Python-MATLAB(R) Bridge and ipython matlab_magic

A python interface to call out to Matlab(R). Original implementation by Max Jaderberg

This implementation also includes an ipython matlab_magic extension, which provides a much simplified interface for weaving python and Matlab code together.

Usage

For examples, check out the .ipynb files

API:

Initialize the Matlab class:

from pymatbridge import Matlab
mlab = Matlab()

By default the matlab executable is whatever gets called when you type 'matlab' in your terminal, the host is localhost and the port is a random unused port.

You can specify these in the following manner:

mlab = Matlab(matlab='/Applications/MATLAB_R2011a.app/bin/matlab',
                host='192.168.0.1', port=5151)

You must then start the MATLAB server:

mlab.start()

which will return True once connected.

You can then run any local MATLAB function contained within a .m file of the same name. For example, to call the function jk in jk.m:

%% MATLAB
function lol = jk(args)
    arg1 = args.arg1;
    arg2 = args.arg2;
    lol = arg1 + arg2;
end

by calling:

res = mlab.run_func('path/to/jk.m', {'arg1': 3, 'arg2': 5})
print res['result']

which will print 8.

Or you can run some arbitrary matlab code:

res = mlab.run_code('a=10; b=a+3')

You can shut down the MATLAB server by calling

mlab.stop()

NB: you can call MATLAB code before the server starts by adding code to the ./matlab/startup.m file.

Matlab magic:

This can be used in an ipython session in the following manner:

 import pymatbridge as pymat
 ip = get_ipython()
 pymat.load_ipython_extension(ip)

These lines will automatically start the matlab session for you. Then, you can simply decorate a line/cell with the '%matlab' or '%%matlab' decorator and write matlab code:

%%matlab 
a = linspace(0.01,6*pi,100);
plot(sin(a))
grid on
hold on
plot(cos(a),'r')

Examples

An example MATLAB function and usage from Python is shown in test.py and test.m and there. Example notebooks are in the '.ipynb' files.

Max Jaderberg 2012 Ariel Rokem 2012