Re: addpath, undefined functions

[Philip Nienhuis]

Hi Peter,

(please do "reply all" so others can follow. address@hidden 
added to To:)

Summers, Peter wrote:
> > 1. What is the exact path to the Octave install directory? Does it contain
> > spaces (e.g.,"C:\Program Files\Octave" ?)
>
> No -- I followed the default installation. It's C:\Octave\3.2.4_gcc-4.4.0

OK

> > 2. Exactly what did the addpath() command look like?
<snip>
> I combined this with your suggestion below about installing user scripts 
> outside octave. So I used
> addpath("C:\\users\\Bob&  Alice\\Documents\\octave");

(Is the ampersand position a typo? especially given the output of your 
path() command, where it says:
"
Octave's search path contains the following directories:
C:\users\Bob & Alice\Documents\octave
")

You can simply use single quotes and single backslashes.
Spaces in the path name had better be avoided, though on my PC (WinXP) 
that makes no difference, even multiple spaces.

<snip>
> Here's coher (I didn't write it). cospec is another function in the same 
> directory, and I think spec is in the signal package, which I've also installed.

Is function coher in a file called coher.m ?

> function h=coher(x,y,m,method)
<snip>

Looks OK

> > For a start, you can try to put a simple function file test.m at the same
> > location and see if it gets picked up:
>
> > #======= cut here =========
> > ret = function test (a, b)
> > ret = a + b;
> > endfunction
> > #======= cut here =========
>
> > and calling it by c = test (a, b)
>
> The test function works (after correcting the first line to 'edit '). I pasted 
> this into notepad++, saved it to the same directory (c:\users\...\octave), and 
> it ran fine. It generates an error if I try to access it from the install 
> directory though:

Oopsie, yep I typed too fast :-)

> octave-3.2.4.exe:38>  c = test(a,b)
> error: Invalid call to test.  Correct usage is:
>
>   -- Function File:  test NAME
>   -- Function File:  test NAME quiet|normal|verbose
>   -- Function File:  test ('NAME', 'quiet|normal|verbose', FID)
>   -- Function File:  test ([], 'explain', FID)
>   -- Function File: SUCCESS = test (...)
>   -- Function File: [N, MAX] = test (...)
>   -- Function File: [CODE, IDX] = test ('NAME','grabdemo')

Sorry, I forgot that "test" is an internal function.
Better rename to testa.m, containing first line "function ret = testa 
(a, b)"

Nevertheless, as internal test() isn't "shadowed" we can conclude your 
test.m isn't seen.

Wat if you do (in Octave):
 cd ('C:\users\Bob & Alice\Documents\octave')
 dir

Does coher.m show up?

>
> I hope the additional info is useful.

Yes, this helps to clarify.
But unfortunately I have run out of ideas; I don't have win7, only XP.
All I can say is that usually these type of seemingly enigmatic errors 
are caused by simple glitches of the typo/forgot-to-copy/etc. variety.

Philip