Get Dependent Files

This function will analyze an input file for all dependent functions. It works with scripts, functions, and classDef files. It also can return any calls to external functions, toolboxes, built-in functions, Java functions, and other unknown functions. The function was developed specifically to handle large object-oriented projects with many class definitions, packages, and associated functions.

Included are methods to find all of the parent functions that call a listed function (or class). It can optionally return a sparse matrix indicating who calls whom.

Finally, a method is provided to find all of the orphans of a folder or class package that are not called by anyone -- so called "orphans".

For use with classes, this function must be called from the parent directory of any package folders, and other folders containing potential files of interest must be on the Matlab path.

Example usage:
% Constructor
D = getDependents('Main.m');

% Return list of all dependent files
w = D.dependentFiles

% Return direct calls made by ProgramManager.m
x = D.whoAreCalledBy('+myPkg\ProgramManager.m')

% Return files that directly call Job.m
y = D.whoCall('+myPkg\Job.m')

% Return orphans in (or below) the +myPkg package
z = D.findOrp('+myPkg')

% Return orphans in (or below) the \utilities folder
z = D.findOrp('utilities')

% List external, toolbox, builtin, Java, and unknown calls
[ex,tb,bi,ja,un] = D.parseCalls('javaProgram.m')

This function will recursively analyze any external functions called by the input rootFile. It does not recursively search toolbox functions, built-in functions, Java functions, or other unknown functions. It does not list other functions or methods within the same input rootFile.

getDependents.m uses undocumented features of Matlab (mtree, mtfind) which may not be available in future releases. Tested successfully with R2010a, R2011a, R2012a, and R2013a.