Simulink.exportToVersion

Export model, library, or project for use in previous version of Simulink

Syntax

exported_file = Simulink.exportToVersion(modelname,target_filename,version)

exported_file = Simulink.exportToVersion(modelname,target_filename,version,Name=Value)

exported_project = Simulink.exportToVersion(proj,zipfilename,version)

exported_project = Simulink.exportToVersion(proj,zipfilename,version,Name=Value)

Description

exported_file = Simulink.exportToVersion(modelname,target_filename,version) exports the model or library modelname to a file named target_filename in a format that the specified previous Simulink^® version can load.

If the system contains functionality not supported by the specified Simulink software version, the command removes the functionality and replaces any unsupported blocks with empty masked subsystem blocks colored yellow. As a result, the converted system may generate different results.

The save_system ExportToVersion option is a legacy option for this functionality that is also supported.

exported_file = Simulink.exportToVersion(modelname,target_filename,version,Name=Value) specifies additional options as one or more name-value arguments.

exported_project = Simulink.exportToVersion(proj,zipfilename,version) exports the project proj to a ZIP file zipfilename in a format that the specified previous Simulink version can load. If the project contains requirements link files or requirements files, Simulink.exportToVersion updates the links to point to the newly exported files.

exported_project = Simulink.exportToVersion(proj,zipfilename,version,Name=Value) exports the project with the criteria specified by one or more Name=Value arguments. You can use this syntax to export referenced projects and missing files.

Releases prior to R2025a do not support filenames that exceed 63 characters. If you attempt to export a project that contains filenames exceeding 63 characters to a release prior to R2025a, the function lists the project files with long names. Shorten the names and replace all references to the filename in the project before exporting to a previous release.

Examples

Export a Model to a Previous Version

Get the current top-level system and export it.

 Simulink.exportToVersion(bdroot,"mymodel.slx","R2014b");

Export a Model to a Previous Version and Break Links

Get the current top-level system and export it, replacing links to library blocks with copies of the library blocks in the saved file.

Simulink.exportToVersion(bdroot,"mymodel.slx",...
                         "R2014b",BreakUserLinks=true);

Export a Project and References to Previous Version

Get the current top-level project and export it.

openExample('simulink/AirframeProjectWithReferencesExample')
proj = currentProject;
Simulink.exportToVersion(proj,"myzipfilename","R2019a");

Export the current top-level project and all referenced projects.

Simulink.exportToVersion(proj,"myzipfilename","R2019a",IncludeReferences=true);

Input Arguments

modelname — Model to export

character vector | string scalar

Model to export, specified as a character vector or string scalar, without any file extension. The model must be loaded and unmodified. The target file must not be the same as the model file.

Data Types: char | string

target_filename — Exported file name

character vector | string scalar

Exported file name, specified as a character vector or string scalar. The target file must not be the same as the model file.

Example: 'mymodel.slx'

Data Types: char | string

proj — Project to export

matlab.project.Project object

Project to export, specified as a matlab.project.Project object. Use currentProject to create a project object from the currently loaded project.

zipfilename — Exported ZIP file name

character vector | string scalar

ZIP file name containing the exported project, specified as a character vector or string scalar.

Example: 'myzipfile.zip'

Data Types: char | string

version — MATLAB^® release name

'R2013B' | 'R2014A_MDL' | 'R2016B_SLX' | ...

MATLAB case-insensitive release name, specified as a character vector or string scalar. The MATLAB release name specifies a previous Simulink version. Simulink.exportToVersion exports the system to a format that the specified previous Simulink version can load. You can export your models up to 7 years of previous releases. You cannot export to your current version.

You can specify model file format as SLX or MDL using the suffix _MDL or _SLX. If you do not specify a format, you export your default model file format. You cannot specify the model files format when exporting a project.

Example: 'R2015B'

Data Types: char | string

Name-Value Arguments

Specify optional pairs of arguments as Name1=Value1,...,NameN=ValueN, where Name is the argument name and Value is the corresponding value. Name-value arguments must appear after other arguments, but the order of the pairs does not matter.

