Accessing properties in a class

I am trying to figure out if there is a way to set the value of variables defined in `classname` by calling the methods defined in it via the main function. I am passing input arguments to class from main function and after that from the terinal when I do , I don't see the values assigned to properties in the output.

classdef classname
   properties
      PropName
      propname2
   end
   methods(Static)
      function obj = fun1(arg1,arg2)
         obj.PropName = arg1;
         obj.propname2 =  arg2;   
      end 
   end 
end 

function main(arg)
classname.fun1(arg,arg)
end

After calling classname from main, I try accessing the properties in it .

a=classname

returns

a = 

  classname with properties:

     PropName: []
    propname2: []

I expected it to return

classname with properties:

     PropName: 10
    propname2: 10

Answer 1

[Jakeb Chouinard]

Since static methods refer to the class as a whole rather than its instances, I don't believe you would be able to set properties using a static method. This is partially because you're calling obj in the function, but in application, this obj doesn't exist as an instance of the calss, so its properties, or that of the class, can't be set by this method. My suggestion would be to set these values using their constructor function or to have them stored as constants within the class that can be overwritten:

classdef classname
   properties
      PropName = 10;
      PropName2 = 10;
   end
   methods
       function obj = changeProps(newArg1, newArg2)
         obj.PropName = newArg1;
         obj.PropName2 = newArg2;
       end
   end 
end 

*Note: Initial property values in class declaration (the ones set under properties above) cannot be variables

Or:

classdef classname
   properties
      PropName;
      PropName2;
   end
   methods
       function obj = classname(arg1, arg2)
         obj.PropName = arg1;
         obj.PropName2 = arg2;
       end
       function obj = changeProps(nArg1, nAarg2)
         obj.PropName = nArg1;
         obj.PropName2 = nArg2;
       end
   end 
end 

*nArg is short for new argument

Cheers,

Jakeb

Answer 2

[per isakson]

There is nothing special with the name obj, it's just a name. The assignments in the method, fun1, creates a structure (named obj ) with two fields.

I assume that you tried a static method to make the one-liner, classname.fun1(arg,arg), possible.

classname_2 illustrates how to do it with an ordinary method. That requires two lines.

classname_3 illustrates a trick that makes the one-liner possible. However, DON'T USE IT. I'm convinced it will eventually cause trouble. I included it to show that the class instance, obj, must be created before it's used. If it isn't passed to the method, it can be created locally (it seems).

classname.fun1( 1, 2 )

ans = struct with fields:
     PropName: 1
    propname2: 2

%
a2 = classname_2;
a2.fun1( 3, 4 )

ans = 
  classname_2 with properties:

     PropName: 3
    propname2: 4

%
classname_3.fun1( 5, 6 )

ans = 
  classname with properties:

     PropName: 5
    propname2: 6