Creating EXE with DLL attached

Let say i have 2 m files:

%%% first m file

.m

function mainapp

global a b c

a=5;

dllfile

c=a+b;

figure(1)

text(0.5,0.5,num2str(c));

%%% second m file

dllfile.m

function dllfile

global a b c

b=4;

%%%

My question is how do i create mainapp.exe and dllfile.dll so they are functional when i start mainapp.exe from windows?

Also, if this above is possible, am i going to be able to change for example only dll file (compile newer version which does, for example b=3 instead of b=4) and continue to use mainapp.exe?

Thank you in advance

I have Windows 7 32bit

Matlab 2008b

Microsoft Visual Studio 2008

Answer 1

[Titus Edelhofer]

Hi,

compiling dllfile.m into a dllfile.dll is possible with compiler, but you will not be able to call this dll from mainapp.m (and also not from mainapp.exe). This .dll can only be called from some non-MATLAB environment (e.g. C/C++). So: unfortunately you will not be able to have something like a "plugin" concept here. You can only compile both files into one .exe by

mcc -m mainapp.m

It will compile both files. Whenever dllfile.m changes, you have to recompile ...

Titus

[Walter Roberson]

Titus, wouldn't it be possible to call the DLL by using loadlibrary() ?

[Friedrich]

One can't use a MATLAB Compiler generated DLL (or other component) back in MATLAB. However, when he creates a C/C++ main which calls the generated DLL, than he can use the OS based loadlibrary command to call the DLL.

[Titus Edelhofer]

That's right. This way the DLL and the mainapp.exe don't share the MCR and therefore can "coexist" ...

Answer 2

[Drago Zarkovic]

I guess it makes some sense... Suppose somebody could test and know work of your DLL file, if it will be accessible by matlab's EXE, or matlab...

So if you want "plugin" concept, you will need some work in Microsoft Visual?

Yes I know i can done it by

mcc -m mainapp.m dllfile.m

Thank you very much Titus for your answer