Calling Matlab Compiler from inside C# app throws exception

Question

I found this code to invoke the Matlab compiler, it works fine when the function is called from Matlab command prompt, I build this function to .Net Assembly but whenever I try to use it in my C# app in order to build some .m file I get an exception, where do you think my problem is?

Matlab Code:

function compileCode(mfile,dllName , dnetdir)

    %% Create directories if needed
    if (exist(dnetdir, 'dir') ~= 7)
        mkdir(dnetdir);
    end

    %% Build .NET Assembly
    eval(['mcc -N -d ''' dnetdir ''' -W ''dotnet:' dllName ',' ...
          '' dllName ',0.0,private'' -T link:lib ''' mfile '''']);
    end

C# code:

var cmm = new compiler.MatlabCompiler();
MWCharArray x = new MWCharArray(@"C:\Users\ePezhman\Documents\MATLAB\Graph2D.m");
MWCharArray y = new MWCharArray("Graph");
MWCharArray z = new MWCharArray(@"C:\Matlab\dotnet");
cmm.compileCode(x,y,z);

Exception:

... MWMCR::EvaluateFunction error ... Undefined function 'mcc' for input arguments of type 'char'. Error in => compileCode.m at line 9.

... Matlab M-code Stack Trace ... at file C:\Users\ePezhman\AppData\Local\Temp\ePezhman\mcrCache8.0\compil0\compiler\compileCode.m, name compileCode, line 9.

Answer 1

Interesting, I assume you are trying to compile a function that can dynamically compile other functions..

Unfortunately, I dont think the mcc function can be compiled/deployed itself

---

To be exact, the problem you are seeing is because MATLAB needs to know all functions called at compile-time, and by using eval, it wont figure it out on its own (since it wont parse inside the string). You can fix this particular issue by writing special comments for the compiler..

function myEval()
    %#function foo
    eval('...');
end

(Another alternative is using function handles).

Still even if you do that, it will fail at runtime inside the mcc function saying that: "License checkout failed, [...] Cannot find a valid license for Compiler".

The reason is as mentioned in the comments, mcc is a development tool and cannot be deployed to standalone programs which only depends on the free MCR runtime.

Think about it, if it was possible, it would defeat the whole purpose of buying licenses for the product, as you could create a standalone program that can compiler other codes without having the Compiler toolbox :)