What is the purpose of the target.m file?

The target.m file is a useful and versatile tool for MATLAB users, allowing them to quickly and easily configure their projects with one script. It provides a platform for organizing the code that makes up their project, which helps to reduce complexity and enhance usability.

The primary purpose of the target.m file is to provide a way for MATLAB developers to specify what their project is built from, specify the dependencies involved (other .m files required for the project), and spec out how this project should run within MATLAB. By having these parameters set upfront in an easy-to-manage way, it helps make sure that everything runs smoothly and accurately when it's time to run the project.

Having a target.m file allows developers flexibility when making adjustments or creating new aspects of their project by providing them access to highly customizable attributes such as flags, arguments (list of strings passed in), variables (all values associated with potential outcomes). These features can be regularly changed and tested which leads to more efficient development down the line.

In addition, the target.m file can also be used for compiling all MATLAB code into an executable form, allowing it to be easily distributed or imported between different machines. This can also allow one machine to be used as a "master" from which many instances of the same program can be launched consecutively on other machines without needing each one separately compiled on each machine serviced.