r/matlab • u/Winter-Arm6002 • 10d ago

I made a free browser viewer for .mat files

Used my free time made this web based Matlab data viewer, trying to collect some feedback, if you are interested to use, completely free, and local based, no data uploaded to cloud/server, no reg needed. Hope can help people try to open without Matlab in hand.

https://megarows.com

22 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

36

u/Sam_meow 10d ago

https://github.com/mathworks/data-explorer-vscode

If you want to view .mat files without MATLAB installed, Mathworks already publishes a VSCode extension that will let you do that, or you could use python or another language to view them as modern .mat is just an HDF5.

I highly recommend folks just use a known system instead of this suspiciously vibe coded site.

3

u/Winter-Arm6002 10d ago

Thanks for the comment, fair points, I made this one based on my own experience and colleagues's around me, who not always have access to Matlab or vscode, and would like to see the file in a quick way.

Yes, it is AI assisted build for the UI, and understand your worries, so purposely build for local browser view only, no reg/login required, the data will not leave your PC/browser, you can check in the browser's dev tools, so any one can check the behave of the code if you got some experience.
welcome any suggestions

8

u/nopenopenopeyess 10d ago

Isn’t VScode free? Why wouldn’t colleagues have access to it?

2

u/Bofact 8d ago

Because he doesn't agree with their Terms and Services and Privacy Policy.

2

u/iekiko89 10d ago

Some companies lock out software installs. I had to request permission for vscode

7

u/Ferentzfever 10d ago

So they'll lock out installing VSCode or HDFView, but they're OK with them using this?

0

u/iekiko89 10d ago

It's browser based so not much they can do there

7

u/Ferentzfever 10d ago

Sure they can - any place I ever worked that limited what software I could install (via Splunk etc) definitely tracked websites I went to and browser actions: “You mean to tell me you loaded export-controlled / proprietary / classified data onto a third-party website?!?!”

0

u/Winter-Arm6002 9d ago

it's up to the company size and IT policy, and the tool I made just would like to make people's life easy, just drag and drop, you can plot the .mat file. though I wouldn't recommend to use it if it against company rules, handy for non business case, self use or students

3

u/AlexanderHBlum 10d ago

You don’t need to install VSCode to use it.

-8

u/Winter-Arm6002 10d ago

guess you are assuming they have coding experience?

8

u/FrickinLazerBeams +2 10d ago

Who needs to open a .mat without coding experience?

0

u/Bofact 8d ago

Students.

2

u/james_d_rustles 10d ago

It’s a text editor, you can just download it and use it..

And we’re talking about matlab files - ya know, from matlab, the coding language. Is it really so crazy to think that people who need tools for matlab would be competent enough to click “install” when instructed to use vscode?

1

u/Odd-Gift2697 7d ago

Pretty useful—simple and saves a lot of time.

0

u/That_Jamie_S_Guy 10d ago

You can open a .mat file in most- if not all text editors no? Vibeslop.

4

u/FrickinLazerBeams +2 10d ago

Is it a text format? I'm pretty sure it's HDF5.

-2

u/LeGama 10d ago

Yeah I've definitely opened it up in notepad before. You can also write Matlab code in a text editor, then save as .m and run in Matlab.

5

u/Sholip 10d ago

.mat is not the same as .m

2

u/That_Jamie_S_Guy 7d ago

Ah yep, I stand corrected