mfR=my_guidata.mfR;

In both the examples, the struct my_guidata holds the handles of the GUI and the additional varaibles you have defined.

With respect to the the architecture of the GUI, there are lots of possibilities.

Firt a comment: looking at the two callback you've posted at the bottom of your question, it seems that your GUI has, at least, one axes, nevertheless, you create, in both of them a new figure so it is not clear the role of that axes

Considering now your questions

What I want to do is call the 'main.m' script just one time with a button like 'Let's Start' and with that will show the disclaimer. Then repeat the process calling only the 'Next' button, which calls 'selectFolder.m' and display the images with the procedure described above

• call the 'main.m' script just one time with a button like 'Let's Start' and with that will show the disclaimer

You have just to copy the relevant code of your main in the Start pushbutton callback.

Notice that the code which shows the disclaimer is actually in your selectFolder function, so you have to move it in the Start callback.

• Then repeat the process calling only the 'Next' button, which calls 'selectFolder.m' and display the images with the procedure described above

to do this, you have to remove the call to selectFolder from the main and move the body of your in the Next pushbotton callback.

Also you can copy the selectImage in the GUI .m file.

Hope this helps.

Qapla'