2. Creating new functions

To keep the OpenEarth toolbox well organised, it is of crucial importance that all functions receive a proper help block (in Matlab this is the first uninterrupted comment block after the function declaration and/or before the first line of code.

To lower the threshold to add such a helpblock the oetnewfun routine was developed. It creates a new function using the input arguments supplied by the user or using default arguments.

Invoking a new function template
Function template layout

Invoking a new function template

The following command opens a new function in the matlab editor with the name "testfun.m".

oetnewfun('testfun')

Function template layout

The resulting function now comes with a helpblock, a standard LGPL copyright block and a list of svn-keywords. See for an example the code below. The only thing you have to do is enter the correct information for:

h1line (one line description below the function declaration)
description (description of the functionality)
syntax (How should / can we approach your function)
input (explanation of the input arguments)
Output (explanation of the output arguments)
Example (Give an example of how we can use the function)
See also (Just enter names of related function seperated by a space, like with the matlab documentation)

function varargout = testfun(varargin)
%TESTFUN  One line description goes here.
%
%   More detailed description goes here.
%
%   Syntax:
%   varargout = testfun(varargin)
%
%   Input:
%   varargin  =
%
%   Output:
%   varargout =
%
%   Example
%   testfun
%
%   See also

%   --------------------------------------------------------------------
%   Copyright (C) 2009 Delft University of Technology
%       Mark van Koningsveld
%
%       m.vankoningsveld@tudelft.nl
%
%       Hydraulic Engineering Section
%       Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences
%       Stevinweg 1
%       2628CN Delft
%       The Netherlands
%
%   This library is free software: you can redistribute it and/or
%   modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
%   License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either
%   version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
%
%   This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
%   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
%   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
%   Lesser General Public License for more details.
%
%   You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
%   License along with this library. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
%   --------------------------------------------------------------------

% Created: 17 May 2009
% Created with Matlab version: 7.7.0.471 (R2008b)

% $Id: _tutorial_creating_new_functions.m 1018 2009-09-10 14:36:54Z geer $

% $Author: geer $

% $HeadURL: https://repos.deltares.nl/repos/OpenEarthTools/trunk/matlab/general/_tutorial_creating_new_functions.m $
% $Keywords: $

2. Creating new functions

Contents

Invoking a new function template

Function template layout