pwd doesn't give actual location of the file that called it

I have a file 'file.m' in the folder '/Users/userA/Documents/MATLAB/a/b/c/'. When I call pwd within the file (there are no other lines of code) it returns '/Users/userA/Documents/MATLAB'. How do I get the actual file location? I am on MacOS.

Answer 1

[chris crowley]

How are you running this code?

pwd displays the current working directory. If you click the play button on this code and it is not located in whatever folder you currently have MATLAB navigated to, it will ask you if you want to add it to the path or change current working folder. If you add to path, the code can run WITHOUT changing your current working folder. If this prompt did not come up it suggests that you already have /Users/userA/Documents/MATLAB/a/b/c/ added to your path.

I think you want to replace pwd with

p = mfilename('fullpath')
disp(p)

I suspect this is what is going on, but would need more info about specifically how you are running your code to really get to the bottom of this.

[Dylan]

mfilename('fullpath') gives me something bizarre that I didn't create.

/private/var/folders/j1/q3gjch0d73n5p0v58fjx7zt40000gn/T/Editor_odzei/LiveEditorEvaluationHelperE661157072

I see, so pwd give the location in the file directory on the left hand side of the matlab GUI, and doesnt have to do with the file it's being run from. Interesting choice by the devs I have to say.

[chris crowley]

yeah, that is my understanding.

Answer 2

[Steven Lord]

Giving the location of the currently running file is not the purpose of the pwd function. Its purpose is to give the location of the current working directory, which is independent of what file is running (or even if a file is running.)

If you're evaluating a section of a Live Script, mfilename will return the name of a temporary file used to evaluate that section of the Live Script not the name of the Live Script itself.

How are you planning to use the information about where the file being executed is located? Are you trying to use it to determine where to create a data file (with the save function)? Are you trying to use it so you can read in the program file itself (which may pose some challenges, especially for Live Scripts or if you hope to do this in a standalone application created by MATLAB Compiler)? Or do you have some other purpose in mind (and if so, what)?

[Dylan]

I would like to save and read documents within the same folder as the code and in subfolders.

[Dylan]

@Steven Lord Do you know if this is possible?