How to load a .mat file from a URL

I find that I cannot load a .mat file from a URL. For example, when I try to call load() with the full URL of the attached .mat file as input, I obtain,

load('https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/uploaded_files/414803/tst.mat')

Error using load
Unable to read file 'https:/www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/uploaded_files/414803/tst.mat'. No such file or directory.

I have no such difficulty using imread() to read in image files from Answers URLs. Why does load() behave differently, and is there a workaround?

Answer 1

[Ameer Hamza]

imread() documentation mentions support for URL, but load documentation does not say anything about it. I think the closest possible thing is something like this.

load(websave('myFile', 'https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/uploaded_files/414803/tst.mat'))

[Matt J]

Looks like you are right! (unfortunately)

[Matt J]

Not so unfortunate after all ! It looks like this actually works as a way of using a .mat file as input to the Answers forum's new Run feature (now in beta-testing at the time of this writing):

S=load(websave('tst', 'https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/uploaded_files/414803/tst.mat'));

b=S.a+1

b = 2

AMAZING!!!!!!

[the cyclist]

Agreed that this is amazing functionality.

% load('tst.mat') % Commented so that this example doesn't run.

works for OP if they are the one who uploaded the file in their question. For example, I uploaded the file x.mat along with this comment, and I have access to it directly:

load('x.mat')
disp(x)

    0.8147    0.1270
    0.9058    0.9134

[the cyclist]

Note that I cannot access x.mat in this followup comment:

load('x.mat')

Error using load
Unable to read file 'x.mat'. No such file or directory.

disp(x)

but I could use your websave trick.