Academic

My MATLAB Package and Toolbox Picks

18 Sep 2021

Cross-Product Toolboxes
Parallel Processing
Shorthands
File Systems
Graphics
GUI Components and Utilities
Statistics
Curve and Surface Fitting
Science and Engineering
Debugging

Cross-Product Toolboxes

MATLink — Communicate with MATLAB from Mathematica

MATLink is a Mathematica™ application to communicate with MATLAB™, providing functionality to easily transfer data between the two systems, and use MATLAB functions, scripts, and toolboxes from within Mathematica.

Learn more: MATLink Package for Mathematica - YouTube

SMATLINK - Let MATLAB Dance with Mathematica

A toolbox allows calling Mathematica kernel from MATLAB 7.x

MATLAB R-link

An interface that allows you to call R functions from within MATLAB.

smop: Small MATLAB to Python compiler

A Python package translates MATLAB code to Python. See also:

oct2py: GNU Octave to Python bridge: A Python package runs M-Files and Octave functions from Python
Parallel Distributed Processing of Weka Algorithms in MATLAB: Run Weka algorithms in parallel across distributed computers in MATLAB.
mweka: Running Machine Learning Tool Weka from MATLAB: A GUI runs the Weka classifiers and displays the results in MATLAB.

[Plotly

Online MATLAB Graphing](https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/42202-plotly-%7C-online-matlab-graphing “File Exchange - MATLAB Central”)

: A package converts your MATLAB figures into online Plotly graphs with a single line of code.

MATLAB for Kate and Kwrite: Syntax highlighting file for Linux/KDE editors Kate and Kwrite.

Parallel Processing

Multicore - Parallel processing on multiple cores: This package provides parallel processing on multiple cores on a single machine or on multiple machines that have access to a common directory.
GPUBench: This package times different MATLAB GPU tasks and estimates the peak performance of your GPU in floating-point operations per second (FLOP/s). It produces a detailed HTML report showing how your GPU’s performance compares to pre-stored performance results from a range of other GPUs.
pMatlab: This package provides a set of MATLAB data structures and functions that implement distributed MATLAB arrays for Parallel array programming.
Fast String to Double Conversion: A function converts text to double like MATLAB’s str2double, but up to 400x faster! multithreaded.

Learn more:

Techniques to Improve Performance - MathWorks
Profile Your Code to Improve Performance - MathWorks
Measure the Performance of Your Code - MathWorks

cputime

Estimate elapsed CPU time. tic and toc

Start stopwatch timer and read elapsed time from stopwatch, respectively.

Shorthands

MATLAB: Variables and Data Type Operations

disperse: A function assigns elements of an input array to individual output variables with a single function call.
Shared variable: A helper class to create a shared object as a nickname, or alias, for some other variable.
CATSTRUCT: A helper function to concatenate or merge structures with different field names.
For-Each: A toolbox enables simple, readable, and powerful for-loops in MATLAB.
Pack & Unpack variables to & from structures with enhanced functionality: A function converts variables to structures, and vice versa

Arithmetic Operations

Round with significant digits: A function rounds a number (or the elements of a vector or matrix) towards the nearest number with N significant digits.

Set Operations

countmember: A function counts the number of times the elements of array A are present in array B.
CStrAinBP: A function finds the overlapping element of 2 cell strings with 10-20 times faster than INTERSECT/ISMEMBER/SETDIFF and UNION.
FINDIND: A function finds indices of matching elements between two arrays/matrices

M-File Utilities

Align equal sign: A function allows you to align equal signs in the MATLAB editor.
% MATLAB Comment Stripping Toolbox: A small collection of utilities for stripping MATLAB comments from MATLAB code.
BetterHelp: A toolbox to improve MATLAB’s help functionality for functions that do not have their own help files.

Custom Display Interfaces

Text progress bar: A function to create a TEXT progress bar in your command window.
statusbar: A function to set/get status bar(s) for GUI figures & MATLAB desktop.
timebar: A function creates a progress window, similar to a waitbar, that shows the progress of calculations using a sliding bar, a displayed percentage complete, and an estimated time remaining.

Import/Export

SaveEditorProfile.m: A function creates the file ‘RestoreEditorProfile.m’ in the current directory.
Straightforward COPY and PASTE functions: Allows very simple manual exchange with other applications through the clipboard.
MAT2CLIP: A function copies the contents of 2-D matrix A to the system clipboard.
num2clip: copy numerical arrays to clipboard: A function copies a numerical array to the clipboard as a tab-separated string ready for pasting.
matrix2lyx: A function converts a MATLAB matrix to a LyX table.
JSON Parser: A function parses JSON strings. It converts JSON arrays into cell arrays and JSON objects into structures.
JSONlab: a toolbox to encode/decode JSON files in MATLAB/Octave: A toolbox to encode/decode JSON/UBJSON/MessagePack files in MATLAB/Octave.
xml2struct: A function converts an XML file into a MATLAB structure for easy access to the data.
XMLNode: A toolbox allows you to read an XML document into MATLAB as an XMLNode object.

