entry point to c/c++ or Fortran MEX-file

http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/apiref/mexfunction.html

mexFunction (C and Fortran) - Entry point to C/C++ or Fortran MEX-file

C Syntax

#include "mex.h"

void mexFunction(int nlhs, mxArray *plhs[], int nrhs, 

  const mxArray *prhs[]);

Fortran Syntax

subroutine mexFunction(nlhs, plhs, nrhs, prhs)

integer*4 nlhs, nrhs

mwPointer plhs(*), prhs(*)

Arguments

nlhs

Number of expected output mxArray s

plhs

Array of pointers to the expected output mxArray s

nrhs

Number of input mxArray s

prhs

Array of pointers to the input mxArray s. Do not modify any prhs values in your MEX-file. Changing the data in these read-only mxArray s can produce undesired side effects.

Description

mexFunction is not a routine you call. Rather, mexFunction is the name of the gateway function in C (subroutine in Fortran) which every MEX-file requires. When you invoke a MEX-function, MATLAB software finds and loads the corresponding MEX-file of the same name. MATLAB then searches for a symbol named mexFunction within the MEX-file. If it finds one, it calls the MEX-function using the address of the mexFunction symbol. MATLAB displays an error message if it cannot find a routine named mexFunction inside the MEX-file.

When you invoke a MEX-file, MATLAB automatically seeds nlhs , plhs , nrhs , and prhs with the caller's information. In the syntax of the MATLAB language, functions have the general form:

[a,b,c,...] = fun(d,e,f,...)

where the ... denotes more items of the same format. The a,b,c... are left-hand side arguments, and the d,e,f... are right-hand side arguments. The arguments nlhs and nrhs contain the number of left-hand side and right-hand side arguments, respectively. prhs is an array of mxArray pointers whose length is nrhs . plhs is an array whose length is nlhs , where your function must set pointers for the returned left-hand side mxArray s.

Examples

See the following examples in matlabroot /extern/examples/mex .