Invalid handle object, Please help!

I am programming a function for a edit text box that allows the user to input a min and max for the axes in a graph:

function edit1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
%Input X-Min value for axes1
user_entry = str2double(get(hObject, 'String'));
if isnan(user_entry)
    errordlg('You must enter a numeric value.')
    uicontrol(hObject)
    return
end
set(handles.axes1, 'XLim', [user_entry Inf]);
guidata(hObject, handles);

However, I get a error message saying "Invalid handle object." at the set line. I suspect it has to do with the 'handles.axes1', but I'm not sure how to fix it. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance

[Melvin]

I forgot to add that this code is specifically for the X-Min only

[Walter Roberson]

You have not given us reason to expect that handles.axes1 was ever created, let alone that reason to think it should still be valid. We are going to need to see more of the code, including the code for every routine you invoke between start-up and the time you run into that problem in the callback.

[Melvin]

When I perform 'which handles -all; disp(handles);' before the set line, I get the following:

handles is a variable.

          figure1: 257.0094
         uipanel1: 302.0093
         uipanel2: 265.0094
       uitoolbar1: 258.0094
           edit12: 338.0093
           edit11: 337.0093
           edit10: 336.0093
            edit9: 335.0093
            edit8: 334.0093
            edit7: 333.0093
            edit6: 332.0093
            edit5: 331.0093
            edit4: 330.0093
            edit3: 329.0093
            edit2: 328.0093
            edit1: 327.0093
            text9: 326.0093
            text8: 325.0093
            text7: 324.0093
            text3: 323.0093
            text2: 322.0093
            text1: 321.0093
       popupmenu1: 320.0093
       popupmenu3: 319.0093
       popupmenu2: 318.0093
            axes2: 313.0093
            axes1: 308.0093
            axes3: 303.0093
           edit24: 301.0093
           edit23: 300.0093
           edit22: 299.0093
           edit21: 298.0093
           edit20: 297.0093
           edit19: 296.0093
           edit18: 295.0093
           edit17: 294.0093
           edit16: 293.0093
           edit15: 292.0093
           edit13: 291.0093
           edit14: 290.0093
           text10: 289.0093
           text11: 288.0093
           text12: 287.0093
            text4: 286.0093
            text5: 285.0093
            text6: 284.0093
       popupmenu5: 283.0093
       popupmenu4: 282.0093
       popupmenu6: 281.0093
            axes5: 276.0093
            axes4: 271.0093
            axes6: 266.0094
    uitoggletool5: 264.0094
    uitoggletool3: 263.0094
    uitoggletool4: 262.0094
    uitoggletool2: 261.0094
    uitoggletool1: 260.0094
      uipushtool2: 259.0094
           output: 257.0094
So does this mean that the axes1 is being deleted?

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

It appears then that handles.axes1 was initialized, but that the axes was destroyed before you use it.

The probable reason for that is as described at the beginning of http://www.mathworks.co.uk/matlabcentral/answers/78221-problem-with-axes-handle#answer_87936

[Melvin]

I added hold(handles.axes1, 'on'); right before the set line, as well as the drawnow() right after it, and now I am receiving the following error:

"Error using ==> hold at 71 Unknown command option."

[Walter Roberson]

Which MATLAB version are you using?

At the MATLAB command line, give the command

help hold

Does the output include the line

hold(AX,...) applies the command to the Axes object AX.

??

If you give the command at the command line

dbstop if error

and then run, then when the program stops to report the error, at the K> prompt, give the command

dbup

until it shows that you are at your hold() call. At that point, please show the output of

ishandle(handles.axes1)

[Melvin]

I am using version 2010. The ishandle command has an output of 0.

[Walter Roberson]

I believe hold() accepted axes handles back then as well. But ishandle() showing 0 is a problem.

If you put a breakpoint in at the set(), run up to there and then test

ishandle(handles.axes1)

and also show the numeric value of handles.axes1

I suspect that we are going to need to see more code, of every routine involved in the set-up and every routine you invoke up until the edit1 callback is called.

