How to write MATLAB functions in Jupyter Notebook?

Question

Overview

I am using the MATLAB kernel in Jupyter Notebook. I would like to write a function in the notebook, rather than referring to a function that is saved in another .m file. The problem is that when I try to do so, I get the error:

Error: Function definitions are not permitted in this context.

Visual example:

In a new notebook, it looks like the following picture:

Now, it does work if I make a new .m file:

and then call then function via the notebook:

but this is inconvenient. Is there a way to define functions from within a Jupyter Notebook directly?

My software

• MATLAB 2017b
• Windows 10
• Jupyter running in chrome
• Jupyter installed via anaconda

Answer 1

The documentation indicates that you can use the magic:

%%file name_of_your_function.m

To take your example, your cell should be written as follows:

%%file fun.m

function out = fun(in)
    out = in + 1;
end

This creates a new file called fun.m. This allows MATLAB to do what it needs (a function in a separate file), and also allows you to write your function directly in the Jupyter Notebook.