Calling local functions from command line

Question

I have a local function defined in an m-file. For example:

% begining of public_function.m file
function fh = public_function( )
%
% do some computation...

fh = @local_function; % return function handle to local function defined below

function y = local_function( x )
% 
% a local function inside public_function.m file
% 

% some manipulation on x
y = x;

% end of public_function.m file NOTE THAT local_function is NOT nested

Now, I would like to call local_function from command line (and not from public_function). I was able to do so using the function handle returned from public_function:

>> fh = public_function(); % got handle to local_function
>> y = fh( x ); % calling the local function from command line :-)

My question:
Is there any other way (apart from explicitly pass the function handle) to call local function from command line (or other m-file/functions)?

More precisely, I want a method to access any local function in a file (provided that I know its name). So, if I have public_function.m file (and function) and I know that local_function is local to that file, is there a way to access local_function from command line ?

Answer 1

The official documentation says that:

... you cannot call a local function from the command line or from functions in other files.

According to this, you must pass its handle to the caller in order to allow invoking it indirectly outside its m-file. I believe that there is no documented sensible way to access local functions otherwise.

Oddly though, you can still do this with help:

help public_function>local_function