Nested GUI functions to get information

Hey all,

I'm creating a series of GUI-element windows to work through processing a series of different data types. I've been using what is essentially the following process, with information gathered from 'previous' dialog boxes in the information flow used to influence the results of the 'next' dialog boxes:

function resultNumber=testNestedGUIData()

    multiplyNumber=0;
    initialNumber=5;
    resultNumber=0;
    theResult='Please select a new number';
    optionsToProcess='';

    figure('Tag','firstFigure','Position',[50 50 400 125]);
    uicontrol('Tag','getInputInformation','Style','edit','String',...    initialNumber,'Position',[5 100 390 20]);
  uicontrol('Tag','processInputInformation','Style','pushbutton','String','Process','Position',[5 75 390 20],'Callback',@processTheInformation);
    uicontrol('Tag','addStuff','Style','pushbutton','String','Add','Position',[100 50 200 20],'Callback',@addTheNumbers);
  uicontrol('Tag','resultsOfInformation','Style','text','String',theResult,'Position',[5 25 390 20]);
  uicontrol('Tag','closeStuff','Style','pushbutton','String','Close','Position',[100 5 200 20],'Callback',@closeTheBox);

function processTheInformation(hObj,event)
if initialNumber<50
    optionsToProcess='5|10';
    whichClassOfProcess=1;
else
    optionsToProcess='50|100|200|500';
    whichClassOfProcess=2;
end
multiplyNumber=selectMultiplyNumber(optionsToProcess,whichClassOfProcess);
end

      function addTheNumbers(hObj,event)
          if multiplyNumber~=0
              resultNumber=multiplyNumber*initialNuber;
              theResult=num2str(resultNumber);
                set(findobj('Tag','resultsOfInformation'),'String',theResult);
          else
              warndlg('Please press the process button first');
          end
      end

      function closeTheBox(hObj,event)
          close(findobj('Tag','firstFigure'));
      end

end

function multiplyNumber=selectMultiplyNumber(optionsToProcess,whichClassOfProcess)
funkyNumber=0;
figure('Tag','secondFigure','Position',[75 75 200 50]);
uicontrol('Tag','secondFigurePopup','Style','popup','Position',[5 25 190 20],'String',optionsToProcess,'Callback',@selectAnOption);
uicontrol('Tag','secondFigureDone','Position',[5 5 190 20],'String','Done','Callback',@finishSelection);

    function selectAnOption(hObj,event)
        val=get(hObj,'Value');
        if whichClassOfProcess==1
        switch val
            case 1
                funkyNumber=5;
            case 2
                funkyNumber=10;
        end
        else
            switch val
                case 1
                    funkyNumber=50;
                case 2
                    funkyNumber=100;
                case 3
                    funkyNumber=200;
                case 4
                    funkyNumber=500;
            end
        end
    end

    function finishSelection(hObj,event)
        if funkyNumber==0
            warndlg('Please select an option');
        else
              multiplyNumber=funkyNumber;
              close(findobj('Tag','secondFigure'));
          end
      end
  end

However, the 'child' GUI doesn't seem to define the data in time to return any data to the 'parent' GUI, presumably since the return data is dependent on some kind of user input. Is there a workaround that would allow this kind of thing?

Thanks for your help! I've been searching for solutions for this, but haven't found a lot (maybe I am searching under the wrong topics?)

Answer 1

[Voss]

You are exactly right about the reason this happens. The function that creates the 'child' GUI (selectMultiplyNumber) executes and does not return anything to the parent function, because the output variable (multiplyNumber) has not been defined yet, because it is set in a function which has not yet been called at the time the child GUI is created.

One solution is to use uiwait() on the child GUI. That is, to pause execution until the child GUI is deleted (presumably due to a valid selection - but in general you would need to check that and handle invalid/missing selections) or until uiresume() is called on the child GUI.

See below for modified code using uiwait().

function resultNumber=testNestedGUIData()

multiplyNumber=0;
initialNumber=5;
resultNumber=0;
theResult='Please select a new number';
optionsToProcess='';

figure('Tag','firstFigure','Position',[50 50 400 125]);
uicontrol('Tag','getInputInformation','Style','edit','String',initialNumber,'Position',[5 100 390 20]);
uicontrol('Tag','processInputInformation','Style','pushbutton','String','Process','Position',[5 75 390 20],'Callback',@processTheInformation);
uicontrol('Tag','addStuff','Style','pushbutton','String','Add','Position',[100 50 200 20],'Callback',@addTheNumbers);
uicontrol('Tag','resultsOfInformation','Style','text','String',theResult,'Position',[5 25 390 20]);
uicontrol('Tag','closeStuff','Style','pushbutton','String','Close','Position',[100 5 200 20],'Callback',@closeTheBox);

    function processTheInformation(hObj,event)
        if initialNumber<50
            optionsToProcess='5|10';
            whichClassOfProcess=1;
        else
            optionsToProcess='50|100|200|500';
            whichClassOfProcess=2;
        end
        multiplyNumber=selectMultiplyNumber(optionsToProcess,whichClassOfProcess);
    end


    function addTheNumbers(hObj,event)
        if multiplyNumber~=0
            resultNumber=multiplyNumber*initialNumber;
            theResult=num2str(resultNumber);
            set(findobj('Tag','resultsOfInformation'),'String',theResult);
        else
            warndlg('Please press the process button first');
        end
    end

    function closeTheBox(hObj,event)
        close(findobj('Tag','firstFigure'));
    end

end




function multiplyNumber=selectMultiplyNumber(optionsToProcess,whichClassOfProcess)

funkyNumber=0;
f = figure('Tag','secondFigure','Position',[75 75 200 50]);
uicontrol('Tag','secondFigurePopup','Style','popup','Position',[5 25 190 20],'String',optionsToProcess,'Callback',@selectAnOption);
uicontrol('Tag','secondFigureDone','Position',[5 5 190 20],'String','Done','Callback',@finishSelection);
uiwait(f);

    function selectAnOption(hObj,event)
        val=get(hObj,'Value');
        if whichClassOfProcess==1
            switch val
                case 1
                    funkyNumber=5;
                case 2
                    funkyNumber=10;
            end
        else
            switch val
                case 1
                    funkyNumber=50;
                case 2
                    funkyNumber=100;
                case 3
                    funkyNumber=200;
                case 4
                    funkyNumber=500;
            end
        end
    end


    function finishSelection(hObj,event)
        if funkyNumber==0
            warndlg('Please select an option');
        else
            multiplyNumber=funkyNumber;
            close(findobj('Tag','secondFigure'));
        end
    end


end