Set Static .NET Property Values

Set System.Environment.CurrentDirectory Static Property

Open Script

You can set a static property using the NET.setStaticProperty function.

For example, set the CurrentDirectory property, which is a static read-write property of the System.Environment class.

First, set your current folder.

cd("C:\Work")
saveDir = System.Environment.CurrentDirectory

saveDir = 

C:\work

This example creates a folder temp in the current folder and changes the CurrentDirectory property to the new folder. Then set the CurrentDirectory property to temp.

newDir = char(saveDir) + "\temp";
if ~isfolder(newDir)
    mkdir(newDir)
end
NET.setStaticProperty("System.Environment.CurrentDirectory",newDir)
System.Environment.CurrentDirectory

ans = 

C:\work\temp

Restore the original CurrentDirectory property value.

NET.setStaticProperty("System.Environment.CurrentDirectory",saveDir)
System.Environment.CurrentDirectory

ans = 

C:\work

Do Not Use ClassName.PropertyName Syntax for Static Properties

If you try to use the ClassName.PropertyName syntax to set a static property, MATLAB® creates a struct array instead of setting the property.

For example, this code replaces the System namespace with a structure named System.

saveDir = System.Environment.CurrentDirectory;
newDir = char(saveDir) + "\temp";
System.Environment.CurrentDirectory = newDir;
whos

  Name         Size            Bytes  Class

  System       1x1               679  struct
  newDir       1x2               364  string
  saveDir      1x1                 8  System.String

Now when you try to use a member of the System namespace, MATLAB accesses System as a structure instead. For example:

oldDate = System.DateTime(2025,3,1);

Unrecognized field name "DateTime".

Restore your access to the .NET System namespace by clearing the System structure variable. Then set the CurrentDirectory property using the appropriate function.

clear System
NET.setStaticProperty("System.Environment.CurrentDirectory",saveDir)
System.DateTime(2025,3,1)