[Melvin]

Here is my full code up until the callback involved. The original value of handles.axes1 is 308.0093.

 function varargout = opengui(varargin)
% OPENGUI MATLAB code for opengui.fig
%      OPENGUI, by itself, creates a new OPENGUI or raises the existing
%      singleton*.
%
%      H = OPENGUI returns the handle to a new OPENGUI or the handle to
%      the existing singleton*.
%
%      OPENGUI('CALLBACK',hObject,eventData,handles,...) calls the local
%      function named CALLBACK in OPENGUI.M with the given input arguments.
%
%      OPENGUI('Property','Value',...) creates a new OPENGUI or raises the
%      existing singleton*.  Starting from the left, property value pairs are
%      applied to the GUI before opengui_OpeningFcn gets called.  An
%      unrecognized property name or invalid value makes property application
%      stop.  All inputs are passed to opengui_OpeningFcn via varargin.
%
%      *See GUI Options on GUIDE's Tools menu.  Choose "GUI allows only one
%      instance to run (singleton)".
%
% See also: GUIDE, GUIDATA, GUIHANDLES

% Edit the above text to modify the response to help opengui

% Last Modified by GUIDE v2.5 06-Jun-2013 06:31:55

% Begin initialization code - DO NOT EDIT
gui_Singleton = 1;
gui_State = struct('gui_Name',       mfilename, ...
                 'gui_Singleton',  gui_Singleton, ...
                 'gui_OpeningFcn', @opengui_OpeningFcn, ...
                 'gui_OutputFcn',  @opengui_OutputFcn, ...
                 'gui_LayoutFcn',  [] , ...
                 'gui_Callback',   []);
if nargin && ischar(varargin{1})
  gui_State.gui_Callback = str2func(varargin{1});
end

if nargout
  [varargout{1:nargout}] = gui_mainfcn(gui_State, varargin{:});
else
  gui_mainfcn(gui_State, varargin{:});
end
% End initialization code - DO NOT EDIT

% --- Executes just before opengui is made visible.
function opengui_OpeningFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles, varargin)
% This function has no output args, see OutputFcn.
% hObject    handle to figure
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)
% varargin   command line arguments to opengui (see VARARGIN)

% Choose default command line output for opengui
handles.output = hObject;

% Update handles structure
guidata(hObject, handles);

% UIWAIT makes opengui wait for user response (see UIRESUME)
% uiwait(handles.figure1);

% --- Outputs from this function are returned to the command line.
function varargout = opengui_OutputFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles) 
% varargout  cell array for returning output args (see VARARGOUT);
% hObject    handle to figure
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Get default command line output from handles structure
varargout{1} = handles.output;

% --------------------------------------------------------------------
function uipushtool2_ClickedCallback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to uipushtool2 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

%Opens file
[filename, pathname] = uigetfile('*.txt');
file = fullfile(pathname,filename);
S1 = importdata(file, ' ', 4);
S2 = importdata(file, ' ', length(S1.data)+length(S1.textdata)+1);
S3 = importdata(file, ' ', length(S2.data)+length(S2.textdata)+1);
x1 = S1.data(:,1);
y1 = S1.data(:,2);
x2 = S2.data(:,1);
y2 = S2.data(:,2);
x3 = S3.data(:,1);
y3 = S3.data(:,2);
titles = strmatch('Legend', S3.textdata);
a1 = subplot(2,2,1, 'Parent', handles.uipanel1);
handles.axes1 = plot(a1,x1,y1);
xlabel('Time (sec)'), ylabel('Amplitude'), title(S3.textdata(titles(1,1)));
a2 = subplot(2,2,2, 'Parent', handles.uipanel1);
handles.axes2 = plot(a2,x2,y2);
xlabel('Time (sec)'), ylabel('Amplitude'); title(S3.textdata(titles(2,1)));
a3 = subplot(2,2,[3 4], 'Parent', handles.uipanel1);
handles.axes3 = plot(a3,x3,y3);
xlabel('Time (sec)'), ylabel('Amplitude'); title(S3.textdata(titles(3,1)));

