How to Use the Command 'mh_copyright' (with Examples)

The mh_copyright command is a utility designed to streamline the management of copyright headers in MATLAB or Octave code files. By updating copyright headers with the current year, it ensures that the documentation within your code remains accurate and up-to-date. This is particularly useful in projects continually developed over multiple years, where maintaining updated copyright notices is essential for legal and organizational purposes. More information can be found at the mh_copyright official site .

Use Case 1: Update the Year Range to Include the Current Year for the Specified Files

Code:

mh_copyright --primary-entity="Your Entity Name" --update-year path/to/file_or_directory1.m path/to/file_or_directory2.m

Motivation:

This command is particularly useful when you have specific files or directories that have been worked on or modified recently, and you want to ensure their copyright information is accurately reflecting the most recent year of work. For example, if your team updates a set of algorithms within a project annually, this command can be applied directly to those files, ensuring that stakeholders or collaborators are aware of the timeline of your work.

Explanation:

• --primary-entity="Your Entity Name" specifies the name of the entity that holds the copyright. This could be your organization, company, or any legal entity responsible for the code.
• --update-year option tells the utility to update the copyright year or range in the specified files.
• path/to/file_or_directory1.m and path/to/file_or_directory2.m are the paths to the specific MATLAB or Octave files, or directories containing multiple files, where the copyright updates need to be applied.

Example Output:

Upon execution, the command scans the specified files or directories, locates the copyright header, and updates the year or range to include the current year. If a file initially reads:

% Copyright (c) 2019 Your Entity Name

It will be updated to:

% Copyright (c) 2019-2023 Your Entity Name

Assuming the current year is 2023.

Use Case 2: Update the Year Range to Include the Current Year for All Files

Code:

mh_copyright --primary-entity="Your Entity Name" --update-year

Motivation:

This command is particularly advantageous when you engage in year-end updates and want to ensure all MATLAB or Octave files in your current working directory (and potentially its subdirectories) have their copyright headers updated without manually specifying each file. This approach saves time and reduces human error in large projects with numerous files.

Explanation:

• --primary-entity="Your Entity Name" serves the same purpose as in the previous use case, defining who owns the copyright.
• --update-year updates the copyright header across all detected files.
• No specific paths are given, implying that the command will target all relevant files within the current working directory.

Example Output:

Executing this command results in an automated sweeping update across all MATLAB or Octave files within the current directory. If a MATLAB file within this directory initially has:

% Copyright (c) 2020-2022 Your Entity Name

It will be updated to:

% Copyright (c) 2020-2023 Your Entity Name

This efficiently ensures that all records reflect the most recent year, thus keeping the project’s documentation current.

Conclusion:

The mh_copyright command is an invaluable tool for software developers working with MATLAB or Octave, providing a means to automate the otherwise labor-intensive task of updating copyright headers. By using the command with specific files or globally across all files, project managers and developers can maintain compliance and legal standing seamlessly, all while ensuring their documentation correctly represents the ongoing nature of their work.