Methods from Class Arrays - arrays

Question

I have several classes with a lot of methods and functions, which normally handles mx1 arrays. For a given class:
S1.x=randn(m,1);
S1+2*randn(m,1); % Plus Override
S1.smooth; % Class Methods
S1.detrend;
Now i wish to handle class arrays for the same given class, on a way like this;
S=[S1 S2 S3 S4];
S.smooth; % Methods for Class Array
S.detrend;
Question:
Is there a simple way for doing this, without rewritting all the functions implementing the class properties and methods?
I am looking for some specific addition, redefinition, piece of code, trick, etc. in order to do that in a clean way. The purpose of this is code functionality, not performance -the few performance critical functions are already vectorized-.
Greetings,

Answer 1

How about that:
classdef TestClass
methods
function smooth(obj)
if numel(obj) == 1
disp('Hello')
else
for i=1:numel(obj)
obj(i).smooth;
end
end
end
end
end
Called as follow:
>> t1 = TestClass;
>> t1.smooth
Hello
>> t2 = [TestClass TestClass TestClass];
>> t2.smooth
Hello
Hello
Hello
If you really wanted to you should also be able to overload the subsref operator to automatically do that on all your methods (it gives you access to the . operator) . However in my experience overloading subsref correctly is not straight forward and might be more effort than what is worth.
Here is an example of this idea. It's simplistic and you will likely will need further refinement on your part but should get you started. Note the cheer amount of hackery :)
classdef TestClass
properties
Value
end
methods
function obj = TestClass(x)
obj.Value = x;
end
function smooth(obj)
fprintf('I am %d\n', obj.Value)
end
function res = opposite(obj)
res = -obj.Value;
end
function [res1,res2,res3] = test(obj)
res1 = obj.Value;
res2 = res1*res1;
res3 = res2*res1;
end
function varargout = subsref(A,S)
if numel(A) > 1 && strcmp(S(1).type, '.')
if nargout == 0
feval(S.subs, A(1));
else
nout = nargout(['TestClass>TestClass.' S.subs]);
if nout < 0
nout = -nout;
end
if nout == 0
arrayfun(#(x)feval(S.subs, x), A);
varargout = cell(1, nargout);
else
for i=1:nargout
[output{1:nout}] = feval(S.subs, A(i));
varargout{i} = output;
output = {};
end
end
end
else
if nargout == 0
builtin('subsref', A, S);
else
varargout{:} = builtin('subsref', A, S);
end
end
end
end
Example of use:
>> t1 = TestClass(5);
>> t1.smooth;
I am 5
>> t2 = [TestClass(1) TestClass(2) TestClass(3)];
>> t2(2).smooth;
I am 2
>> t2.smooth;
I am 1
I am 2
I am 3
>> t2(1:2).smooth
I am 1
I am 2
>> t2(2:3).smooth
I am 2
I am 3
>> t2([1 3]).smooth
I am 1
I am 3
>> t2.test
ans =
[1] [1] [1]
ans =
[2] [4] [8]
ans =
[3] [9] [27]