MATLAB Function Reference

unix

Execute a UNIX command and return result

Syntax

• unix command
  status = unix('command')
  [status,result] = unix('command')
  [status,result] = unix('command','-echo')
  

Description

unix command calls upon the UNIX operating system to execute the given command.

status = unix('command') returns completion status to the status variable.

[status, result] = unix('command') returns the standard output to the result variable, in addition to completion status.

[status,result] = unix('command','-echo') forces the output to the Command Window, even though it is also being assigned into a variable.

Examples

List all users that are currently logged in. It returns a zero (success) in s and a string containing the list of users in w.

• [s,w] = unix('who');
  

The next example returns a nonzero value in s to indicate failure and returns an error message in w because why is not a UNIX command.

• [s,w] = unix('why')
  s =
      1
  w =
  why: Command not found.
  

When including the -echo flag, MATLAB displays the results of the command in the Command Window as it executes as well as assigning the results to the return variable, w.

• [s,w] = unix('who','-echo');
  

See Also

dos, ! (exclamation point), perl, system

unique

unmkpp