savepath — Persist the current MATLAB search path to pathdef.m with status and diagnostic outputs.
savepath writes the current MATLAB search path to a pathdef.m file so that future sessions can restore the same ordering. The file is a MATLAB function that returns the path character vector, matching MathWorks MATLAB semantics.
How savepath works in RunMat
savepath()with no inputs writes to the default RunMat location ($HOME/.runmat/pathdef.mon Linux/macOS,%USERPROFILE%\.runmat\pathdef.mon Windows). The directory is created automatically when required.savepath(file)writes to the specified file. Relative paths are resolved against the current working directory,~expands to the user's home folder, and supplying a directory (with or without a trailing separator) appends the standardpathdef.mfilename automatically.- The function does not modify the in-memory search path - it only writes the current state to disk. Callers can therefore continue editing the path after saving without interference.
status = savepath(...)returns0on success and1when the file cannot be written.[status, message, messageID] = savepath(...)returns MATLAB-style diagnostics describing the failure. Both message outputs are empty on success.- Invalid argument types raise
savepath: filename must be a character vector or string scalar. Empty filenames raisesavepath: filename must not be empty. - When the
RUNMAT_PATHDEFenvironment variable is set, the zero-argument form uses that override instead of the default location.
How savepath runs on the GPU
savepath runs entirely on the host. If callers supply a GPU-resident string, RunMat gathers it back to CPU memory before resolving the target path. No acceleration provider hooks or kernels are required.
GPU memory and residency
No. Because savepath interacts with the filesystem, GPU residency provides no benefit. The builtin automatically gathers GPU text inputs so existing scripts continue to work even if they accidentally construct filenames on the device.
Examples
Save The Current Search Path To The Default Location
status = savepath()Expected output:
status =
0Persist A Project-Specific Pathdef File
status = savepath("config/project_pathdef.m")Expected output:
status =
0Capture Status, Message, And Message ID
[status, message, messageID] = savepath("config/pathdef.m");
if status ~= 0
warning("Failed to save the path: %s (%s)", message, messageID);
endAppend Genpath Output And Persist The Result
tooling = genpath("third_party/toolchain");
addpath(tooling, "-end");
savepath()Save A Pathdef Using A Directory Argument
mkdir("~/.runmat/projectA");
savepath("~/.runmat/projectA/")Expected output:
% Creates ~/.runmat/projectA/pathdef.m with the current search path.Override The Target File With RUNMAT_PATHDEF
setenv("RUNMAT_PATHDEF", fullfile(tempdir, "pathdef-dev.m"));
savepath()Expected output:
% The file tempdir/pathdef-dev.m now contains the MATLAB path definition.Use gpuArray Inputs Transparently
status = savepath(gpuArray("pathdefs/pathdef_gpu.m"))Expected output:
status =
0Inspect The Generated pathdef.m File
savepath("toolbox/pathdef.m");
type toolbox/pathdef.mExpected output:
% Displays the MATLAB function that reproduces the saved search path.FAQ
Where does savepath write by default?
RunMat uses $HOME/.runmat/pathdef.m (Linux/macOS) or %USERPROFILE%\.runmat\pathdef.m (Windows). Set RUNMAT_PATHDEF to override this location.
Does savepath create missing folders?
Yes. When the parent directory does not exist, RunMat creates it automatically before writing the file.
What happens if the file is read-only?
savepath returns status = 1 together with the diagnostic message and message ID RunMat:savepath:cannotWriteFile. The existing file is left untouched.
Does savepath modify the current path?
No. It only writes out the path. Use addpath, rmpath, or path to change the in-memory value.
Are argument types validated?
Yes. Inputs must be character vectors or string scalars. String arrays with multiple elements and numeric arrays raise an error.
Is the generated file MATLAB-compatible?
Yes. RunMat writes a MATLAB function named pathdef that returns the exact character vector stored by the path builtin, so MathWorks MATLAB and RunMat can both execute it.
How do I restore the path later?
Evaluate the generated pathdef.m (for example by calling run('~/pathdef.m')) and pass the returned value to path(). Future RunMat releases will load the default file automatically.
Can I store multiple path definitions?
Absolutely. Call savepath with different filenames for each profile, then run the desired file to switch.
Is savepath safe to call concurrently?
The builtin serializes through the filesystem. When multiple sessions write to the same path at once, the last write wins - this matches MATLAB's behavior.
Does savepath include the current folder (pwd)?
The file mirrors the output of the path builtin, which omits the implicit current folder exactly as MATLAB does.
Related functions to explore
These functions work well alongside savepath. Each page has runnable examples you can try in the browser.
path, addpath, rmpath, genpath, cd, copyfile, delete, dir, exist, fullfile, getenv, ls, mkdir, movefile, pwd, rmdir, setenv, tempdir, tempname
Open-source implementation
Unlike proprietary runtimes, every RunMat function is open-source. Read exactly how savepath works, line by line, in Rust.
- View savepath.rs on GitHub
- Learn how the runtime works
- Found a bug? Open an issue with a minimal reproduction.
About RunMat
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- Simulations that took hours now take minutes. RunMat automatically optimizes your math for GPU execution on Apple, Nvidia, and AMD hardware. No code changes needed.
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