File Systems

genpath_exclude: A wrapper for genpath, but can exclude/ignore directories using regular expressions.
lsr: A wrapper for ls, which lists the files in one or more folders with regexp and combinatorial logic (and, or, not, etc).
Natural-Order Filename Sort: A toolbox to alphanumeric sort of filenames or filepaths, with the customizable numeric format.
Recursive directory listing - Enhanced RDIR: A function lists files and directories in a directory and its subdirectories recursively.

Graphics

Advanced Plot Functions

line_fewer_markers: An alias of the LINE command, with additional control for markers, in number and location.
Plot (Big): A toolbox makes MATLAB’s line plots much faster by reduces data to the smallest possible set that looks identical given the number of pixels available on the screen.
prettyplot: A function creates prettier line plots with markers without the line and markers being on top of each other.
Beautiful and distinguishable line colors + colormap: A function creates a plot with lots of lines with very distinguishable and aesthetically pleasing colors. Works for N colors.
Contour Line Smoothing: A function creates a contour plot with smooth contour lines by fitting them with a 2-D spline.
circularGraph: A function plots an interactive circular graph to illustrate connections in a network in MATLAB.
boundedline.m: A toolbox plots one or more lines with a shaded boundary (can represent error, confidence intervals, etc).

Figure and Subplot Utilities

Distribute figures: A function distributes figures on different parts of the screen(s). Supports secondary monitor(s).
Automatically arrange figure windows: A helper function automatically arranges/aligns and fits figures within a monitor screen.
Panel: A package provides an alternative to MATLAB’s “subplot”, providing easier control over layout (particularly, easy elimination of whitespace).
UISplitPane - Split a container (figure/frame/uipanel) into two resizable sub-containers: A package splits a container (figure/frame/uipanel) into two resizable sub-containers, like Java’s JSplitPane.
GUI to assist with combining/pulling out figures and subplots: A GUI assists with generating new figures using data in existent figures.
Useful Figure Management Utilities: A package of functions allows figures cascading, circulating, and filling the screen by managing the positioning of a bunch of on-screen figure windows in MATLAB.
tightfig(hfig): A function encloses all axes in the figure without excess space around them.
tight_subplot(Nh, Nw, gap, marg_h, marg_w): A function adjusts the spacing between the axes as well as the margins around the axes.
Clone Figure: A function allows you to copy a figure to another figure.
gridSubplot: A function allows you to build a figure with subplots given by a vector of figure objects.
OverlayTable: A toolbox allows you to create table overlays for figures which include full-text formatting and support for symbols.

Axis Control and Callbacks

Fancy DualGraphs: A toolbox allows you to create a double axis to use with MATLAB plotting tools, and automatically draw markers.
addaxis: A toolbox allows you to add multiple y-axes to plots, and make plots to be zoomable.
plotxx.m: A function creates a graph with x-axes on both the top and bottom.
plotyyy: A function creates a graph with three y-axes.
Axis XX: A toolbox adds multiple X or Y axes to plots, rescale data, use any function, add data tips, zoom, flexible.
samexaxis (nice subplots with same x axis): A helper function to clean up subplots that have common x-axises.
Break X Axis: A function allows split the x-axis into 2 disjoint regions in order to hide an uninteresting portion of a figure.

Labels and Annotations

Axis_Prunelabels – clean up redundant axis labels

A function minimizes redundant axis labels in a grid of subplots.

XYrotalabel - rotate X-axis and Y-axis labels

A package gives simple control over label rotation with higher stability.

Curly brace annotation

A function to draw curly brace on the current figure.

REFLINEXYZ

A function plots reference lines from the 3D points (X, Y, Z) to the three cartesian planes (YZ, XZ, & XY planes).

Format Tick Labels

A function replaces axes tick labels with formatted text objects that can include both Tex and LaTex interpreted strings.

Format Tick Labels (Extended v2)

A function replaces axes tick labels with formatted text objects that can include both Tex and LaTex interpreted strings.

textbp: text with legend-style “best” placement

A function automatically locates text annotation to minimize figure obscuration.

Add a title to a legend

A function adds a title to a legend.

AddMultipleLegends

A function adds multiple legends to a single figure/axes.

legendGrid

A function displays legend in a grid mode.

legappend

A function adds new entries to a legend.

simonhenin/columnlegend

A function creates a legend with a specified number of columns.

Remark: As of MATLAB 2018a, legend() now supports columns, so this function will no longer be maintained.

Colors and Styling

Make Pretty (Publishable) Graphs: A function allows easily Create Publishable Ready Figures. Change Font Size, Line Width, and Background Color. Makes all Axis Labels the same Precision.
PlotPub - Publication Quality Graphs in MATLAB: A free and open-source MATLAB library for creating beautiful, publication-quality graphs from instantly generated MATLAB figures or saved MATLAB fig files.
sciencestagram: A function makes your plots look somewhat like they came from the dustiest section of the engineering library.
figFriends_Tool_EN.zip: A package allows you to prepare figures with amplificated parts or another figure for scientific writing.
gridcolor: A function changes the color of gridlines to a color different from the label and box color, which is currently not implemented in MATLAB.
Perceptually improved colormaps: A tool returns perceptually balanced colormaps.

