Standard library of functions for MATLAB

Git branch / commit: main 23f0b36c 26-Oct-2025 22:01:36 +0000

Library Functions:

Function Description Backends

BACKEND auto-selection of function backend per-function

ABSOLUTE Determine absolute path

ALLTOOLBOXES tell all the Matlab toolboxes known for this Matlab release

APPEND Concatenate strings or character arrays without removing trailing whitespace

AUTO_CHUNK_SIZE determine HDF5 / NetCDF4 chunk size

CANONICAL Canonicalize path

CHECKRAM estimate if RAM will fit a new array

CHECKOUT_LICENSE checkout Matlab license

CPU_ARCH get the Operating System CPU architecture

CPU_COUNT how many CPUs are available

CPU_LOAD get total physical CPU load java python sys

CREATE_SYMLINK create symbolic link dotnet native python sys

DEVICE filesystem device index of path java python sys

DISK_AVAILABLE disk available space (bytes) dotnet java python sys

DISK_CAPACITY disk total capacity (bytes) dotnet java python sys

DOTNET_API major version integer .NET

DOTNET_HOME give .NET RuntimeLocation

DOTNET_VERSION version string

DROP_SLASH drop repeated and trailing slash

EXISTS does path exist

EXPANDUSER expands tilde ~ into user home directory

FILE_CHECKSUM compute hash of file dotnet java sys

FILE_SIZE size in bytes of file

FILENAME file name of path

FILESYSTEM_TYPE tell type of filesystem dotnet java python sys

GET_MODTIME get path modification time

GET_OWNER owner name of file or directory dotnet java python sys

GET_PERMISSIONS permissions of file or directory

GET_PID process ID of Matlab session

GET_PROCESS_PRIORITY get priority of the current Matlab session dotnet python sys

GET_SHELL full path to currently running shell

GET_UID tell UID (numeric) of current user dotnet perl python

GET_USERNAME tell username of current user dotnet java python sys

H4EXISTS check if object exists in HDF4 file

H4SIZE get size (shape) of a HDF4 variable

H4VARIABLES get HDF4 dataset names

H5CREATE_GROUP create HDF5 group

H5EXISTS check if object exists

H5GET_VERSION get version of HDF5 library as a string

H5SAVE save data to HDF5 file

H5SIZE get shape of HDF5 variable

H5VARIABLES get HDF5 dataset names

HANDLE2FILENAME Convert an integer file handle to a filename

HARD_LINK_COUNT get the number of hard links to a file java python sys

HAS_DOTNET check if .NET is available

HAS_JAVA detect if JVM is available

HAS_PARALLEL_TOOLBOX does the user have Parallel Computing Toolbox and the license available for it?

HAS_PERL checks if Perl is available in the current environment.

HAS_PYTHON checks if Python is available in the current environment.

HOMEDIR get user home directory

HOSTNAME get hostname of local machine dotnet java python sys

INI2STRUCT Parses .ini file

INODE filesystem inode of path java python sys

IS_ABSOLUTE is path absolute

IS_ADMIN is the process run as root / admin dotnet java perl python sys

IS_CHAR_DEVICE is path a character device python sys

IS_CYGWIN Detect if running under Cygwin

IS_DEV_DRIVE is path on a Windows Dev Drive developer volume python sys

IS_EXE is file executable

IS_EXECUTABLE_BINARY Check if a file is an executable binary by examining magic numbers

IS_FILE Determine if path is a file

IS_FOLDER Determine if path is a folder

IS_HDF5 is file an HDF5 file?

IS_MATLAB_ONLINE check if running in MATLAB Online

IS_MEX_FUN detect if a function is loaded as MEX or plain .m

IS_MOUNT is filepath a mount path python sys

IS_PARALLEL_WORKER being executed by Parallel Computing Toolbox?

IS_PREFIX is prefix a prefix of path?

IS_READABLE is file readable

IS_REGULAR_FILE check if path is a regular file

IS_REMOVABLE - Check if a file path is on a removable drive python sys

IS_ROSETTA on Apple Silicon via Rosetta

IS_SUBDIR is subdir a subdirectory of dir?

IS_SYMLINK is path a symbolic link dotnet java native python sys

IS_URL is true if the string is a URL.

