Ways to Build Apps

There are different ways to build MATLAB^®apps:

Interactively, using App Designer
Programmatically, using MATLAB functions

Each of these approaches offers a different workflow and a slightly different set of functionality. The best choice for you depends on your project requirements and how you prefer to work.

Use App Designer

App Designer is a rich interactive environment introduced in R2016a, and it is the recommended environment for building apps in MATLAB. It includes a fully integrated version of the MATLAB editor. The layout and code views are tightly linked so that changes you make in one view immediately affect the other. A larger set of interactive components is available, including date picker, tree, and image. There are also features like a grid layout manager and automatic reflow options to make your app detect and adapt to changes in screen size. For more information, seeDevelop Apps Using App Designer.

UseMATLABFunctions to Create Apps Programmatically

You can also code the layout and behavior of your app entirely using MATLAB functions. In this approach, you create a figure to serve as the container for your UI using either theuifigureorfigurefunction. Then, you add components to it programmatically. Each type of figure supports different components and properties. Theuifigurefunction is the recommended function for building new apps, because it creates a figure that is specifically configured for app building. UI figures support the same types of modern graphics and interactive UI components that App Designer supports. For more information, seeDevelop Apps Programmatically.