Can't both import os.system and matlab.engine at the same time in the header

python 3 script keeps failing to finish if I import os.system or subprocess.run first, then use matlab.engine to connect to matlab. As shown in the code below, my script will be stuck/hanged forever.

# the following code cannot finish running
import os
import matlab.engine
os.system("matlab -r \"matlab.engine.shareEngine\"")

What causes the issue that the script can't finish? How can I import os/subprocess and matlab.engine together in the header?

Answer 1

[Kojiro Saito]

It's because os.system keeps open until called MATLAB exits. That's why I proposed to open another terminal in my Answer.

I guess subprocess is better than os.system in your case.

import os
from subprocess import Popen

Popen("matlab -r \"matlab.engine.shareEngine\"")

The above Python script opens MATLAB engine as a shared, but Python script it self will be closed. So, you can access this shared session from another Python script.

import matlab.engine
names = matlab.engine.find_matlab()
eng = matlab.engine.connect_matlab(names[0]) #names is tuble, so connect to the first one in this example.
print(eng.sqrt(4.0))

[tamashika]

Ha I didn't know os.system keeps open until called MATLAB exits. Awesome! Thanks