What is the difference between PRJ files associate with Toolboxes and PRJ files associated with a standalone MATLAB Project?

I was looking at the .prj file that gets generated when packaging a custom MATLAB toolbox and comparing it to the .prj files that are created through the MATLAB Projects feature. It seems like these two files are quite different yet share the same file extension.

Could you clarify the differences/similarities between these two .prj files?

When I open one, it opens the MATLAB Project browser, while opening the other opens the Toolbox Packaging tool.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

The PRJ file within a toolbox represents an integration of MATLAB Projects feature into the Toolbox development workflow.

The PRJ file associated with a toolbox provides a reproducible environment for writing and testing toolbox code (by defining and managing the path, as a standalone MATLAB Project does). By defining this environment, a project also enables MATLAB to quickly determine dependencies and notice packaging errors within the toolbox. Finally, when a new version of the toolbox is ready for release, the organization capabilities of the project make it easy to automate common tasks, such as running tests and packaging.

For more information about how MATLAB Projects integrates with the Toolbox workflow, see the article linked below:

https://blogs.mathworks.com/developer/2020/06/11/project-yourself/