Using a script to change uicontrol values in a gui

I have a code that initializes a GUI, and then take serial data, compares it to excel master files, and then changes the colors of some uipanels in the gui. this is the code, the comments are generally prototyping or holdovers from other codes I incorporated:

 delete(instrfind('Port', 'COM3')); 
tag = serial('COM3'); %check which port is used
fopen(tag);
MyGUI;
BOX = char(zeros(2,14)); 
i=1;
c=0;
TrueValueData = 'C:\MasterCodes.xlsx';
[~,~,TrueValMat] = xlsread(TrueValueData); % Creates matrix filled with the correct values, 
                                           % indexed by box, which is the first row
                                           % all proceeding rows are the master value

function result(handles)
    for i=1:9223372036854775807 %just keeps looping, will probably replace with a push button to kill
     if i>10 %first couple reads are filled with unicode nonsense, this skips that stage
    
     readData = fscanf(tag);
    if length(readData)>12
        
       BOX(str2num(readData(8)),1:14)= readData(11:24); % these numbers just give us what we want; 
                                                   % tags come in initially with some gobbledy-gook     
    end
%     
%      if(length(readData)>10) %if chip has been read
%          
%      ReadChips
  
          if strcmp(TrueValMat{2,1}, BOX(1,:))
             set(handles.uipanel1, 'BackgroundColor', 'green');
          else 
             set(handles.uipanel1, 'BackgroundColor', 'red');
          end
        
            if strcmp(TrueValMat{2,2}, BOX(2,:))
             set(handles.uipanel2, 'Backgroundcolor', 'green');
            else 
             set(handles.uipanel2, 'Backgroundcolor', 'red');
            end
            if strcmp(TrueValMat{2,1}, BOX(1,:))...
                    && strcmp(TrueValMat{2,2}, BOX(2,:)) == 1
                break
            end
     end
    end
    end
function uipanel1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
result;
function uipanel2_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
result;
end
end

The problem is that this doesnt actually do anything, the GUI comes up, but the loop doesn't iterate, and the colors don't change in the GUI.

edit: added in loop break point

[avram alter]

If I just run the function bit using F9, I get a 'Function definition not permitted in this context' error.

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

Just build all that code into the m-file that GUIDE made for you. Why control your GUI from a separate, external script? If you have some settings that you need to specify, just use a pulldown menu to bring up a separate sub-GUI then return the settings to the main GUI.

[avram alter]

I initially wanted to do that, but what stopped me was that I'm not sure where my script would go, or how to properly call things in guide. I've read a bunch of forum answers, and read soem textbooks on making a GUI in matlab, But I'm not sure where to start

[Image Analyst]

Make a new, second GUI in GUIDE called AdjustSettings.m with all the controls you want on it. Then, in the exit function of that GUI, read all the settings from the controls and put them into fields of a structure, then pass that structure out, for example as handles.output:

guiSettings.scrollbar1 = handles.scrollbar1.Value;
guiSettings.popup1 = handles.popup1.Value;
guiSettings.edit1 = handles.edit1.String;
handles.output = guiSettings;

Do that for whatever controls you want to pass the state of back to your main GUI.

Now, call that GUI like this from your main GUI:

guiSettings = AdjustSettings(guisettings);

You can make guiSettings be global for example by the global keyword, or using getappdata() and setappdata(). In the OpeningFcn() of your AdjustSettings GUI, you can get guiSettings from varargin

guiSettings = varargin{1};
if ~isempty(guiSettings)
    % Transfer incoming/input/existing values to the controls on this GUI.
    handles.scrollbar1.Value = guiSettings.scrollbar1;
    handles.popup1.Value = guiSettings.popup1;
    handles.edit1.String = guiSettings.edit1;
end

[avram alter]

I don't think I have any settings that I would need a sub-GUI for. I jsut need to know where in MyGUI I put my script in order for it to work. All I need to do is a string comparison, and then that changes the color of the panel. But I dont know where in MyGUI.m I would put my string comparison script, and how to call panels to just channge color.

I really appreciate the time you put into this, but I am not sure that answer applies to my situation.

