Path setting for a machine when upgrading MATLAB

I have a number of machines which all need some folders on my path. We frequently set up new users or upgrade versions, and so we need to manually set the path each time we do this. The files needed in these paths include M-Files to use hardware as well as other "custom toolboxes".

Is there any methodology that can automatically set the path after upgrading MATLAB or adding a new user, rather than setting path manually? 

 

Here are several suggestions I have for current situation. I would propose that the matlabrc file (or some other files) run a special startup m-file that it can find in a standard place on that machine. Perhaps the file could be located in "C:\Program Files\MATLAB" on Windows and "/Library/Application Support/MathWorks" on macOS. (Not sure about Linux.) This special startup file could add folders to the path (and maybe other things). Both upgrading MATLAB and adding a new user to the group could be done without having to do anything special.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

Regarding to upgrading MATLAB, unfortunately MATLAB cannot automatically transfer path folders from an old version of MATLAB to a new one. We acknowledge this inconvenience and we are working to improve that. But for now, we provide two recommendations to add path.

 

Please see the following options.

 

1.    Use "addpath" in "matlabrc" to add the folders on the path during MATLAB startup. The following link includes the documentation of command “addpath”.

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/addpath.html?searchHighlight=addpath&s_tid=srchtitle_addpath_1

The "matlabrc" is a script executed by MATLAB during startup regardless of the logged in users. Thus, all users will be able to have the folders on path after launching the MATLAB. For more details, please check the "matlabrc" documentation below:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/matlabrc.html?searchHighlight=%22matlabrc%22&s_tid=srchtitle_%2522matlabrc%2522_1

2.    Alternatively, add the folders to the path and save it to the default "pathdef.m" (located at $matlabroot/toolbox/local/pathdef.m). This can be done using the "savepath" command without any parameter. The documentation of "savepath" command can be found using the link below:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/savepath.html?searchHighlight=savepath&s_tid=srchtitle_savepath_1

Before that, make sure “matlabroot/toolbox/local/pathdef.m” is the first “pathdef.m” on the path. This can be verified using following command:

>>which pathdef -all 

The default “pathdef.m” will be used when there is no other “pathdef.m” (saved by user) found on the path. Thus, new users will be able to have the folders on path after launching the MATLAB. For more details, please check the "savepath" documentation.