Add Git Submodules

To reuse code from another repository, you can specify Git™ submodules.

To clone an external Git repository as a submodule:

Right-click in the MATLAB Current Folder browser, and select Source Control > Submodules.
In the Submodules dialog box, click Add.
In the Add Submodule dialog box, in the Remote box, specify a repository location. Optionally, click Validate.
In the Path box, specify a location for the submodule and click OK. The Submodules dialog box displays the status and details of the submodule.
Check the status message, and click Close.

Tip

You can use Git submodules to populate a referenced project. For more information, see Organize Projects into Components Using References and Git Submodules (Simulink) and watch How to Organize Large Projects into Components (3 min, 32 sec).

Update Submodules

After using Pull to get the latest changes from a remote repository, check that submodules are up to date by clicking Submodules and then click Update. If any submodule definition have changed, then the update ensures that the submodule folder contains the correct files. Update applies to all child submodules in the submodule hierarchy.

Use Fetch and Merge with Submodules

When you want to manage the added submodule, open the Submodules dialog box.

To get the latest version of a submodule, in the Submodules dialog box, click Fetch.
After fetching, you must merge. Check the Status message in the Submodules dialog box for information about your current branch relative to the remote tracking branch in the repository. When you see the message Behind, you need to merge in changes from the repository to your local branch.
Click Branches and merge in the origin changes to your local branch using the Branches dialog box.

Use Push to Send Changes to the Submodule Repository

If you make changes in your submodule and want to send changes back to the repository:

Perform a local commit in the parent folder.
Open the Submodules dialog box and click Push.

If you want other users to obtain your changes in the submodule when they clone the parent folder, make sure the index and head match.

In the Submodules dialog box, check the index and head values. The index points to the head commit at the time you first cloned the submodule, or when you last committed the parent folder. If the index and head do not match, you must update the index.
To update the index, commit your changes in the parent folder, and then click Push in the Submodules dialog box. This action makes the index and head the same.