samer@0: % *** db :: functions for dealing with MAT file database
samer@0: %
samer@0: % The Prolog-Matlab interface module plml requires these functions
samer@0: % to manage a database of MAT files and a few other tasks. The MAT
samer@0: % file database (matbase) is stored in the file system under a root
samer@0: % directory specified by a call to dbroot, eg to specify the 
samer@0: % directory lib/matbase off your home directory on a host named 
samer@0: % 'godzilla' (the host name must be supplied to allow for multiple
samer@0: % hosts to use the same root directory):
samer@0: %
samer@0: %    dbroot('~/lib/matbase','godzilla');
samer@0: %
samer@0: % From this point, any calls to dbsave will result in files being
samer@0: % created under ~/lib/matbase/godzilla. MAT files in the matbase
samer@0: % are referred to using a locator, which is a string of the form
samer@0: %
samer@0: %    <host>/<path>/<filename>|<varname>
samer@0: %
samer@0: % This refers to a Matlab variable named <varname> in a MAT file
samer@0: % whos path is constructed using the matbase root, the host name,
samer@0: % and the <path> component of the locator. Eg, after the above
samer@0: % dbroot statement, the locator
samer@0: % 
samer@0: %    'godzilla/d0608/m34521|x'
samer@0: %
samer@0: % refers to the MAT file ~/lib/matbase/godzilla/d0608/m34521.mat
samer@0: % NOTE: this is probably not going to work for Windows users due
samer@0: % to silly slash vs backslash file separator issues. 
samer@0: % The functions in this directory are:
samer@0: %
samer@0: % dbdrop     - delete matfile at given locator from matbase
samer@0: % dbload     - Load value from given matbase locator
samer@0: % dbpath     - Return full path of matfile given locator
samer@0: % dbread     - Load values from ASCII file under matbase tree
samer@0: % dbroot     - Set or retrieve Matbase root directory
samer@0: % dbsave     - Save object to MatBase using given name
samer@0: % dbsaveas   - Save object to MatBase using given name
samer@0: % dbtmp      - Save object to matbase under tmp subtree
samer@0: % typecode   - Return basic typing information about a value
samer@0: % uniquefile - Allocate a unique unused filename
samer@0: % uniquevar  - Allocate a unique unused variable name
samer@0: