matlabengine

MATLAB Engine API for Python

The MATLAB® Engine API for Python® provides a package to integrate MATLAB functionality directly with a Python application, creating an interface to call functions from your MATLAB installation from Python code.

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Requirements

Required MathWorks Products

• MATLAB release R2024b

Required 3rd Party Products

• Python 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, or 3.12
  • Supported Python versions by MATLAB release can be found here.

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Install

Windows

MATLAB Engine API for Python can be installed directly from the Python Package Index.

$ python -m pip install matlabengine==24.2.1

Linux®

Prior to installation, check the default install location of MATLAB by calling matlabroot in a MATLAB Command Window. By default, Linux installs MATLAB at:

/usr/local/MATLAB/R2024b

When MATLAB is not installed in the default location, the bin/architecture directory within the MATLAB root directory must be added to the environment variable LD_LIBRARY_PATH. The path can be added to the environment variable within the shell startup configuration file (for example, .bashrc for bash shell or .tcshrc for tcsh).

# in .bashrc
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:<matlabroot>/bin/glnxa64

# in .tcshrc
setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH ${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:<matlabroot>/bin/glnxa64

MATLAB Engine API for Python can be installed directly from the Python Package Index.

$ python -m pip install matlabengine==24.2.1

macOS

Prior to installation, check the default install location of MATLAB by calling matlabroot in a MATLAB Command Window. By default, macOS installs MATLAB at:

/Applications/MATLAB_R2024b.app

When MATLAB is not installed in the default location, the bin/architecture directory within the MATLAB root directory must be added to the environment variable DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH. The path can be added to the environment variable within the shell startup configuration file (for example, .bashrc for bash shell or .tcshrc for tcsh).

# in .bashrc
export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=$DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH:<matlabroot>/bin/maci64

# in .tcshrc
setenv DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH ${DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH}:<matlabroot>/bin/maci64

MATLAB Engine API for Python can be installed directly from the Python Package Index.

$ python -m pip install matlabengine==24.2.1

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Getting Started

• Start Python.
• Import the matlab.engine package into the Python session.
• Start a new MATLAB process by calling start_matlab. The start_matlab function returns a Python object which enables you to pass data and call functions executed by MATLAB.

>>> import matlab.engine
>>> eng = matlab.engine.start_matlab()
>>> eng.sqrt(4.0)
2.0

• Call either the exit or quit function to stop the engine. Exiting Python with an engine running stops the engine and its MATLAB processes.

>>> eng.quit()

See Start and Stop MATLAB Engine for Python for advanced startup examples.

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Examples

You can call any MATLAB function directly and return the results to Python.

>>> eng.plus(2, 3)
5
>>> eng.isprime(37)
True
>>> eng.gcd(100.0, 80.0, nargout=3)
(20.0, 1.0, -1.0)

See Call MATLAB Functions from Python for more usage examples.

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Limitations

Limitations of the MATLAB Engine API for Python can be found here.

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Troubleshooting

See Troubleshoot MATLAB Errors in Python for troubleshooting assistance.

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License

The license is available in the LICENSE.txt file within this repository.

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Support

Technical issues or enhancement requests can be submitted here.

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