convert MATLAB to C using emlc function

My final year project involves converting matlab .m file into C. Upon using the emlc function as many suggested, this error popped out:

??? This text contains non-empty top-level expressions. It appears to be a script.

from this command line: emlc -c lnorm

I tried to read through the online help but I can't seem to understand. Are there any steps that I've missed out?

Please help. Many thanks.

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

The file you converted: does the first non-empty non-comment line of it start with the word 'function' ? If not then Matlab considers it a "script". elmc is not able to handle scripts (though 2010b might have added that facility, perhaps, in parallel with the Matlab Compiler having had that ability added.)

[highstreets]

Nope, the first line of my .m file doesn't start with "function". It only starts with initializing some parameters that I'm going to use.

Does it mean I have to convert my whole script into a function just so I can use emlc function. If not, what are the other ways that I can try out?

Many thanks.

[Ben Tordoff]

"Converting" the whole script probably involves putting the line

function myFunction()

at the top. It's got to be worth a try ;-)

[Walter Roberson]

In this case,

function lnorm

should do.

[highstreets]

Thanks guys for the prompt reply! emlc function managed to run through my whole matlab script but failed to generate a C code. There is a build error as below:

12 'cmd' is not recognized as an internal or external command,

13 operable program or batch file.

14 gmake: *** [lnorm.mexw32] Error 1

Does it have something to do with my computer settings?

Many thanks.

[Walter Roberson]

Hmmm.... I wonder if it needs cmd.exe ?? 'cmd' should be the normal command shell, I would think.

I don't have a Windows machine available to test this out on.

[Kaustubha Govind]

It looks like the C code is being generated, but it failing to compile the code because it chokes on a call to gmake. MATLAB executes gmake by calling into the system shell - in this case, cmd.exe. It finds cmd.exe by looking on the system path. Either your Path or SystemRoot environment variables are corrupted. Try this from MATLAB command prompt:

>> !echo %SystemRoot%

>> !echo %Path%

Now, look for cmd.exe on your system and verify that the parent directory is present on the system Path.