MATLAB Programming

Function Handles
isequal(h1, h2)
ans =
1
Additional Information on Function Handles
This section covers the following topics:
• “Maximum Length of a Function Name” on page 4-31
• “How MATLAB Constructs a Function Handle” on page 4-31
• “Saving and Loading Function Handles” on page 4-32
Maximum Length of a Function Name
Function names used in handles are unique up to N characters, where N is
the number returned by the function namelengthmax. If the function name
exceeds that length, MATLAB truncates the latter part of the name.
For function handles created for Java constructors, the length of any
segment of the package name or class name must not exceed namelengthmax
characters. (The term segment refers to any portion of the name that lies
before, between, or after a dot. For example, java.lang.String has three
segments). The overall length of the string specifying the package and class
has no limit.
How MATLAB Constructs a Function Handle
Atthetimeyoucreateafunctionhandle,MATLABmapsthehandletooneor
more implementations of the function specified in the constructor statement:
fhandle = @functionname
In selecting which function(s) to map to, MATLAB considers
• Scope — The function named must be on the MATLAB path at the time
the handle is constructed.
• Precedence — MATLAB selects which function(s) to map to according to
the function precedence rules described under “How MATLAB Determines
Which Method to Call” on page 9-72.
4-31