How to get varargout to output text from pushbuttons in Matlab GUI?

Question

I am trying to create a GUI using GUIDE where it allows the user to pick one of two pushbuttons. The strings in the pushbuttons will vary each time (I haven't automated this yet), but when any of the pushbuttons is pushed, I'd like the GUI to put out the string as an output variable.

I have the code to where it shows the output in the workspace, but the handles are deleted before the OutputFn is called. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

Also, I'd like to use a 'Next' button. Ideally this should pull up the next two texts to be displayed on the pushbuttons, in an iterative manner, but I'd be happy to move past the hurdle of getting the output for now.Here is what I have so far:

function varargout = Select_A_B(varargin)
% SELECT_A_B MATLAB code for Select_A_B.fig
%      SELECT_A_B, by itself, creates a new SELECT_A_B or raises the existing
%      singleton*.
%
%      H = SELECT_A_B returns the handle to a new SELECT_A_B or the handle to
%      the existing singleton*.
%
%      SELECT_A_B('CALLBACK',hObject,eventData,handles,...) calls the local
%      function named CALLBACK in SELECT_A_B.M with the given input arguments.
%
%      SELECT_A_B('Property','Value',...) creates a new SELECT_A_B or raises the
%      existing singleton*.  Starting from the left, property value pairs are
%      applied to the GUI before Select_A_B_OpeningFcn gets called.  An
%      unrecognized property name or invalid value makes property application
%      stop.  All inputs are passed to Select_A_B_OpeningFcn via varargin.
%
%      *See GUI Options on GUIDE's Tools menu.  Choose "GUI allows only one
%      instance to run (singleton)".
%
% See also: GUIDE, GUIDATA, GUIHANDLES

% Edit the above text to modify the response to help Select_A_B

% Last Modified by GUIDE v2.5 18-Jun-2015 15:12:42

% Begin initialization code - DO NOT EDIT
gui_Singleton = 1;
gui_State = struct('gui_Name',       mfilename, ...
    'gui_Singleton',  gui_Singleton, ...
    'gui_OpeningFcn', @Select_A_B_OpeningFcn, ...
    'gui_OutputFcn',  @Select_A_B_OutputFcn, ...
    'gui_LayoutFcn',  [] , ...
    'gui_Callback',   []);
if nargin && ischar(varargin{1})
    gui_State.gui_Callback = str2func(varargin{1});
end

if nargout
    [varargout{1:nargout}] = gui_mainfcn(gui_State, varargin{:});
else
    gui_mainfcn(gui_State, varargin{:});
end
% End initialization code - DO NOT EDIT


% --- Executes just before Select_A_B is made visible.
function Select_A_B_OpeningFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles, varargin)
% This function has no output args, see OutputFcn.
% hObject    handle to figure
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)
% varargin   command line arguments to Select_A_B (see VARARGIN)

% Choose default command line output for Select_A_B
handles.output = hObject;
handles.string = '';
if isempty(varargin)
    varargin{1} = 1;
    varargin{2} = 1;
end
text1 = varargin{1};
text2 = varargin{2};
A = {'Apple';'Orange'};
B = {'Football';'Basketball'};
set(handles.pushbutton1,'string',A(text1)); % wait until we're ready
set(handles.pushbutton2,'string',B(text2)); % wait until we're ready

% Update handles structure
guidata(hObject, handles);

% UIWAIT makes Select_A_B wait for user response (see UIRESUME)
uiwait(handles.figure1);


% --- Outputs from this function are returned to the command line.
function varargout = Select_A_B_OutputFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% varargout  cell array for returning output args (see VARARGOUT);
% hObject    handle to figure
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Get default command line output from handles structure
varargout{1} = hObject;
varargout{2} = handles.string;


% --- Executes on button press in pushbutton1.
function pushbutton1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to pushbutton1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)
selectedButton = get(hObject,'String')
set(handles.string,'String',selectedButton);
guidata(hObject, handles);
close(gcf);

% --- Executes on button press in pushbutton2.
function pushbutton2_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to pushbutton2 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)
selectedButton = get(hObject,'String')
set(handles.string,'String',selectedButton);
guidata(hObject, handles);
close(gcf);


function edit1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)

% Hints: get(hObject,'String') returns contents of edit1 as text
%        str2double(get(hObject,'String')) returns contents of edit1 as a double


% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function edit1_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to edit1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

% Hint: edit controls usually have a white background on Windows.
%       See ISPC and COMPUTER.
if ispc && isequal(get(hObject,'BackgroundColor'), get(0,'defaultUicontrolBackgroundColor'))
    set(hObject,'BackgroundColor','white');
end


% --- Executes on button press in pushbutton3.
function pushbutton3_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to pushbutton3 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)


% --- Executes during object creation, after setting all properties.
function pushbutton1_CreateFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% hObject    handle to pushbutton1 (see GCBO)
% eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
% handles    empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called

Answer 1

I have the answer to my question. A summary of changes:

• Added uiresume (after adding uiwait in the Opening function) after each Callback
• Deleted close (gcf) after each Callback; if the figure closes, then hObject and handles in guidata are no longer accessible to the Output function
• Created a handle structure to contain the text of interest and saved that in guidata after each Callback function

• Saved the output from guidata to a .mat file in the Output function

  % --- Executes on button press in pushbutton1. function pushbutton1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles) % hObject handle to pushbutton1 (see GCBO) % eventdata reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB % handles structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA) selectedButton = get(hObject,'String') handles.string = selectedButton; guidata(hObject, handles); uiresume(handles.figure1); % close(gcf);

  function varargout = Select_A_B_OutputFcn(hObject, eventdata, handles) % varargout cell array for returning output args (see VARARGOUT); % hObject handle to figure % eventdata reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB % handles structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA) % Get default command line output from handles structure varargout{1} = hObject; varargout{2} = handles.string; save 'guioutput' delete(hObject)

Learnings from the post experience:

• I should’ve been more specific regarding my question. Hopefully I’ll get better with more experience and learning the correct ‘lingo’ to use.
• I should’ve pointed out in my first post that I did spend considerable time looking at multiple blogs and sites on Matlab GUI, guide, and guidata. Frankly, none of the sites that I found addressed my specific question.
• This post is the one that finally helped me figure out my mistake: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/141809-issue-with-gui-editbox-callback