refactor: replace eval-based dynamic field access with MATLAB idioms

code/+nansen/+config/SessionMethodsCatalog.m

@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@
 
         function S = getDefaultItem()
         %getDefaultItem Get default item for catalog
-            S = eval( sprintf('%s.getBlankItem()', mfilename('class')) );
-
+            S = feval([mfilename('class'), '.getBlankItem']);
             % Note: No default exists for this item type, so returning the
             % blank item
         end

code/+nansen/+dataio/+fileadapter/+imagestack/ImageStack.m

@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ function uifind(obj, varargin)
 
             for i = 1:numel(virtualDataClasses)
                 thisClassName = virtualDataClasses{i};
-                fileNameExpression = eval([thisClassName, '.FilenameExpression']);
+                fileNameExpression = nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(thisClassName, 'FilenameExpression');
 
                 if ~isempty( regexp(filename, fileNameExpression, 'once') )
                     className = thisClassName;

code/+nansen/+internal/+introspection/getConstantPropertyValue.m

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+function value = getConstantPropertyValue(className, propertyName)
+% getConstantPropertyValue - Get the value of a Constant property by class name string.
+%
+%   value = nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(className, propertyName)
+%   returns the value of the Constant property named propertyName on the class
+%   identified by the string className. This is the safe replacement for
+%   eval(sprintf('%s.%s', className, propertyName)).
+%
+%   Input Arguments:
+%     className    - Fully qualified class name (string or char)
+%     propertyName - Name of a Constant property on that class (string or char)
+%
+%   Output Arguments:
+%     value - Value of the Constant property
+
+    arguments
+        className    (1,1) string
+        propertyName (1,1) string
+    end
+
+    mc = meta.class.fromName(className);
+    if isempty(mc)
+        error('nansen:introspection:ClassNotFound', ...
+            'Class "%s" was not found. Ensure the class is on the MATLAB path.', className)
+    end
+
+    matchIdx = strcmp({mc.PropertyList.Name}, propertyName);
+    if ~any(matchIdx)
+        error('nansen:introspection:PropertyNotFound', ...
+            'Class "%s" has no property named "%s".', className, propertyName)
+    end
+
+    prop = mc.PropertyList(matchIdx);
+    if ~prop.Constant
+        error('nansen:introspection:NotConstant', ...
+            'Property "%s.%s" is not Constant.', className, propertyName)
+    end
+
+    value = prop.DefaultValue;
+end

code/+nansen/+internal/+user/@NansenUserSession/NansenUserSession.m

@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ function runPostConstructionUpdateActions(obj)
             if ~nargin || isempty(userName)
                 warning('No username given, returning prefdir for default user')
                 className = mfilename('class');
-                userName = eval(sprintf('%s.DEFAULT_USER_NAME', className));
+                userName = nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(className, 'DEFAULT_USER_NAME');
             end
             preferenceDirectory = fullfile(prefdir, 'Nansen', userName);
         end

code/+nansen/+internal/+user/Preferences.m

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
         function filename = createFilename()
         %Create filename for a preference file.
             classname = mfilename('class');
-            prefGroupName = eval(sprintf('%s.PreferenceGroupName', classname));
+            prefGroupName = nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(classname, 'PreferenceGroupName');
             prefGroupName = matlab.lang.makeValidName(prefGroupName);
             filename = fullfile(sprintf('%s_Preferences.mat', prefGroupName));
         end

code/+nansen/+manage/OptionsManager.m

@@ -956,14 +956,12 @@ function updateOptionsFromDefault(obj)
             fcnName = strcat(obj.FunctionName, '.getDefaultOptions');
             fcnHandle = str2func(fcnName);
 
-            methodNameFcnName = strcat(obj.FunctionName, '.MethodName');
-
             % Return as options entry (struct)
             opts = fcnHandle();
             name = 'Preset Options';
 
             try
-                methodName = eval(methodNameFcnName);
+                methodName = nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(obj.FunctionName, 'MethodName');
             catch
                 methodName = obj.FunctionName;
             end
@@ -1010,7 +1008,7 @@ function updateOptionsFromDefault(obj)
         function optionsEntry = getPresetsFromSuperclass(obj)
         %getPresetsFromSuperclass
 
