getting function name within that function run or currently running function

I wish to save my output files in the name of the function that is producing those results. As I change versions of functions and their names very frequently, and forget changing output folder name each time. This makes it very difficult to trace the function versions that produced those results. If I can somehow get the function name automatically inside the function itself using some function and pass that string to output folder name that would help me solve my issue. Is there any function which can be used for this? I saw mfilename function (<http://www.mathworks.in/help/matlab/ref/mfilename.html>) but didn't understand how to use it. I got a blank string on using mfilename. Please see if anyone can help.

[Daniel Shub]

The mfilename function is what you probably want. If that is not working you could write a wrapper around dbstack.

[Vandita]

I could do it simply with mfilename function. Here is the solution to saving folder names during a run:

folder_name = mfilename('give here path where function file resides'); % to get the function name with currently running function

eval(['mkdir ', folder_name]); %to create a folder with the name of the fucntion

Answer 1

[Vandita]

Sorry for trouble, I could do it myself with mfilename function.

Here is the solution to saving folder names for outputs during a run, without predefining it(i.e. defining it during a run):

folder_name = mfilename('give here path where function file resides'); % to get the function name with currently running function

eval(['mkdir ', folder_name]); %to create a folder with the name of the fucntion

[Jan]

I do not understand your solution. mfilename does not accept a "path where the function resides" as input, but I assume you mean

folder_name = fileparts(mfilename('fullpath'));

Starting the mkdir command through EVAL is an ugly and susceptible construction. Better run the command directly and avoid EVAL completely:

mkdir(folder_name)

Avoiding EVAL is a good idea in general, because there is always a better solution (except for 2 or three very rare and strange exceptions, which have been found by some Matlab cracks in this forum).

But finally there is no reason to create this folder, because it must be existing already - otherwise it could not be the parentfolder of the current M-file.

Answer 2

[per isakson]

Try

    >> cssm

which returns

    ans =
    cssm/cssm2

where

    function name = cssm()
        name = cssm1();
        function name = cssm1()
            name = cssm2();
        end
        function name = cssm2()
            name = current_function('-full');
        end
    end

and where

    function    caller_name = current_function( inarg )
    %      
    %   See also: mfilename

        dbk = dbstack( 1 );
        if isempty( dbk )
            str = 'base';
        else
            str = dbk(1).name;
        end

        ixf = find( str == '.', 1, 'first' );

        if isempty( ixf ) || ( nargin==1 && strcmp( inarg, '-full' ) )   
            caller_name = str;
        else
            caller_name = str( ixf+1 : end );
        end
    end

Answer 3

[Kaustubha Govind]

mfilename seems like the right solution for your case. Are you testing it by calling it from the MATLAB command window by any chance? You need to call it from a function. For example:

function mytest
 fprintf('Currently executing %s\n', mfilename);
end

>> mytest
Currently executing mytest