Convert Code to Reusable Functions Using the Refactor Button in MATLAB

Hello, and welcome back to another MATLAB video. Today, we're talking about using the Refactor button in MATLAB. This is a great shortcut and cleanup tool for anyone who codes in the MATLAB Editor or a Live Editor.

The Refactor button is located here in the tool strip for both the Editor and Live Editor and is very straightforward to use. In a MATLAB script, highlight a section of code you'd like to turn into a function and click the Refactor button either in the tool strip or in the right-click dropdown menu. Save this function as a .m file, with the name you give it becoming the function name.

The new function is made up of the original code, which is replaced with a call to the new function. Make sure to enter an output variable for the function. And MATLAB, based on context, will try to determine what the inputs of the function should be.

Refactoring with this button can either create a function or a local function. Function creates a new file with just that function in it. Local function puts the new function at the bottom of the current file.

With these functionalities, the Refactor button is useful in a variety of ways. It cleans up and simplifies your code files. It finds the corresponding variables and runs them with the function for you, or you can plug different variables into multiple causes of the function, all in the same script. Additionally, after creating a function with this button, you can copy and reuse that function in your other scripts.

While using the Refactor button, make sure to look out for a few things to make a refactoring run smoothly. When creating a local function, make sure to fill in the title of the function, as the button does not automatically fill that in for you. And remember, local functions always go at the end of a MATLAB script.

After watching this video, hopefully you now have a deeper understanding of the Refactor button in MATLAB and the ways it can clean up your code and increase your coding efficiency. Thanks for watching. And I'll see you in another video.