Pop-ups don't appear when starting from AppDesigner

I have an app created in AppDesigner, where in the startup function a questdlg should appear asking the user for input.

when I run this from 2021a, the questdlg appear and behaves normally

When I run this from 2022a, the questdlg does not appear until I close the app. Then a popup shows up. Answering the question obviously doesn't help as the instance that it is referring to har now been deleted. I testing this on another computer with 2022a and it works. So I thought it was something with my installation. I reinstalled several times and get the same behavior. I also updated java and restarted my computer several times but still no questdlg at startup.

Does anyone know what this could depend on?

I am running Windows 10

[Adam Danz]

Are you using questdlg?

Do you see any evidence that the question dialog is being created at all? For example, does a new figure appear in your windows task bar? I wonder if the dialog is appearing behind another window.

Is MATLAB showing a busy state while you're waiting for the quesiton dlg to appear?

[Thomas Kurian]

I am using questdlg

There is no evidence of a new window opening. I also thought that maybe it was behind the app so I moved the app and it only appears when I close the app.

Matlab does not show that it is busy until I try to do something like enter 1+1 in the command window, then it says it is busy.

I even put a few output statements in the startup function to see where in the script it stops and it is right before the questdlg.

[Image Analyst]

If you have any more questions, then attach your code, so we can try it, after you read this:

TUTORIAL: How to ask a question (on Answers) and get a fast answer

[VBBV]

@Thomas It may be that you ran the program in debug mode. Can you check if status of debug mode is on.

[Adam Danz]

If you attach you app and simple instructions how to evoke the quesitons dialog, it would be easier to troubleshoot. If the app can't be attached, the next best thing would be to share the code within the function that evokes the question dialog.

[Thomas Kurian]

My feeling this has something to do with the installation rather than the code as it runs in R2021a, but here is the starupFcn:

% Code that executes after component creation

function startupFcn(app)

if ispc

app.directorySeparator = '\';

HOMEDIR = 'USERPROFILE';

else

app.directorySeparator = '/';

HOMEDIR = 'HOME';

end

%Create the necessary directories...

cd(getenv(HOMEDIR));

if ~exist('MMSTool', 'dir')

mkdir('MMSTool');

end

cd('MMSTool');

if ~exist(app.MeasurementsPath.Value, 'dir')

mkdir(app.MeasurementsPath.Value);

end

if ~exist(app.MCMClogsPath.Value, 'dir')

mkdir(app.MCMClogsPath.Value);

end

if ~exist(app.OtherPath.Value, 'dir')

mkdir(app.OtherPath.Value);

end

if ~exist('tmp', 'dir')

mkdir('tmp');

end

app.StartFolder = [getenv(HOMEDIR), app.directorySeparator 'MMSTool'];

cd(app.StartFolder);

%Working directory and search paths...

if isdeployed addpath(genpath(['lib' app.directorySeparator])); end %SAX commands

if isdeployed addpath(genpath(['CoordTransformation' app.directorySeparator])); end %Routines for Ortho, Rotation, Scale etc...

%Set version...

app.MachineControlPanel.Title = sprintf('%s %s','MMS Control & Acquisition', 'v2.06');

%Load StartUp settings...

Load_StartUpSettings(app)

%Create templates for Axes that are updated regularily...

%(to avoid memory problems)

%Template for Camera View...

app.SnapAxesHandle = imagesc(app.CameraAxes,NaN);

colormap(app.CameraAxes,'bone');

axis(app.CameraAxes,'equal');

%Template for Reg View...

app.RegImageAxesHandle = imagesc(app.RegImageAxes,NaN);

colormap(app.RegImageAxes,'bone');

axis(app.RegImageAxes,'equal');

%Template for Calibration View...

app.CalibrationAxesHandle = imagesc(app.CalibrationAxes,NaN);

colormap(app.CalibrationAxes,'bone');

axis(app.CalibrationAxes,'equal');

%Template for Log View tab...

app.LogImageAxesHandle = imagesc(app.LogImageAxes,NaN);

colormap(app.LogImageAxes,'bone');

axis(app.LogImageAxes,'equal');

%Template for Contrast View...

app.ContrastAxesHandle = bar(app.ContrastAxes, NaN);

xlim(app.ContrastAxes,[0,4096]);

grid(app.ContrastAxes, 'on');