IS_WRITABLE is path writable

IS_WSL detect if running under WSL

ISINTERACTIVE tell if graphical desktop is being used

ISOCTAVE Detects if this is GNU Octave

JAVA_API Java API version

JAVA_HOME get the JAVA_HOME environment variable

JAVA_RUN run process for Matlab only

JAVA_VENDOR get vendor of Java Virtual Machine

JAVA_VERSION get version of Java Virtual Machine

JOIN join two paths with posix file separator

MAKEDIR make directory and check for success

MATLABOLDERTHAN compare Matlab release name only e.g. R2025a

MATLAB_BIN_PATH give binary paths relevant to Matlab Mex and Engine runs

MD5SUM compute MD5 hash of file

NC_GET_VERSION get NetCDF library version

NCEXISTS check if variable exists in NetCDF4 file

NCSAVE save data to NetCDF4 file

NCSIZE get size (shape) of a NetCDF4 variable

NCVARIABLES get NetCDF dataset names

NORMALIZE remove redundant elements of path

NULL_FILE get null file path

OS_VERSION Get operating system name and version. dotnet java python sys

PARENT parent directory of path

PERL_EXE get the location of the Perl executable used by Matlab

PERL_VERSION get the Perl version used by MATLAB

PLATFORM_TELL - Display information about the platform and environment

POSIX posix format of path with '/' separator

PROXIMATE_TO relative path to base

PYTHON_HOME tell the home directory of Python install

PYTHON_VERSION get the Python version used by MATLAB

RAM_FREE get free physical RAM java python sys

RAM_TOTAL get total physical RAM dotnet java python sys

READ_SYMLINK read symbolic link dotnet java native python sys

RELATIVE_TO relative path to target from base

REMOVE delete file or empty directory

RESOLVE resolve path

ROOT get root path

ROOT_DIR get root directory

ROOT_NAME get root name

SAMEPATH is path the same java native perl python sys

SET_MODTIME set modification time of path java python sys

SET_PERMISSIONS set path permissions legacy native

SHA256SUM compute sha256 hash of file

STEM base file name without directory or suffix

STREMPTY is the char | string empty

SUBPROCESS_RUN run process

SUFFIX last suffix of filename

TOOLBOX_USED list all Matlab toolboxes used by all functions in pkgPath

TOUCH create file if not exists, else update modification time

UPTIME get system uptime in seconds dotnet python sys

VERSION_ATLEAST compare two string verions: major.minor.rev.patch

WHICH find executable in fpath or env var PATH

WITH_SUFFIX switch file extension

XCODE_VERSION on macOS, tell the Xcode Command Line Tools version

Function	Description	Backends
BACKEND	auto-selection of function backend per-function
ABSOLUTE	Determine absolute path
ALLTOOLBOXES	tell all the Matlab toolboxes known for this Matlab release
APPEND	Concatenate strings or character arrays without removing trailing whitespace
AUTO_CHUNK_SIZE	determine HDF5 / NetCDF4 chunk size
CANONICAL	Canonicalize path
CHECKRAM	estimate if RAM will fit a new array
CHECKOUT_LICENSE	checkout Matlab license
CPU_ARCH	get the Operating System CPU architecture
CPU_COUNT	how many CPUs are available
CPU_LOAD	get total physical CPU load	java python sys
CREATE_SYMLINK	create symbolic link	dotnet native python sys
DEVICE	filesystem device index of path	java python sys
DISK_AVAILABLE	disk available space (bytes)	dotnet java python sys
DISK_CAPACITY	disk total capacity (bytes)	dotnet java python sys
DOTNET_API	major version integer .NET
DOTNET_HOME	give .NET RuntimeLocation
DOTNET_VERSION	version string
DROP_SLASH	drop repeated and trailing slash
EXISTS	does path exist
EXPANDUSER	expands tilde ~ into user home directory
FILE_CHECKSUM	compute hash of file	dotnet java sys
FILE_SIZE	size in bytes of file
FILENAME	file name of path
FILESYSTEM_TYPE	tell type of filesystem	dotnet java python sys
GET_MODTIME	get path modification time
GET_OWNER	owner name of file or directory	dotnet java python sys
GET_PERMISSIONS	permissions of file or directory
GET_PID	process ID of Matlab session
GET_PROCESS_PRIORITY	get priority of the current Matlab session	dotnet python sys
GET_SHELL	full path to currently running shell
GET_UID	tell UID (numeric) of current user	dotnet perl python
GET_USERNAME	tell username of current user	dotnet java python sys
H4EXISTS	check if object exists in HDF4 file
H4SIZE	get size (shape) of a HDF4 variable
H4VARIABLES	get HDF4 dataset names
H5CREATE_GROUP	create HDF5 group
H5EXISTS	check if object exists
