Additional license data - Undocumented Matlab

Matlab’s license function returns the primary license number/ID used by Matlab, but no information about the various toolboxes that may be installed. The ver function returns a bit more information, listing the version number and installation date of installed toolboxes (even user toolboxes, such as my IB-Matlab toolbox). However, no additional useful information is provided beyond that:

>> license
ans =
123456   % actual number redacted
>> ver
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATLAB Version: 9.1.0.441655 (R2016b)
MATLAB License Number: 123456
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional  Version 6.1 (Build 7601: Service Pack 1)
Java Version: Java 1.7.0_60-b19 with Oracle Corporation Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM mixed mode
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATLAB                                                Version 9.1         (R2016b)
Curve Fitting Toolbox                                 Version 3.5.4       (R2016b)
Database Toolbox                                      Version 7.0         (R2016b)
Datafeed Toolbox                                      Version 5.4         (R2016b)
Financial Instruments Toolbox                         Version 2.4         (R2016b)
Financial Toolbox                                     Version 5.8         (R2016b)
GUI Layout Toolbox                                    Version 2.2.1       (R2015b)
Global Optimization Toolbox                           Version 3.4.1       (R2016b)
IB-Matlab - Matlab connector to InteractiveBrokers    Version 1.89        Expires: 1-Apr-2018
Image Processing Toolbox                              Version 9.5         (R2016b)
MATLAB Coder                                          Version 3.2         (R2016b)
MATLAB Report Generator                               Version 5.1         (R2016b)
Optimization Toolbox                                  Version 7.5         (R2016b)
Parallel Computing Toolbox                            Version 6.9         (R2016b)
Statistical Graphics Toolbox                          Version 1.2
Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox               Version 11.0        (R2016b)
>> v = ver
v =
  1×16 struct array with fields:
    Name
    Version
    Release
    Date
>> v(1)
ans =
  struct with fields:
       Name: 'Curve Fitting Toolbox'
    Version: '3.5.4'
    Release: '(R2016b)'
       Date: '25-Aug-2016'
>> v(8)
ans =
  struct with fields:
       Name: 'IB-Matlab - Matlab connector to InteractiveBrokers'
    Version: '1.89'
    Release: 'Expires: 1-Apr-2018'
       Date: '02-Feb-2017'

>> license ans = 123456 % actual number redacted >> ver ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MATLAB Version: 9.1.0.441655 (R2016b) MATLAB License Number: 123456 Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Version 6.1 (Build 7601: Service Pack 1) Java Version: Java 1.7.0_60-b19 with Oracle Corporation Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM mixed mode ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MATLAB Version 9.1 (R2016b) Curve Fitting Toolbox Version 3.5.4 (R2016b) Database Toolbox Version 7.0 (R2016b) Datafeed Toolbox Version 5.4 (R2016b) Financial Instruments Toolbox Version 2.4 (R2016b) Financial Toolbox Version 5.8 (R2016b) GUI Layout Toolbox Version 2.2.1 (R2015b) Global Optimization Toolbox Version 3.4.1 (R2016b) IB-Matlab - Matlab connector to InteractiveBrokers Version 1.89 Expires: 1-Apr-2018 Image Processing Toolbox Version 9.5 (R2016b) MATLAB Coder Version 3.2 (R2016b) MATLAB Report Generator Version 5.1 (R2016b) Optimization Toolbox Version 7.5 (R2016b) Parallel Computing Toolbox Version 6.9 (R2016b) Statistical Graphics Toolbox Version 1.2 Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox Version 11.0 (R2016b) >> v = ver v = 1×16 struct array with fields: Name Version Release Date >> v(1) ans = struct with fields: Name: 'Curve Fitting Toolbox' Version: '3.5.4' Release: '(R2016b)' Date: '25-Aug-2016' >> v(8) ans = struct with fields: Name: 'IB-Matlab - Matlab connector to InteractiveBrokers' Version: '1.89' Release: 'Expires: 1-Apr-2018' Date: '02-Feb-2017'

It is sometimes useful to know which license number “owns” which product/toolbox, and the expiration date is associated with each of them. Unfortunately, there is no documented way to retrieve this information in Matlab – the only documented way is to go to your account section on the MathWorks website and check there.
Luckily, there is a simpler way that can be used to retrieve additional information, from right inside Matlab, using matlab.internal.licensing.getFeatureInfo:

