Two Waitbars in MATLAB

Question

Is it possible to have 2 (multiple) waitbars (progressbar) in matlab? Something like two bars in a window.

I know we can implement it using a user defined GUI and do everything manually but that would be a long way.

Answer 1

I'd recommend multiwaitbar by Ben Tordoff, available on the MATLAB Central File Exchange.

Answer 2

If being in the same figure window is not essential then give the waitbars handles and call them by the handle; e.g.

%% Script creating 2 wait bars in different windows

bar1=waitbar(0,'bar1');         % creates 2 waitbars
bar2=waitbar(0,'bar2');

% updates bar2

waitbar(completed_value_bar2,bar2,'updated message') % updated message is optional

% updates bar1

waitbar(completed_value_bar1,bar1,'updated message') % updated message is optional

%
delete(bar1)
delete(bar2)

If it is essential it is possible using the following method but increases runtime horribly

%% Script creating 2 wait bars in the same figure window


bar1=waitbar(0,'this is bar1','CreateCancelBtn','foo1');   
bar2=waitbar(0,'this is bar2','CreateCancelBtn','foo2');
% foo1 represents function executed by cancel button 1 (similar for foo2)

Pos=get(bar1,'OuterPosition');       
info_bar1=findobj(bar1);        % gets waitbar object handles
info_bar2=findobj(bar2);        % 
set(bar1,'visible','off')       % hides the bars
set(bar2,'visible','off')       %
% generates intital figure window;
F=figure;
set(F,'position',[Pos(1:2),1.35*Pos(3),2*Pos(4)]); % resises figure (could be more elegant)
loc1=get(info_bar1(2),'position');                 % get position for bar1 
loc2=loc1+[0 50 0 0];                              % shifts bar2 up

P = copyobj(info_bar1(2),F);    % Copy bar1 to new fig 

% note the figure handle bar1(2) contains the waitbar & message for bar1

set(P,'position',loc1)          % Sets position of bar 1
Q = copyobj(info_bar2(2),F);    % Copy bar2 to new fig
set(Q,'position',loc2)          % Sets position of bar 1


button_loc1=get(info_bar1(3),'position');   % gets button location               
button_loc2=button_loc1+[0 50 0 0];         % shifts button 2
B1 = copyobj(info_bar1(3),F);               % adds buttons to figure 
set(B1,'position',button_loc1)              % sets button location
B2 = copyobj(info_bar2(3),F);
set(B2,'position',button_loc2)

%
for a=1:100

    for b=1:100

        %some calculation

        % updates bar2
        completed_value_bar2=b/100;
        waitbar(completed_value_bar2,bar2,'updated message')
        delete(Q)
        Q = copyobj(info_bar2(2),F);
        set(Q,'position',loc2)
    end

    % updates bar1
    completed_value_bar1=a/100;
    waitbar(completed_value_bar1,bar1,'updated message')
    delete(P)
    P = copyobj(info_bar1(2),F);
    set(P,'position',loc1)

end

%
delete(bar1)
delete(bar2)