%Template for Contrast View (Log Viewer tab)...

app.LogContrastAxesHandle = bar(app.LogContrastAxes, NaN);

xlim(app.LogContrastAxes,[0,4096]);

grid(app.LogContrastAxes, 'on');

%Template for Row Intensity

app.RowIntensityAxesHandle = plot(app.RowIntensityAxes,NaN);

grid(app.RowIntensityAxes, 'on');

ylim(app.RowIntensityAxes, [-2E4, 2E4]);

%Template for Column Intensity

app.ColIntensityAxesHandle = plot(app.ColIntensityAxes,NaN);

grid(app.ColIntensityAxes, 'on');

ylim(app.ColIntensityAxes, [-2E4, 2E4]);

%Template for interferometer XYDev-pos and triggers...

app.MCMCXYDevAxesHandle1 = plot(app.MCMCXYDevAxes,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN);

ylim(app.MCMCXYDevAxes, [-10, 10]);

yyaxis(app.MCMCXYDevAxes,"right");

app.MCMCXYDevAxesHandle2 = plot(app.MCMCXYDevAxes,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN);

ylim(app.MCMCXYDevAxes, [0, 1.1]);

xlabel(app.MCMCXYDevAxes,'Time [s]');

legend(app.MCMCXYDevAxes,'XiDev', 'YiDev','Camera trig', 'Illum trig');

title(app.MCMCXYDevAxes,'Interferometer - Dev from mean [nm]');

%Template for Camera- and Illumination trigger...

app.MCMCProbeAxesHandle = plot(app.MCMCProbeAxes,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN);

xlabel(app.MCMCProbeAxes,'Time [s]');

ylim(app.MCMCProbeAxes, [-5E-3, 5E-3]);

legend(app.MCMCProbeAxes,'Probe 1', 'Probe 2', 'Probe 3', 'Probe 4', 'Probe 5', 'Probe 6', 'Probe 7');

title(app.MCMCProbeAxes,'Temperature probes - Dev from mean [deg]');

%Template for interferometer XY-pos and triggers (Log Viewer tab)...

app.LogMCMCXYDevHandle1 = plot(app.LogMCMCXYDevAxes,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN);

ylim(app.LogMCMCXYDevAxes, [-10, 10]);

yyaxis(app.LogMCMCXYDevAxes,"right");

app.LogMCMCXYDevHandle2 = plot(app.LogMCMCXYDevAxes,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN);

ylim(app.LogMCMCXYDevAxes, [0, 1.1]);

xlabel(app.LogMCMCXYDevAxes,'Time [s]');

legend(app.LogMCMCXYDevAxes,'XiDev', 'YiDev','Camera trig', 'Illum trig');

title(app.LogMCMCXYDevAxes,'Interferometer - Dev from mean [nm]');

%Template for temp probes (Log Viewer tab)...

app.LogMCMCProbeAxesHandle = plot(app.LogMCMCProbeAxes,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN,NaN);

xlabel(app.LogMCMCProbeAxes,'Time [s]');

ylim(app.LogMCMCProbeAxes, [-5E-3, 5E-3]);

legend(app.LogMCMCProbeAxes,'Probe 1', 'Probe 2', 'Probe 3', 'Probe 4', 'Probe 5', 'Probe 6', 'Probe 7');

title(app.LogMCMCProbeAxes,'Temperature probes - Dev from mean [deg]');

%Template for Pressure and Lambda plot (Reg Viewer tab)

app.RegViewPressureLambdaHandle1 = plot(app.RegViewPressureLambdaAxes, NaN, NaN, NaN, NaN, 'b*', NaN, NaN,'r*');

yyaxis(app.RegViewPressureLambdaAxes,"right");

app.RegViewPressureLambdaHandle2 = plot(app.RegViewPressureLambdaAxes,NaN,NaN);

xlabel(app.RegViewPressureLambdaAxes,'Time');

legend(app.RegViewPressureLambdaAxes,'Pressure', 'Start of round','End of round', 'Lambda');

title(app.RegViewPressureLambdaAxes,'Pressure & Lambda during all rounds');

%Print selected Host name (in settings)...

app.SAXHostField.Value = app.SAXHostName.Value;

%CleanUp...

