Main Content

Hide Enumeration Members

Hiding enumeration members enables class authors to change enumeration member names without causing incompatibilities in existing code. To hide members, create an enumeration block that sets the Hidden attribute. Members defined in a Hidden enumeration block are not visible when enumeration members are queried using the enumeration function.

When an enumeration class derives from another class, such as a numeric or logical class, then each member can have a value associated with it. If two members have the same value assigned to them, then the member defined first in the class definition masks the second member. Both names are valid enumeration members, but the first one defined is the primary member. While masking makes it possible to use one member name in place of another, it does not hide the secondary name from the class users.

Using the Hidden attribute removes the masked member names from user view. For example, the HighlightColor class defines enumeration members that represent syntax highlighting colors.

classdef HighlightColor < int32
    enumeration
        red   (1)
        green (2)
        blue  (3)
    end
end

A new version of the class uses more descriptive member names, but the class needs to avoid breaking existing code that uses the original member names, red, green, and blue. Using the Hidden attribute for enumeration members enables the class to hide the original members.

classdef HighlightColor < int32
    enumeration
        error   (1)
        comment (2)
        keyword (3)
    end
    enumeration (Hidden)
        red   (1)
        green (2)
        blue  (3)
    end
end

Code that uses the original member names continues to work. For example, existing references to the now-hidden member HighlightColor.blue is compatible with the same-valued nonhidden member HighlightColor.keyword.

a = HighlightColor.blue
a = 

  HighlightColor enumeration

    keyword
a == HighlightColor.Keyword
ans =

  logical

   1

For enumeration members that represent values, the first member defined in the class is the primary member for that value. For example, in the HighlightColor class, keyword is the primary member and blue is the secondary member, both representing the value 3. Typically, the primary member is not hidden while the secondary member is hidden. However, if the class design requires that the primary member is hidden, then the secondary member must be hidden too.

Hide Pure Enumerations

Pure enumeration members have no underlying values, so there is no way to identify one member as a replacement for another. However, you can use the Hidden attribute to remove a member from the user view while avoiding incompatibilities with existing uses of the hidden member.

For example, the PCComponents class defines enumerations that are used in an online form for a computer order. While the FloppyDrive component is obsolete, the enumeration member can remain in the class as a hidden member. The form can exclude FloppyDrive from the list of choices, but the class author can keep this member available so that existing forms that refer to FloppyDrive are still valid.

classdef PCComponents
    enumeration
        USBSlots
        CDPlayer
    end
    enumeration (Hidden)
        FloppyDrive
    end
end

Find Hidden Enumeration Members

Find information about hidden enumeration members using class metadata. The matlab.metadata.EnumerationMember class provides information on enumeration members. For example, accessing the metadata for the HighlightColor class used in preceding examples can show the names of hidden members.

mc =?HighlightColor
mc = 

  Class with properties:

                     Name: 'HighlightColor'
              Description: ''
      DetailedDescription: ''
                   Hidden: 0
                   Sealed: 0
                 Abstract: 0
              Enumeration: 1
          ConstructOnLoad: 0
         HandleCompatible: 0
          InferiorClasses: [1×1 matlab.metadata.Class]
                Namespace: [0×0 matlab.metadata.Namespace]
                  Aliases: [0×1 string]
     RestrictsSubclassing: 0
             PropertyList: [0×1 matlab.metadata.Property]
               MethodList: [145×1 matlab.metadata.Method]
                EventList: [0×1 matlab.metadata.Event]
    EnumerationMemberList: [6×1 matlab.metadata.EnumerationMember]
           SuperclassList: [1×1 matlab.metadata.Class]]

Each enumeration member is describe by a matlab.metadata.EnumerationMember object that is contained in the EnumerationMemberList property. For example, the fourth element in the EnumerationMemberList array contains the matlab.metadata.EnumerationMember object for the member with the name red.

mc.EnumerationMemberList(4)
ans = 

  EnumeratedValue with properties:

                   Name: 'red'
            Description: ''
    DetailedDescription: ''
                 Hidden: 1

To list the names of all hidden members, use the handle class findobj method:

 findobj(mc.EnumerationMemberList,'Hidden',true).Name
ans =

    'red'


ans =

    'green'


ans =

    'blue'

See Also

|