Documentation

A MATLAB^® live script is an interactive document that combines MATLAB code with embedded output, formatted text, equations, and images in a single environment called the Live Editor. Live scripts are stored using the Live Script file format in a file with a .mlx extension.

Use live scripts to

• Visually explore and analyze problems

  • Write, execute, and test code in a single interactive environment.

  • Run blocks of code individually or as a whole file, and view the results and graphics with the code that produced them.

  

• Share richly formatted, executable narratives

  • Add titles, headings, and formatted text to describe a process and include LaTeX equations, images, and hyperlinks as supporting material.

  • Save your narratives as richly formatted, executable documents and share them with colleagues or the MATLAB community, or convert them to HTML or PDF files for publication.

  

• Create interactive lectures for teaching

  • Combine code and results with formatted text and mathematical equations.

  • Create step-by-step lectures and evaluate them incrementally to illustrate a topic.

  • Modify code on the fly to answer questions or explore related topics.

  • Share lectures with students as interactive documents or in hardcopy format, and distribute partially completed files as assignments.

  

Live Script vs. Script

Live scripts differ from plain code scripts in several ways. This table summarizes the main differences.

Requirements

• MATLAB R2016a — MATLAB supports live scripts in versions R2016a and above. You can open live scripts as code only files in MATLAB versions R2014b, R2015a, and R2015b.

  Caution   Saving a live script in MATLAB versions R2014b, R2015a, and R2015b causes all formatted text, images, hyperlinks, equations, and generated output content to be lost.

• Operating System — MATLAB supports live scripts in most of the operating systems supported by MATLAB. For more information, see System Requirements.

  Unsupported versions include:

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop versions 13.0 and earlier.

  • Debian 7.6 and earlier.

Unsupported Features

When deciding whether to create a live script, it is important to note several features that the Live Editor does not support:

• Functions and classes — The Live Editor only supports functions in live scripts. You can create functions in the Live Editor by including them at the end of a live script. For more information, see Add Functions to Scripts. To create class or function files, create them as plain code files (.m). You then can call the functions and classes from your live scripts.

• Debugging using the graphical debugger — In the Live Editor, you cannot set breakpoints graphically or pause the execution of a live script using the Pause button. To debug your file, see Debugging in live scripts. Alternatively, you can Save your live script as a plain code file (.m).

  If a breakpoint is placed in a plain code file (.m) that is called from a live script, MATLAB ignores the breakpoint when the live script is executed.

• Editor preferences — The Live Editor ignores most Editor preferences, including custom keyboard shortcuts and Emacs-style keyboard shortcuts.

• Generating Reports — MATLAB does not include live scripts when generating reports. This includes Code Analyzer, TODO/FIXME, Help, Contents, Dependency, and Coverage reports.

Save Live Script as Script

To save a live script as a plain code file (.m).

1. On the Live Editor tab, in the File section, select Save > Save As....

2. In the dialog box that appears, select MATLAB Code files (*.m) as the Save as type.

3. Click Save.

When saving, MATLAB converts all formatted content to publish markup.