-            optManager = eval(sprintf('%s.OptionsManager', obj.FunctionName));
+            optManager = nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(obj.FunctionName, 'OptionsManager');
             presetOptionsNames = optManager.PresetOptionNames;
 
             for i = 1:numel(presetOptionsNames)

code/+nansen/+metadata/+utility/formatTableForDisplay.m

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
     % Step 3: does the data type have it's own formatter?
     dataHasTableFormatter = cellfun(@(c) isa(c, 'nansen.metadata.tablevar.mixin.HasTableColumnFormatter'), firstRowData);
     formattingFcn(dataHasTableFormatter) = cellfun(@(c) ...
-        str2func(class(eval( strjoin({class(c), 'TableColumnFormatter'}, '.')))), ...
+        str2func(class(nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(class(c), 'TableColumnFormatter'))), ...
         firstRowData(dataHasTableFormatter), 'uni', 0);
 
     % Step 4: Format all the table columns that needs formatting

code/+nansen/+metadata/@MetaTable/MetaTable.m

@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ function markClean(obj)
                 schemaIdName = obj.MetaTableIdVarname;
             else
                 try
-                    schemaIdName = eval(strjoin({obj.MetaTableClass, 'IDNAME'}, '.'));
+                    schemaIdName = nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(obj.MetaTableClass, 'IDNAME');
                 catch
                     schemaIdName = 'id';
                 end

code/+nansen/+ui/MetaTableColumnLayout.m

@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ function checkAndUpdateColumnEntries(obj)
 
                 if isa(dataValue, 'nansen.metadata.abstract.TableVariable') %|| isa(dataValue, 'nansen.metadata.tablevar.mixin.HasTableColumnFormatter')
                     if isempty(dataValue)
-                        isEditable = eval(sprintf('%s.IS_EDITABLE', class(dataValue)));
+                        isEditable = nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(class(dataValue), 'IS_EDITABLE');
                     else
                         isEditable = dataValue.IS_EDITABLE;
                     end

code/apps/+nansen/@App/App.m

@@ -3641,7 +3641,7 @@ function onSessionTaskSelected(app, ~, evt)
                 return
             elseif strcmp(evt.Mode, 'Help')
                 try
-                    titleStr = eval(sprintf('%s.MethodName', evt.TaskAttributes.FunctionName));
+                    titleStr = nansen.internal.introspection.getConstantPropertyValue(evt.TaskAttributes.FunctionName, 'MethodName');
                 catch
                     if ~isempty(evt.TaskAttributes.MethodName)
                         titleStr = evt.TaskAttributes.MethodName;

code/apps/+structeditor/App.m

@@ -1490,7 +1490,7 @@ function addComponents(obj, panelNum)
                         y = y + obj.RowHeight;
 
                     otherwise
-                        val = eval(strcat('S', '.', currentProperty));
+                        val = S.(currentProperty);
                         [yCorrTmp, wasAborted] = obj.newInputField(contentPanel, y, currentProperty, val, config, tip);
                         if wasAborted; continue; end
 

code/general/+tools/editStruct.m

@@ -207,14 +207,14 @@ function createComponents(guiFig, S, fieldNames)
                     for i = 1:numel(propertyFields)
                         currentField = propertyFields{i};
                         name = strcat(currentProperty, '.', currentField);
-                        val = eval(strcat('S', '.', name));
+                        val = S.(currentProperty).(currentField);
                         addInputField(guiPanel, y, name, val)
                         y = y + rowHeight + rowSep;
                     end
                 end
 
             otherwise
-                val = eval(strcat('S', '.', currentProperty));
+                val = S.(currentProperty);
                 addInputField(guiPanel, y, currentProperty, val)
                 y = y + rowHeight + rowSep;
         end

code/wrappers/+nansen/+wrapper/+abstract/OptionsAdapter.m

@@ -79,8 +79,9 @@
 
                     nvPairs = cell(1, numel(C)*2);
                     for i = 1:numel(C)
-                        name = eval(strjoin({'nameMap', C{i}}, '.'));
-                        value = eval(strjoin({'S', C{i}}, '.'));
+                        s = struct('type', {'.'}, 'subs', strsplit(C{i}, '.'));
+                        name = subsref(nameMap, s);
+                        value = subsref(S, s);
                         ind = (i-1)*2 + (1:2);
                         nvPairs(ind) = {name, value};
                     end