%Opens second file
[filename2, pathname2] = uigetfile('*.txt');
file2 = fullfile(pathname2,filename2);
B1 = importdata(file2, ' ', 4);
B2 = importdata(file2, ' ', length(B1.data)+length(B1.textdata)+1);
B3 = importdata(file2, ' ', length(B2.data)+length(B2.textdata)+1);
x4 = B1.data(:,1);
y4 = B1.data(:,2);
x5 = B2.data(:,1);
y5 = B2.data(:,2);
x6 = B3.data(:,1);
y6 = B3.data(:,2);
titles2 = strmatch('Legend', B3.textdata);
a4 = subplot(2,2,1, 'Parent', handles.uipanel2);
handles.axes4 = plot(a4,x4,y4);
xlabel('Time (sec)'), ylabel('Amplitude'), title(B3.textdata(titles2(1,1)));
a5 = subplot(2,2,2, 'Parent', handles.uipanel2);
handles.axes5 = plot(a5,x5,y5);
xlabel('Time (sec)'), ylabel('Amplitude'); title(B3.textdata(titles2(2,1)));
a6 = subplot(2,2,[3 4], 'Parent', handles.uipanel2);
handles.axes6 = plot(a6,x6,y6);
xlabel('Time (sec)'), ylabel('Amplitude'); title(B3.textdata(titles2(3,1)));

% --- Executes on selection change in popupmenu1.
function popupmenu1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: contents = cellstr(get(hObject,'String')) returns popupmenu1 contents as cell array
%        contents{get(hObject,'Value')} returns selected item from popupmenu1

val = get(hObject, 'Value');
str = get(hObject, 'String');
switch str{val}
  case 'Linear' %User chooses Linear
      handles.axes1 = axes('XScale', 'linear');
  case 'Logarithmic' %User chooses Log
      handles.axes1 = axes('XScale', 'log');
end
guidata(hObject, handles);

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function popupmenu1_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: popupmenu controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
  set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

% --- Executes on selection change in popupmenu2.
function popupmenu2_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu2 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: contents = cellstr(get(hObject,'String')) returns popupmenu2 contents as cell array
%        contents{get(hObject,'Value')} returns selected item from popupmenu2

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function popupmenu2_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu2 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: popupmenu controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
  set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

% --- Executes on selection change in popupmenu3.
function popupmenu3_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu3 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: contents = cellstr(get(hObject,'String')) returns popupmenu3 contents as cell array
%        contents{get(hObject,'Value')} returns selected item from popupmenu3

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function popupmenu3_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu3 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: popupmenu controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
  set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

% --- Executes on selection change in popupmenu6.
function popupmenu6_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu6 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: contents = cellstr(get(hObject,'String')) returns popupmenu6  contents as cell array
%        contents{get(hObject,'Value')} returns selected item from popupmenu6

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function popupmenu6_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu6 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: popupmenu controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
  set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

% --- Executes on selection change in popupmenu4.
function popupmenu4_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu4 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: contents = cellstr(get(hObject,'String')) returns popupmenu4 contents as cell array
%        contents{get(hObject,'Value')} returns selected item from popupmenu4

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function popupmenu4_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu4 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: popupmenu controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
  set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

% --- Executes on selection change in popupmenu5.
function popupmenu5_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu5 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: contents = cellstr(get(hObject,'String')) returns popupmenu5 contents as cell array
%        contents{get(hObject,'Value')} returns selected item from popupmenu5

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function popupmenu5_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu5 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: popupmenu controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
  set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

% --- Executes on selection change in popupmenu9.
function popupmenu9_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu9 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: contents = cellstr(get(hObject,'String')) returns popupmenu9 contents as cell array
%        contents{get(hObject,'Value')} returns selected item from popupmenu9

% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function popupmenu9_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to popupmenu9 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: popupmenu controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
  set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end

function edit1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: get(hObject,'String') returns contents of edit1 as text
%        str2double(get(hObject,'String')) returns contents of edit1 as a double

%Input X-Min value for axes1
user_entry = str2double(get(hObject, 'String'));
if isnan(user_entry)
  errordlg('You must enter a numeric value.')
  uicontrol(hObject)
  return
end
hold(handles.axes1, 'on');
ishandle(handles.axes1);
set(handles.axes1, 'XLim', [user_entry Inf]);
drawnow();

% xlim(handles.axes1,[user_entry Inf]); %second possible method
guidata(hObject, handles);

[Walter Roberson]

Note that

handles.axes1 = axes('XScale', 'linear');

creates a new axis, rather than changing the current handles.axes1 to be linear.

[Melvin]

Thanks for your help Walter.

I realized my problem this morning. The subplot function in the open file function was overwriting all of the axes handles I created in the GUI guide. So I removed them and instead placed my data in each by selecting each respective axes with the axes() function and then immediately plotting them.