Create variable Edit Fields based on a calculated variable in App Designer

The app asks for the Number of Outlets . When the Number of Outlets is specified, for example let's say 256 outlets, the app calculates the number of Splits by using the following equation:

Split_Number=log2(Outlet_Number)

Now, the software asks for inputs from the user. The number of requested inputs is equal to the Split Number. For example, for 265 outlets, Split number will be 8. So, I want the app to show 8 Edit Field (numeric) boxes for entering 8 numeric inputs (D1...D8)..Or for example if I have 64 outlets, the app asks for 6 inputs (D1--D6).

I could not figure out how to do it in MATLAB App Designer. Could you please help me with this? I could generate an input dialog box with varaible number of boxes. However, I could not do it in the app designer to generate variable input boxes.

[Voss]

Perhaps a uitable would be the easiest way to do this.

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/uitable.html

Answer 1

[Tridib]

Hi @Fazlollah,

Unlike " inputdlg", which works in a pop-up, to dynamically generate a variable number of numeric input fields in MATLAB App Designer, you need to create UI components programmatically inside a container like a " Panel".

Here is a workaround that works well:

1. Add a "Edit Field(Numeric)", "Button" and a "Panel".

2. Add this code to "EnterInputsButtonPushed" callback:

% clears any previous content
delete(app.InputsPanel.Children);
Outlet_Number = app.NumberofOutletsEditField.Value;
Split_Number = log2(Outlet_Number);
            
if mod(Split_Number, 1) ~= 0
    uialert(app.UIFigure, ...
        'Number of outlets must be a power of 2 (e.g., 2, 4, 8, ...)', ...
        'Invalid Input');
    return;
end
        
% creates a grid layout inside the panel to enable 
% scrolling in the grid layout. This is helpful when 
% Split_Number is large and not all input fields fit
% in the panel
grid = uigridlayout(app.InputsPanel, [Split_Number, 2]);
grid.Scrollable = true;

%'fit' makes each row just large enough to fit its contents
% and this is repeated for each row
grid.RowHeight = repmat({'fit'}, 1, Split_Number);
 
% adding labels and numeric fields to the grid
for i = 1:Split_Number
    uilabel(grid, ...
        'Text', sprintf('D%d:', i));
    uieditfield(grid, ...
        'numeric');
end

For more information, refer to the following documentations:

uipanel: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/uipanel.html

uigridlayout: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/uigridlayout.html

repmat: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/repmat.html

Hope this helps!