>> all_data = matlab.internal.licensing.getFeatureInfo
all_data =
  23×1 struct array with fields:
    feature
    expdate
    keys
    license_number
    entitlement_id
>> all_data(20)
ans =
  struct with fields:
           feature: 'optimization_toolbox'
           expdate: '31-mar-2018'
              keys: 0
    license_number: '123456'
    entitlement_id: '1409891'
>> all_data(21)
ans =
  struct with fields:
           feature: 'optimization_toolbox'
           expdate: '07-mar-2017'
              keys: 0
    license_number: 'DEMO'
    entitlement_id: '3749959'

As can be seen in this example, I have the Optimization toolbox licensed under my main Matlab license (123456 [actual number redacted]) until 31-mar-2018, and also licensed under a trial (DEMO) license that expires in 3 weeks. As long as a toolbox has any future expiration date, it will continue to function, so in this case I’m covered until March 2018.
We can also request information about a specific toolbox (“feature”):

>> data = matlab.internal.licensing.getFeatureInfo('matlab')
data =
  3×1 struct array with fields:
    feature
    expdate
    keys
    license_number
    entitlement_id
>> data(1)
data =
  struct with fields:
           feature: 'matlab'
           expdate: '31-mar-2018'
              keys: 0
    license_number: '123456'
    entitlement_id: '1409891'

The drawback of this functionality is that it only provides information about MathWorks’ toolbox, not any user-provided toolboxes (such as my IB-Matlab connector, or MathWorks’ own GUI Layout toolbox). Also, some of the toolbox names may be difficult to understand (“gads_toolbox” apparently stands for the Global Optimization Toolbox, for example):

>> {all_data.feature}
ans =
  1×23 cell array
  Columns 1 through 4
    'curve_fitting_toolbox'    'database_toolbox'    'datafeed_toolbox'    'distrib_computing_toolbox'
  Columns 5 through 8
    'distrib_computing_toolbox'    'excel_link'    'fin_instruments_toolbox'    'financial_toolbox'
  Columns 9 through 15
    'gads_toolbox'    'gads_toolbox'    'image_toolbox'    'image_toolbox'    'matlab'    'matlab'    'matlab'
  Columns 16 through 20
    'matlab_coder'    'matlab_coder'    'matlab_report_gen'    'matlab_report_gen'    'optimization_toolbox'
  Columns 21 through 23
    'optimization_toolbox'    'optimization_toolbox'    'statistics_toolbox'

A related undocumented builtin function is matlab.internal.licensing.getLicInfo:

% Information on a single toolbox/product:
>> matlab.internal.licensing.getLicInfo('matlab')
ans =
  struct with fields:
     license_number: {'123456'  'Prerelease'  'T3749959'}
    expiration_date: {'31-mar-2018'  '30-sep-2016'  '07-mar-2017'}
% Information on multiple toolboxes/products:
>> matlab.internal.licensing.getLicInfo({'matlab', 'image_toolbox'})  % cell array of toolbox/feature names
ans =
  1×2 struct array with fields:
    license_number
    expiration_date
% The full case-insensitive names of the toolboxes can also be used:
>> matlab.internal.licensing.getLicInfo({'Matlab', 'Image Processing toolbox'})
ans =
  1×2 struct array with fields:
    license_number
    expiration_date
% And here's how to get the full list (MathWorks products only):
>> v=ver; data=matlab.internal.licensing.getLicInfo({v.Name})
data =
  1×16 struct array with fields:
    license_number
    expiration_date

I have [still] not found any way to associate a user toolbox/product (such as my IB-Matlab) in a way that will report it in a unified manner with the MathWorks products. If anyone finds a way to do this, please do let me know.
p.s. – don’t even think of asking questions or posting comments on this website related to illegal uses or hacks of the Matlab license…

6 Responses

Mikhail February 15, 2017 at 20:45 Reply

Try “ver -support” to get a listing with license numbers for each toolbox.

