Variables in call to mex

I want to compile about 20 cpp files using the same include and library directories. For this reason, I want to define the directories once and then use them as variables in the mex calls. If I have

mex file1.cpp -LC:/folder1 -LC:/folder2 -LC:/folder3

mex file2.cpp -LC:/folder1 -LC:/folder2 -LC:/folder3

mex file3.cpp -LC:/folder1 -LC:/folder2 -LC:/folder3

I would instead like to write

FOLDER1='C:/folder1'

FOLDER2='C:/folder2'

FOLDER3='C:/folder3'

mex file1.cpp -LFOLDER1-LFOLDER2 -LFOLDER3

mex file2.cpp -LFOLDER1-LFOLDER2 -LFOLDER3

mex file3.cpp -LFOLDER1-LFOLDER2 -LFOLDER3

but it does not seem to work?

Answer 1

[Geoff Hayes]

Anders - the way you are doing this is probably leading to some warnings such as

 ld: warning: directory not found for option '-LFOLDER1'
 ld: warning: directory not found for option '-LFOLDER2'
 ld: warning: directory not found for option '-LFOLDER3'

Try using the sprintf and eval functions to build a command (string) and then evaluate it.

 FOLDER1='C:/folder1';
 FOLDER2='C:/folder2';
 FOLDER3='C:/folder3';

 for k=1:20
     cmd = sprintf('mex file%d.cpp -L%s -L%s -L%s',k,FOLDER1,FOLDER2,FOLDER3);
     eval(cmd);
 end

Note that each iteration of the loop will build a string such as

 'mex file1.cpp -LC:/folder1 -LC:/folder2 -LC:/folder3'

which has the folder variables "built" in to the command string.

Answer 2

[Anders]

That worked, thanks!