setenv - Set environment variable - MATLAB (original) (raw)

Syntax

Description

setenv([varname](#d126e1661869),[varvalue](#d126e1661909)) sets the values of operating system environment variables. Ifvarname exists as an environment variable, thensetenv replaces its current value withvarvalue. If varname does not exist, then setenv creates an environment variable namedvarname and assigns varvalue to it.

setenv passes varname andvarvalue to the operating system unchanged. Special characters, such as ;, /,:, $, and %, are unexpanded in varvalue.

A process launched using the MATLAB® system, unix, dos, or! function reads the values assigned to variables using thesetenv function.

example

setenv([varname](#d126e1661869)) assigns a null value tovarname. This syntax is equivalent tosetenv(varname,""). On most UNIX® platforms, an environment variable can exist with an empty value (""). On the Microsoft® Windows® platform, this syntax is equivalent to removing the variable.

setenv([d](#mw%5Fcd7a3cdd-405b-4234-95a7-262032effdf3)) assigns all dictionary values to their associated environment variable names. (since R2023a)

Examples

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setenv("TEMP","C:\TEMP"); getenv("TEMP")

setenv("PATH",getenv("PATH") + ";D:\myfolder");

Create multiple environment variables, and then check that they exist.

setenv(["Var1" "Var2" "Var3" "Var4"],["Val1" "Val2" "Val3" "Val4"]); isenv(["Var1" "Var2"; "Var3" "Var4"])

ans = 2×2 logical array

1 1 1 1

Remove two of the environment variables using unsetenv, and then check that they no longer exist.

unsetenv(["Var1" "Var4"]); isenv(["Var1" "Var2"; "Var3" "Var4"])

ans = 2×2 logical array

0 1 1 0

You can also remove environment variables using setenv with missing. Change the value of one environment variable and remove another.

setenv(["Var2" "Var3"],["ValB" missing]); isenv(["Var1" "Var2"; "Var3" "Var4"])

ans = 2×2 logical array

0 1 0 0

Input Arguments

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Environment variable names, specified as a string array, character vector, or cell array of character vectors.

The maximum number of characters in varname is 215 – 2, or 32,766. Ifvarname contains the = character, then setenv throws an error. The behavior of environment variables with = in the name is not well defined.

Example: "PATH"

Environment variable values, specified as a string array, character vector, cell array of character vectors, or missing. Remove an environment variable by setting its value tomissing.

Example: "C:\TEMP"

Environment variable names and values, specified as a dictionary. The specified dictionary can contain string arrays or cell arrays of character vectors.

Example: dictionary(["varname1","varname2"],["varvalue1","varvalue2"])

Example: dictionary({'varname1','varname2'},{'varvalue1','varvalue2'})

Extended Capabilities

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Usage notes and limitations:

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

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Set values of multiple environment variables by using setenv with a string array or cell array of character vectors as input.

Remove an environment variable by setting its value tomissing.