H5GET_VERSION	get version of HDF5 library as a string
H5SAVE	save data to HDF5 file
H5SIZE	get shape of HDF5 variable
H5VARIABLES	get HDF5 dataset names
HANDLE2FILENAME	Convert an integer file handle to a filename
HARD_LINK_COUNT	get the number of hard links to a file	java python sys
HAS_DOTNET	check if .NET is available
HAS_JAVA	detect if JVM is available
HAS_PARALLEL_TOOLBOX	does the user have Parallel Computing Toolbox and the license available for it?
HAS_PERL	checks if Perl is available in the current environment.
HAS_PYTHON	checks if Python is available in the current environment.
HOMEDIR	get user home directory
HOSTNAME	get hostname of local machine	dotnet java python sys
INI2STRUCT	Parses .ini file
INODE	filesystem inode of path	java python sys
IS_ABSOLUTE	is path absolute
IS_ADMIN	is the process run as root / admin	dotnet java perl python sys
IS_CHAR_DEVICE	is path a character device	python sys
IS_CYGWIN	Detect if running under Cygwin
IS_DEV_DRIVE	is path on a Windows Dev Drive developer volume	python sys
IS_EXE	is file executable
IS_EXECUTABLE_BINARY	Check if a file is an executable binary by examining magic numbers
IS_FILE	Determine if path is a file
IS_FOLDER	Determine if path is a folder
IS_HDF5	is file an HDF5 file?
IS_MATLAB_ONLINE	check if running in MATLAB Online
IS_MEX_FUN	detect if a function is loaded as MEX or plain .m
IS_MOUNT	is filepath a mount path	python sys
IS_PARALLEL_WORKER	being executed by Parallel Computing Toolbox?
IS_PREFIX	is prefix a prefix of path?
IS_READABLE	is file readable
IS_REGULAR_FILE	check if path is a regular file
IS_REMOVABLE	- Check if a file path is on a removable drive	python sys
IS_ROSETTA	on Apple Silicon via Rosetta
IS_SUBDIR	is subdir a subdirectory of dir?
IS_SYMLINK	is path a symbolic link	dotnet java native python sys
IS_URL	is true if the string is a URL.
IS_WRITABLE	is path writable
IS_WSL	detect if running under WSL
ISINTERACTIVE	tell if graphical desktop is being used
ISOCTAVE	Detects if this is GNU Octave
JAVA_API	Java API version
JAVA_HOME	get the JAVA_HOME environment variable
JAVA_RUN	run process for Matlab only
JAVA_VENDOR	get vendor of Java Virtual Machine
JAVA_VERSION	get version of Java Virtual Machine
JOIN	join two paths with posix file separator
MAKEDIR	make directory and check for success
MATLABOLDERTHAN	compare Matlab release name only e.g. R2025a
MATLAB_BIN_PATH	give binary paths relevant to Matlab Mex and Engine runs
MD5SUM	compute MD5 hash of file
NC_GET_VERSION	get NetCDF library version
NCEXISTS	check if variable exists in NetCDF4 file
NCSAVE	save data to NetCDF4 file
NCSIZE	get size (shape) of a NetCDF4 variable
NCVARIABLES	get NetCDF dataset names
NORMALIZE	remove redundant elements of path
NULL_FILE	get null file path
OS_VERSION	Get operating system name and version.	dotnet java python sys
PARENT	parent directory of path
PERL_EXE	get the location of the Perl executable used by Matlab
PERL_VERSION	get the Perl version used by MATLAB
PLATFORM_TELL	- Display information about the platform and environment
POSIX	posix format of path with '/' separator
PROXIMATE_TO	relative path to base
PYTHON_HOME	tell the home directory of Python install
PYTHON_VERSION	get the Python version used by MATLAB
RAM_FREE	get free physical RAM	java python sys
RAM_TOTAL	get total physical RAM	dotnet java python sys
READ_SYMLINK	read symbolic link	dotnet java native python sys
RELATIVE_TO	relative path to target from base
REMOVE	delete file or empty directory
RESOLVE	resolve path
ROOT	get root path
ROOT_DIR	get root directory
ROOT_NAME	get root name
SAMEPATH	is path the same	java native perl python sys
SET_MODTIME	set modification time of path	java python sys
SET_PERMISSIONS	set path permissions	legacy native
SHA256SUM	compute sha256 hash of file
STEM	base file name without directory or suffix
STREMPTY	is the char \| string empty
SUBPROCESS_RUN	run process
SUFFIX	last suffix of filename
TOOLBOX_USED	list all Matlab toolboxes used by all functions in pkgPath
TOUCH	create file if not exists, else update modification time
UPTIME	get system uptime in seconds	dotnet python sys
VERSION_ATLEAST	compare two string verions: major.minor.rev.patch
WHICH	find executable in fpath or env var PATH
WITH_SUFFIX	switch file extension
XCODE_VERSION	on macOS, tell the Xcode Command Line Tools version

Function counts:

dotnet 16
java 19
perl 3
python 26
sys 26
native 5
legacy 1
top_level 129