Creating Graphical User Interfaces

An Address Book Reader

This example implements a GUI that displays names and phone numbers, which it reads from a MAT-file. You can add new entries, which are then saved to the same MAT-file or to a new one.

Techniques Used in This Example

This example demonstrates the following GUI programming techniques:

• Uses open and save dialogs to provide a means for users to locate and open the address book MAT-files and to save revised or new address book MAT-files.
• Defines callbacks written for GUI menus.
• Uses the GUI's handles structure to save and recall global data.
• Uses a GUI figure resize function.

View the Layout and Application M-File

Use these links to display the FIG-file in the Layout Editor and the application M-file in the MATLAB Editor. This enables you to see the values of all component properties and to explore how the components are assembled to create the GUI. You can also see the complete code listing.

Note    The following link adds a directory to the end of your MATLAB path.

Click here to display the layout in GUIDE.

Click here to display the application M-file in the editor.

Managing Global Data

One of the key techniques illustrated in this example is how to keep track of information and make it available to the various subfunctions. This information includes:

• The name of the current MAT-file
• The names and phone numbers in the MAT-file
• An index pointer that indicates the currently name and phone number, which must be updated as the user pages through the address book.
• The figure position and size
• The handle of all GUI components

The descriptions of the subfunctions that follow illustrate how to save and retrieve information from the handles structure. See Managing GUI Data for background information on this structure.

The List Box Callback

Launching the GUI