Execute startup.m / finish.m automatically

[mtaniguch]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Yes, I believe that the feature to automatically execute startup.m and finish.m scripts, similar to the MATLAB desktop environment, is not yet implemented in this extension. This is crucial for users who rely on these scripts for their workflow.

Describe the solution you'd like
I would like this extension to be enhanced to automatically execute startup.m when a MATLAB session is initiated from VSCode, and finish.m when the MATLAB session is terminated or the VSCode window is closed.

Describe alternatives you've considered
The only alternative I can think of is to manually execute these scripts via the MATLAB command line, which is not as efficient.

Additional context
In my workflow, I use finish.m to track and manage the time I spend using MATLAB.

MATLAB : 24.2.0.2773142 (R2024b) Update 2
VSCode : 1.96.4 (user setup)
OS : Windows_NT x64 10.0.22621

[dklilley]

Thanks for raising this suggestion!

Do you want the same startup/finish scripts to run as when you launch MATLAB normally, or are you asking for custom scripts to be run when the extension launches MATLAB?

[mtaniguch]

Hi. @dklilley , thanks for the response!

In my case, I would like the same startup / finish scripts to be run as when launching MATLAB normally.

Additionally, in my environment, these scripts are located in the MATLAB PATH, and it seems that the same PATH can be referenced by the MATLAB session connected by the extension.

[dklilley]

Thanks for the confirmation!

It appears that the startup script is being correctly run when MATLAB is launched, but the finish script is not being executed when MATLAB is disconnected. I will look into whether there is a different way we need to terminate the MATLAB process.

[mtaniguch]

I see! In my environment as well, by adding questdlg, I was able to confirm that startup.m is being executed.
I didn't notice because nothing is displayed in the MATLAB command window in VSCode.
And, as you confirmed, it seems that finish.m is not being executed.

[dklilley]

Updating to a bug