Example: Simulink.exportToVersion(bdroot,"mymodel.slx",... "R2014b",BreakUserLinks=true);

AllowPrompt — Allow prompt or message dialog box

false (default) | true | 'on' | 'off'

Allow prompt or message dialog box, specified by a logical value that indicates whether to display any output prompt or message in a dialog box or only messages at the command line. For example, prompts to make files writable, or messages about exported versions. If you want to allow prompts, then set to true. or on.

BreakUserLinks — Break user-defined links

false (default) | true | 'on' | 'off'

Break user-defined links, specified by a logical value that indicates whether the function replaces links to user-defined library blocks with copies of the library blocks in the saved file.

BreakToolboxLinks — Break all toolbox links

false (default) | true | 'on' | 'off'

Break all toolbox links, specified by a logical value that indicates whether the function replaces links to built-in MathWorks^® library blocks with copies of the library blocks in the saved file. The 'BreakToolboxLinks' option affects Simulink library blocks and blocks from any other libraries supplied with MathWorks toolboxes or blocksets.

Note

The 'BreakToolboxLinks' option can result in compatibility issues when upgrading to newer versions of Simulink software. For example:

• Any masks on top of library links to Simulink S-functions will not upgrade to the new version of the S-function.

• Any library links to masked subsystems in a Simulink library will not upgrade to the new subsystem behavior.

• Any broken links prevent the automatic library forwarding mechanism from upgrading the link. See Maintain Compatibility of Library Blocks Using Forwarding Tables.

  If you have saved a model with broken links to built-in libraries, use the Upgrade Advisor to scan the model for out-of-date blocks and upgrade the Simulink blocks to their current versions.

IncludeReferences — Option to export referenced projects to a previous Simulink version

false or 0 (default) | true or 1

Option to export referenced projects to a previous release, specified as a numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false).

If true, Simulink.exportToVersion exports the top-level and all referenced projects to a previous release, and includes the references in the ZIP file. Extracting the ZIP file creates a copy of the referenced projects and links them to the top-level project.

If false, Simulink.exportToVersion only exports the top-level project to a previous release. Simulink.exportToVersion preserves the existing absolute and relative link to the references. For a working project on extraction, the references must be at the same absolute and relative paths.

The argument is ignored if the project does not have references.

AllowMissingFiles — Option to ignore missing project files when exporting to a previous Simulink version

false or 0 (default) | true or 1

Option to ignore missing project files when exporting projects to a previous release, specified as a numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false).

If true, Simulink.exportToVersion does not issue error related to missing project files during the export process.

If false, Simulink.exportToVersion issues errors when detecting missing files in the project.

Output Arguments

exported_file — Exported file

character vector

Path of the exported file, returned in the format that the specified previous Simulink version can load.

exported_project — Exported project in a ZIP file

character vector

Path of the ZIP file containing the exported project, returned in the format that the specified previous Simulink version can load.

Limitations

Simulink.exportToVersion does not support exporting external test harnesses to previous releases.

• For models with external test harnesses, Simulink.exportToVersion automatically converts them to internal test harnesses.

• For projects containing models with external test harnesses, Simulink.exportToVersion exports the projects and reports the test harnesses as missing files.

Version History

Introduced in R2016a

R2025a: Ignore missing files when exporting a project to previous version

Starting in R2025a, you can ignore missing project files when exporting a project to a previous version by setting the AllowMissingFiles argument to true.

R2025a: Export referenced projects using Name=Value argument

In R2025a, using the positional argument to export referenced projects issues a warning. Use the Name=Value argument instead.

Simulink.exportToVersion(proj,"myzipfilename","R2019a",IncludeReferences=true);

R2022a: Export project and references to previous version

Starting in R2022a, you can export an entire project and all referenced projects to a previous version. For more information, see Export a Project and References to Previous Version.

R2021b: Export project to previous version

Starting in R2021b, you can export an entire project to a previous version. For more information, see Export a Project and References to Previous Version.