Yair Altman February 15, 2017 at 20:52 Reply

@Mikhail – yes, but (alas) without expiration dates…

Collin February 16, 2017 at 04:39 Reply

This may get you what you want

function out = getInstalled()
    % Problem with the support_packages implementor
    knowGoodTypes = {'toolbox','app','product','zip'};
    out = {};
    k = 1;
 
    % Get implementors
    jImplementors = com.mathworks.addons_common.AddonManagerFactory.getImplementors();
    pause(0.5);
 
    iter = jImplementors.listIterator;
    while iter.hasNext
        jImp = iter.next;
        type = char(jImp.getAddonTypeServiced);
        if ismember(type, knowGoodTypes)
            try
                jInstalledList = jImp.getInstalled;
                lenInstalled = length(jInstalledList);
                for itr = 1 : lenInstalled
                    jInstalled = jInstalledList(itr);
                    itype = char(jInstalled.getInstalledAddOnsMetadataToBeSentToManager.getDisplayType);
                    iname = char(jInstalled.getName);
                    iver =  char(jInstalled.getVersion);
                    idate = char(jInstalled.getInstalledDate.toString);
                    out{k,1} = [itype,' : ',iname,' ', iver,' ', idate];
                    k = k+1;
                end
            catch
            end
        end
    end
 
end

Brad Stiritz February 17, 2017 at 05:17 Reply

Hi Yair,

I noticed “Statistical Graphics Toolbox” in your version listing. What is that, if I may ask, please? I couldn’t find any info on my own. Thanks in advance.

Yair Altman February 17, 2017 at 09:41 Reply

@Brad – This is the graphics package which is part of the Lightspeed toolbox by Tom Minka.

Andrew February 6, 2018 at 19:00 Reply

Is there any way to return a floating toolbox license without closing the Matlab session? Its not uncommon for me to find that somewhere in my code base I accessed an obscure toolbox which another user now wants to use. At present the only way to that I know of to release the license is to stop what I am doing and shut down Matlab.

Nicholas (4 days 9 hours ago): Hi Yair, Thanks for the reply. I am on Windows 10. I also forgot to mention that this all works wonderfully out of the editor. It only fails once compiled. So, yes, I have tried a...
Nicholas (4 days 9 hours ago): Hi Yair, Thanks for the reply. I am on Windows 10. I also forgot to mention that this all works wonderfully out of the editor. It only fails once compiled. So, yes, I have tried a...
Yair Altman (4 days 16 hours ago): Nicholas – yes, I used it in a compiled Windows app using R2022b (no update). You didn’t specify the Matlab code location that threw the error so I can’t help...
Nicholas (5 days 12 hours ago): Hi Yair, Have you attempted your displayWebPage utility (or the LightweightHelpPanel in general) within a compiled application? It appears to fail in apps derived from both R2022b...
João Neves (8 days 17 hours ago): I am on matlab 2021a, this still works: url = struct(struct(struct(struct(hF ig).Controller).PlatformHost). CEF).URL; but the html document is empty. Is there still a way to do...
Yair Altman (11 days 15 hours ago): Perhaps the class() function could assist you. Or maybe just wrap different access methods in a try-catch so that if one method fails you could access the data using another...
Jeroen Boschma (11 days 18 hours ago): Never mind, the new UI components have an HTML panel available. Works for me…
Alexandre (11 days 19 hours ago): Hi, Is there a way to test if data dictionnatry entry are signal, simulink parameters, variables … I need to access their value, but the access method depends on the data...
Nicholas (12 days 9 hours ago): In case anyone is looking for more info on the toolbar: I ran into some problems creating a toolbar with the lightweight panel. Previously, the Browser Panel had an addToolbar...
Jeroen Boschma (15 days 16 hours ago): I do not seem to get the scrollbars (horizontal…) working in Matlab 2020b. Snippets of init-code (all based on Yair’s snippets on this site) handles.text_explorer...
Yair Altman (43 days 18 hours ago): m_map is a mapping tool, not even created by MathWorks and not part of the basic Matlab system. I have no idea why you think that the customizations to the builtin bar function...
chengji chen (44 days 1 hour ago): Hi, I have tried the method, but it didn’t work. I plot figure by m_map toolbox, the xticklabel will add to the yticklabel at the left-down corner, so I want to move down...
Yair Altman (51 days 18 hours ago): @Alexander – this is correct. Matlab stopped including sqlite4java in R2021b (it was still included in 21a). You can download the open-source sqlite4java project from...
Alexander Eder (57 days 13 hours ago): Unfortunately Matlab stopped shipping sqlite4java starting with R2021(b?)
K (64 days 0 hours ago): Is there a way to programmatically manage which figure gets placed where? Let’s say I have 5 figures docked, and I split it into 2 x 1, I want to place 3 specific figures on the...

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