MATLAB and the Studio web application

Chosen design: Studio with MATLINK

OpenDPD Studio is the toolbox GUI. opendpd.studio() connects the active MATLAB session and opens Studio's MATLINK tab in the system browser. MATLINK provides signal import and report delivery. Existing Studio pages provide datasets, model configuration, training, plots and comparisons.

MATLAB desktop                         OpenDPD Studio in browser
  base workspace                         MATLINK + existing workflow
       |                                             |
  MATLABBridge timer                                 |
       |                                             |
  Python SDK -------- authenticated local Studio service
                              |
                workspace / datasets / queue / results
                              |
                       Python training workers

The browser sends a small set of named requests to the workspace service. A MATLAB timer publishes session presence and numeric variable metadata, collects requests, executes permitted operations, and reports their outcomes. The browser cannot evaluate arbitrary MATLAB code. Variable access accepts validated identifiers; report delivery generates unused names before writing to the base workspace.

This design lets users select visible variables and named experiments. It removes copying run IDs between applications and keeps the existing Studio training flow. Script users can still use Job handles and saved IDs for reproducible automation and reconnection.

Can a web app be a MATLAB GUI?

MATLAB supports local HTML/CSS/JavaScript controls through uihtml, including MATLAB-to-JavaScript data and events. MathWorks documents that uihtml cannot embed third-party web applications using external URLs. See the uihtml reference.

MATLAB's public web(url, '-browser') API opens Studio in the system browser. Using this supported launch path lets the toolbox reuse the complete existing web application. See the web reference. The toolbox does not try to place a remote URL inside a MATLAB iframe.

Option	Fit for OpenDPD
Studio in the browser + MATLINK	Current default. Reuses Studio's screens and flow; a MATLAB session performs signal exchange.
Local `uifigure` + `uihtml` window	Not shipped. It would duplicate Studio's screens, and a second GUI would have to be kept in step with the first.
Entire Studio in `uihtml` via external URL/iframe	Outside the documented uihtml support contract and incompatible with Studio's anti-frame protection.
Rewrite Studio in native App Designer controls	Would duplicate model configuration, plots and experiment workflows.
MATLAB Web App Server	Deploys compiled App Designer applications; it is not a host for the existing React Studio application.

MathWorks describes its Compiler/App Designer deployment workflow in Create and Deploy a Web App and Web App Server requirements. The MATLINK design requires neither MATLAB Compiler nor Web App Server.

Connection and request lifetime

opendpd.studio() retains a timer-backed bridge in the MATLAB session, including when called without an output. The bridge owns a Project connection when it creates one. A Project passed by the caller remains caller-owned and is usable after MATLINK disconnects.

Closing a browser tab leaves the MATLAB bridge active.
MATLAB executes requests when it can process callbacks. Long blocking MATLAB work can delay requests and make presence appear offline.
Returning to callback processing renews the heartbeat.
Disconnecting or closing MATLAB ends pending exchanges and automatic delivery.
The workspace service and training continue independently. Reconnect and send a saved report again when needed.

A completed experiment's primary report, resolved configuration and registered plot arrays are transferred as a MATLAB struct. Generated paired datasets are loaded as full continuous I/Q arrays after verifying their recorded hashes. All batch captures are included, with per-capture metadata. Send when ready waits for successful completion while the session is connected. This version keeps waveform inference and export in the script API; it does not transfer model weights into native MATLAB execution.

Service and data boundaries

The SDK reuses Studio's launcher, workspace lock, sessions, CSRF protection, queue and workers. Both clients attach to one local workspace service. Opening Studio exchanges a private bootstrap token for a session cookie and redirects to a supported local route. Same-origin, CSRF and anti-frame protections remain in place. This version serves loopback only.

The allowed browser requests cover refreshing variable metadata, generating paired-dataset delivery, importing a selected pair, receiving a saved result bundle, and opening a delivered variable. MATLAB executes these fixed operations through toolbox code. It never accepts a general expression or script from MATLINK. Dataset storage and signal execution rules match the script workflow.

Packaging and future scope

The .mltbx contains MATLAB source, examples, tests and offline help. Python dependencies and built Studio assets belong to the selected OpenDPD environment/checkout; experiment artifacts belong to the workspace. The Apps gallery entry launches opendpd.studio() through the public ToolboxOptions API.

Further work includes waveform selection and transfer in MATLINK, more validated inference adapters, MATLAB release/platform checks and measured hardware workflows. Simulink, stateful streaming and remote deployment require their own execution and lifecycle designs.

Toolbox capabilities

The MATLAB class advertises dataset_export and result_bundle capabilities. Older toolbox connections remain usable for their original operations; the server rejects new operations before an older class could ignore their options. The generator uses the same batch and Virtual PA dataset APIs as Studio. Transfer acknowledgments gate navigation to the experiment page. A retry reuses the generated dataset, and queued requests use stable idempotency keys.