Interactive Control and Callbacks

draggable

A function allows graphical objects to be dragged in a figure.

dualcursor

A utility adds dual vertical cursors to a plot.

On-figure magnifier

A utility provides a powerful zooming tool specially designed for the documentation of original and zoomed 2D graphics of images on the same plot.

TextZoomable(x,y,varargin)

A function adds texts that zoom as you zoom your plot, rather than staying at a fixed font size.

Fine Tuning Figure Toolbar

A function adds a toolbar to fix axis position so as to remove annoying blank margins. Also, set precise figure size.

MenuBar

A function allows the user to create menus anywhere in a figure.

clickableLegend - Interactive highlighting of data in figures

A function creates a legend with clickable strings that let you hide and show objects in a plot.

Draggable data tips

A utility enables the user to interactively drag any newly-created data-tip, anywhere in the MATLAB figure.

linecut

A function allows you to interact a 3D plot with a crosshair and dynamically view X and Y linecuts of surf or image data.

Remark: This function does not work if the figure is being held on status.

3D image rotation using sliders

A GUI represents an image and rotate this image about the three axes in three-dimensional space using sliders.

Volumetric Data Explorer

An app provides an interactive environment to explore four and five-dimensional data using some of MATLAB’s abilities for volumetric visualization and animation.

Animation Maker

Animated GIF: An example illustrates how to capture a series of screenshots, and saves the animation as a GIF image file.

GUI Components and Utilities

akZoom: A package allows direct zooming and panning with the mouse in 2D plots. Supports plotyy, loglog, subplot, etc.
Copy Paste: A package allows a simple Cut, Copy, Paste context menu for edit boxes in GUI.
GUI Layout Toolbox“GUI Layout Toolbox”: A toolbox provides tools to create sophisticated MATLAB graphical user interfaces that resize gracefully.
Easy programatic GUI Layout: A function creates a GUI with the automatic placement of objects, which allows you to create panels, editboxes, text, listboxes, pushbuttons and more, without having to calculate its position.
Multiple Tab GUI: An example illustrates how to create a figure with multiple Tabs.
inputsdlg: Enhanced Input Dialog Box (v2.1.2): A function creates an enhanced version of the standard INPUTDLG function with many additional features.
Image File Get/Put Dialog Boxes: A package allows you to easily create open and save image file dialog boxes.
IMAGEVIEWER: A GUI for viewing and interactively exploring image files.
UIGETVARIABLES: Dialog to pass variables from workspace into GUI: A package creates a dialog box for selecting variables from the base workspace.

Learn more:

MATLAB GUI - MathWorks

Statistics

MATLAB Tools for Scientist: A toolbox for data analysis and visualization using an example of dose-response fitting.
Calculate number of bins for histogram: A toolbox allows you to calculate the ideal number of bins for a histogram, and plots the data with MATLAB’s HIST function.
FBD - “Find the Best Distribution” tool: A GUI allows you to find the best distribution that fits your data.

Curve and Surface Fitting

EzyFit 2.44: A toolbox to perform simple curve fitting of one-dimensional data using arbitrary (non-linear) fitting functions.
Fitting quadratic curves and surfaces: A toolbox provides a fairly comprehensive toolset of estimating quadratic curves and surfaces in an errors-in-variables context, with and without constraints.
Surface Fitting using gridfit: A function models a surface from data in the form of z(x,y) from scattered or semi-scattered data

Science and Engineering

MathExplorer: Learning Maths using MuPAD for Engineering Students: A set of MuPAD notebooks that allow engineering students to visualize and experiment with maths.
degrees and radians: Two helper functions, one converts degrees to radians, the other rads to deg.
Simple Units and Dimensions for MATLAB: A function provides an efficient, easy to use, method of incorporating real-world units.
unit(varargin): A function converts between different units, and checks that their dimensions are consistent.
Units and Dimensions Suite for MATLAB: A complete suite for using real-world units in MATLAB.
Unit Converters: Intuitive functions for conversion of acceleration, angle, area, computing, force, frequency, energy, length, mass, power, pressure, speed, temperature, time, or volume.
Velocity Conversion Toolbox: A toolbox converts velocities between mph, m/s,km/h, kts, ft/s.
Robotics: A toolbox draws 16 robots that the user select.

Debugging

profile_history - display graphical profiling timeline data: A GUI to analyze the latest profiling session and displays the function-call timings and durations in a graphical timeline.
tracer4m: A toolbox traces calls to methods and functions.
plot_subroutines: A package plots the subroutines in a function and their dependencies on each other.
intent.m: A toolbox allows you to create a plot of relationships between M-files in the current directory, as inferred by the names of input and output arguments.
functor: A package allows you to generate and visualize a mapping between functions and the composition of function handles.
Automatic Documentation MATLAB source codes: A toolbox allows you to generate m2html documentation with Graphviz on projects written in MATLAB.

My MATLAB Package and Toolbox Picks

Table of Contents

Cross-Product Toolboxes

Parallel Processing

Shorthands