@Sharavan – yes, as long as you place the code in a Matlab s-function. The syntax should be the same as that shown on this blog.

Best Regards
Sharavan

Thanks for the quick reply Yair!
I didn’t get how you identify the process ID of the called process though…? Perhaps something very easy I’m missing?
But, I found a solution in the spirit of your last code example, which seems to be working:

function [out, tlimexceeded] = runscript(script, settings)
out = 0;
tlimexceeded = 0;
runtime = java.lang.Runtime.getRuntime();
process = runtime.exec(script);
process_start = tic;

while(1) %Check for completion
    pause(settings.CompletionCheckInterval)
    try
        out = process.exitValue(); %Throws IllegalThreadStateException if process not completed
        break;
    catch
        %Process still running
    end %try-catch
    
    if (toc(process_start) > settings.TimeLimit)
        process.destroy();
        fprintf('Time limit exceeded\n');
        tlimexceeded = 1;
        out = 0;
    end
end %while

@Knut – you can use the tasklist command on Windows. For example:

>> procId = feature('getPID');  % Matlab's own process ID
>> str = evalc('system([''tasklist /v /fi "PID eq '' num2str(procId) ''" /FO LIST'']);')
str = 
Image Name:   MATLAB.exe 
PID:          15212 
Session Name: Console 
Session#:     1 
Mem Usage:    1,314,408 K 
Status:       Running 
User Name:    Thinkpad-E530\BMPA 
CPU Time:     0:11:52 
Window Title: MATLAB R2016b 

Alternately, you can use System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessById(procId) to determine whether a process is running or not, and if it is then you can also retrieve some process properties from the returned data object:

try
   procObject = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessById(procId);
   processName = char(procObject.ProcessName);  % procObj can be queried 
   isRunning = true;
catch
   isRunning = false;
end

For Linux/MacOS, see here or simply use the ps (rather than tasklist) command with system.

runtime = java.lang.Runtime.getRuntime();
process = runtime.exec('runsim.bat');
process_start = tic;
while(true)
	pause(CompletionCheckInterval)
 	if process.isCompleted()  %I would like a command like this!
  		break;
 	elseif toc(process_start) > TimeLimit
		process.destroy();
		break;
	end %if
end %while

@MU – I think you should ask MathWorks support about this – perhaps it’s a bug in the Matlab Compiler.

Hi Yair,

I was wondering if batch workers (parallel computing toolbox) have their own timers that we can use. Or are these disabled (much in the same way as GUI objects).

Many thanks for your help.

@Stefan – Good find on the matlabcentral post. That will save me from more time pursuing unlikely prospects. Thanks all.