SaxDisconnect;

%Set Exposure- and Illumination times of sliders...

app.ExptimeSlider.Value = app.CameraWinDur.Value/1E3;

app.IllumtimeSlider.Value = app.IllWinDur.Value/1E3;

%Create and set a defult background (empty)...

app.ImageBackg = uint16(zeros(1000,1000));

app.LoadedBackgroundText.Value = 'Default';

app.AutoCorrectCheckBox.Value = app.Correctforbackground.Value;

%Fix colormaps for IPRO tab...

Fix_StatsPerPoint_colormap(app);

Fix_StatsPerPointCD_colormap(app);

%Disable radio buttons in StatsPerPoint viewers...

app.MultiExposureButtonGroup.Enable = "off";

app.AveragingButtonGroup.Enable = "off";

app.MultiExposureButtonGroupStatCD.Enable = "off";

app.AveragingButtonGroupStatCD.Enable = "off";

answer = questdlg(strcat('Turn on SAX to... ', app.SAXHostName.Value),...

'SAX disconnected...', ...

'No thanks','Yes please','Yes please');

% Handle response

switch answer

case 'Yes please'

app.Switch.Value = 'On';

SwitchValueChanged(app,999);

case 'No thanks'

SaxDisconnect;

end

%Set Measurement Log to -1. This allows skipping logging inside

%subroutines when there is no MeasurementLog available.

app.logFileMeasurementID = -1;

end

[Image Analyst]

Why can't or won't you attach the entire app? I can't test the above startup function without the associated mlapp file, or at least it would be so difficult for me to try to recreate it that I just won't do it. From what I can see you call questdlg and it should pop up. If it doesn't, put a breakpoint on that line and see if it even gets there.

[Adam Danz]

I was unable to reproduce the error in 22a but I did not try deployment. I noticed that your app has options to run in deployed mode.

Q1: Does this problem occur when it is run in the MATLAB Environment or only when it runs in deployed mode?

Q2: When you experience this problem, is MATLAB running from a network installation or is MATLAB installed on a local drive?

[Thomas Kurian]

Q1: This happens in both deployed and from Matlab.

Q2: Actually this is a difference. R2022a is run on locally but using a network license, but on R2021a I use my personal license due to having different toolboxed. Is there something from running on a network license that would affect this?

[Image Analyst]

Did you even see my last comment? Click the Show Older Comments link if not.

[Adam Danz]

@Thomas Kurian

I was just thinking back to some similar problems in the past that were affected by network installation but I don't think the location of the license is the problem.

[Thomas Kurian]

@Adam Danz I tried again with my personal license instead of the network license and got the same behavior.

[Thomas Kurian]

@Image Analyst

Here is the mlapp file. There are lots of subfunctions in separate libraries that I haven't included here, but those can be commented out.

[Adam Danz]

Have you tried using uiconfirm?

Answer 1

[Adam Danz]

After reducing your startup function to the following, I could not reproduce the results in MATLAB R2022a.

function startup(app)

answer = questdlg('Test',...

'SAX disconnected...', ...

'No thanks','Yes please','Yes please');

switch answer

case 'Yes please'

disp('YES')

case 'No thanks'

disp('No')

end

end

However, since you are using a binary yes/no question dialog, I recommend using the uiconfirm instead.

answer = uiconfirm(app.UIFigure, ...
    strcat('Turn on SAX to... ', app.SAXHostName.Value), ...
    'SAX disconnected...', ...
    'Options', {'No thanks','Yes please'}, ...
    'DefaultOption', 'Yes please');

Some additional tips

• filesep - instead of the conditions at the top of your startup function
• fullfile - instead of manually concatenating file path strings
• Create a private function in your app to do the plotting so your startup function is tidier.

[Image Analyst]

When would you use uiconfirm, and when would you use questdlg?

[Adam Danz]

There are a family of dialogs built specifically for uifigures and therefore work smoothly with Apps. These dialogs only work with figures created by uifigure().

• uiconfirm - similar to questdlg
• uialert - similar to msgbox, errordlg, warndlg
• uiprogressdlg - similar to waitbar

For a complete list, see Develop uifigure Based Apps > Dialogs and Notifications.

A particularly useful feature is that these dialogs will appear on top of the figure specified in the input arguments unlike the older dialog equivalents whose positions are not affected by the parented figure position. For modal dialogs, the underlying figure will change its display to indicate that a response to the dialog is required.

It is recommended to use these new dialogs when working with uifigures/apps.