I put the coe into the actual GUI.m file as suggested, this is what I have now:

  function varargout = WorkingGUI(varargin)
% WORKINGGUI MATLAB code for WorkingGUI.fig
%      WORKINGGUI, by itself, creates a new WORKINGGUI or raises the existing
%      singleton*.
%
%      H = WORKINGGUI returns the handle to a new WORKINGGUI or the handle to
%      the existing singleton*.
%
%      WORKINGGUI('CALLBACK',hObject,eventData,handles,...) calls the local
%      function named CALLBACK in WORKINGGUI.M with the given input arguments.
%
%      WORKINGGUI('Property','Value',...) creates a new WORKINGUI or raises the
%      existing singleton*.  Starting from the left, property value pairs are
%      applied to the GUI before WorkingGUI_OpeningFcn gets called.  An
%      unrecognized property name or invalid value makes property application
%      stop.  All inputs are passed to WorkingGUI_OpeningFcn via varargin.
%
%      *See GUI Options on GUIDE's Tools menu.  Choose "GUI allows only one
%      instance to run (singleton)".
%
% See also: GUIDE, GUIDATA, GUIHANDLES

% Edit the above text to modify the response to help WorkingGUI

% Last Modified by GUIDE v2.5 17-Sep-2019 13:20:06

% Begin initialization code - DO NOT EDIT
gui_Singleton = 1;
gui_State = struct('gui_Name',       mfilename, ...
                   'gui_Singleton',  gui_Singleton, ...
                   'gui_OpeningFcn', @WorkingGUI_OpeningFcn, ...
                   'gui_OutputFcn',  @WorkingGUI_OutputFcn, ...
                   'gui_LayoutFcn',  [] , ...
                   'gui_Callback',   []);
if nargin && ischar(varargin{1})
    gui_State.gui_Callback = str2func(varargin{1});
end

if nargout
    [varargout{1:nargout}] = gui_mainfcn(gui_State, varargin{:});
else
    gui_mainfcn(gui_State, varargin{:});
end
% End initialization code - DO NOT EDIT


% --- Executes just before WorkingGUI is made visible.
function WorkingGUI_OpeningFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles, varargin)
% This function has no output args, see OutputFcn.
% hObject    handle to figure
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)
% varargin   command line arguments to untitled3 (see VARARGIN)

% Choose default command line output for WorkingGUI
handles.output = hObject;

% Update handles structure
guidata(hObject, handles);

% UIWAIT makes WorkingGUI wait for user response (see UIRESUME)
% uiwait(handles.figure1);


% --- Outputs from this function are returned to the command line.
function varargout = WorkingGUI_OutputFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles) 
% varargout  cell array for returning output args (see VARARGOUT);
% hObject    handle to figure
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Get default command line output from handles structure
varargout{1} = handles.output;
%beginning of script

delete(instrfind('Port', 'COM3')); 
tag = serial('COM3'); %check which port is used
fopen(tag);
BOX = char(zeros(2,14)); 
i=1;
c=0;
TrueValueData = 'C:\MasterCodes.xlsx';
[~,~,TrueValMat] = xlsread(TrueValueData); % Creates matrix filled with the correct values, 
                                           % indexed by box, which is the first row
                                           % all proceeding rows are the master value

    for i=1:9223372036854775807
     if i>10 %first couple reads are filled with unicode nonsense, this skips that stage
     
     readData = fscanf(tag);
    if length(readData)>12
        
       BOX(str2num(readData(8)),1:14)= readData(11:24); % these numbers just give us what we want; 
                                                   % tags come in initially with some gobbledy-gook     
    end
%     
%      if(length(readData)>10) %if chip has been read
%          
%      ReadChips
  
          if strcmp(TrueValMat{2,1}, BOX(1,:))
            Reader1Correct;
          else 
            Reader1Incorrect;
          end
        
            if strcmp(TrueValMat{2,2}, BOX(2,:))
             Reader2Correct;
            else 
             Reader2Incorrect;
            end
            if strcmp(TrueValMat{2,1}, BOX(1,:))...
                    && strcmp(TrueValMat{2,2}, BOX(2,:)) == 1
                break
            end
     end
    end
 


% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function uipanel1_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
    function Reader1Correct
     set(handles.uipanel1, 'BackgroundColor', 'g');
    end
    function Reader1Incorrect
        set(handles.uipanel1, 'BackgroundColor', 'r');
    end


% hObject    handle to uipanel1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called


% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function uipanel2_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
     function Reader2Correct
     set(handles.uipanel2, 'BackgroundColor', 'g');
    end
    function Reader2Incorrect
        set(handles.uipanel2, 'BackgroundColor', 'r');
    end
end
end
end
end


% hObject    handle to uipanel2 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

Unfortunately, I am still not getting anything to even pop up now. I dont know if I called the functions in the correct way, But I am getting this error:

matlab.graphics.internal.figfile.FigFile/read>@(hObject,eventdata)WorkingGUI('uipanel1_CreateFcn',hObject,eventdata,guidata(hObject)) 
Undefined function or variable 'WorkingGUI_OutputFcn'.

Error in gui_mainfcn (line 264)
        feval(gui_State.gui_OutputFcn, gui_hFigure, [], gui_Handles);

Error in WorkingGUI (line 42)
    gui_mainfcn(gui_State, varargin{:});
    

and I am not usre how to deal with that. thanks again

edit: fixed my end related errors

my code has changed enough that I made a new thread, it can be found here https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/480824-feval-error-in-gui-implementation