When you pass data to a Python function, MATLAB automatically converts 1-by-N or N-by-1 MATLAB string arrays to Python lists.

For example, MATLAB converts the string array mlArr to a Python list.

mlArr = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"];
pyArrType = py.type(mlArr);

For more information, see Pass Data Between MATLAB and Python from MATLAB.

As of MATLAB R2024b, isequal and isequaln can compare two Python objects. You can use these functions to determine the equality of: two Python objects; a Python object and a MATLAB object that can be converted to a Python object; two NumPy arrays; a NumPy array and a MATLAB array. In previous releases, isequal and isequaln do not support the comparison of Python objects.

You can use the new External Languages panel to manage external programming language environments in MATLAB. Starting in R2026a, you can add Python® environments, create virtual environments, switch between environments and execution modes, and manage libraries within Python environments.

To open the External Languages panel, click the Open more panels button on any sidebar and select External Languages. To manage Python environments using the External Languages panel, select the Python option from the menu at the upper left. For more information, see Manage Python Environments Using External Languages Panel.

You can create a NumPy StringDType array from a multidimensional MATLAB string array by using the pystringarray function. The pystringarray function requires NumPy 2.0 or greater.

MATLAB now supports CPython version 3.13, in addition to existing support for versions 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12. For supported version information, see Versions of Python Compatible with MATLAB Products by Release.

When working in Python, you can now return MATLAB tables or timetables directly to Python. MATLAB Engine API for Python automatically converts the table or timetable to a Python Pandas DataFrame. The MATLAB engine also automatically converts a Python Pandas DataFrame to a MATLAB table or timetable when you pass it from Python to MATLAB.

If the Python Pandas module is not available when you pass a MATLAB table or timetable to Python, the MATLAB engine converts the table or timetable to a Python object of type matlab.object.

For more information, see Use MATLAB Tables and Timetables in Python.

When working in Python®, you can now return MATLAB datetime and duration values directly to Python. If the MATLAB datetime or duration value is scalar, MATLAB Engine API for Python automatically converts the datetime or duration value to a Python datetime.datetime or datetime.timedelta object. If you pass a MATLAB datetime or duration array to Python and the NumPy module is available in the Python environment, the MATLAB engine automatically converts the datetime or duration array to a Python numpy.datetime64 or numpy.timedelta64 array.

If you pass a Python datetime.datetime or datetime.timedelta object to MATLAB, the MATLAB engine automatically converts it to a MATLAB datetime or duration value. The engine also automatically converts Python numpy.datetime64 and numpy.timedelta64 objects and arrays to MATLAB datetime and duration values and arrays.

If the NumPy module is not available when you return a MATLAB datetime or duration array to Python, the MATLAB engine converts the array to a Python object of type matlab.object.

For more information, see How MATLAB Handles Datetime and Duration Types in Python.

When working with Python in MATLAB, you can now change the execution mode of the Python interpreter from OutOfProcess to InProcess after terminating the process associated with the Python interpreter. To change the execution mode, call pyenv(ExecutionMode="InProcess"). Previously, if you wanted to change the execution mode from OutOfProcess to InProcess, you had to restart MATLAB before calling pyenv with the new version information.

For more information, see terminate.

The new matlab.crashhandling.crashReportFolder function returns a path to the MATLAB crash report folder. Some crash files might be stored in other locations. For more information, see When MATLAB Terminates Unexpectedly.

When you pass a MATLAB array as input to a Python function and the NumPy module is available in the Python environment, Python Interface now automatically converts the array to a Python NumPy array.

If the NumPy module is not available when you pass a MATLAB array as input to a Python function, Python Interface now handles vector input as it does matrix input—Python Interface converts these inputs to Python memoryview objects.

Previously, when you passed a MATLAB vector to a Python function, Python Interface converted the vector to a Python array.array object.

For more information, see Pass MATLAB Data to Python.

When passing data from Python to MATLAB, you can more easily convert Python dictionaries to MATLAB dictionaries. To convert a Python dict to a MATLAB dictionary, first convert the Python dict to a matlab.dictionary object, and then pass the matlab.dictionary object to MATLAB.

Additionally, MATLAB can now pass a MATLAB dictionary to Python as a matlab.dictionary object. A matlab.dictionary object behaves like a Python dict.

For more information, see Use MATLAB Dictionaries in Python.

MATLAB can automatically convert a floating-point integer to a Python® int when passing data to a Python function. This conversion occurs if a Python type hint specifies an integer data type. For more information, see Pass MATLAB Data to Python.

MATLAB now supports CPython version 3.12, in addition to existing support for versions 3.9, 3.10, and 3.11. For supported version information, see Versions of Python Compatible with MATLAB Products by Release.

You can now pass MATLAB dictionaries directly to Python functions in MATLAB. MATLAB automatically converts the MATLAB dictionary to a Python dict. For example, pass a MATLAB dictionary d to the Python function print.

d = dictionary([10 20 30],[1 2 3]);
py.print(d)

Also, you can convert a Python dict to a MATLAB dictionary using the dictionary function.

pyDict = py.dict({{10,1},{20,2},{30,3}});
d = dictionary(pyDict);

For more information, see Use Python Dictionaries in MATLAB.

You can now pass MATLAB tables or timetables directly to Python® functions in MATLAB. MATLAB automatically converts the MATLAB table or timetable to a Python Pandas DataFrame.

Also, you can convert a Python Pandas DataFrame to a MATLAB table or timetable using the table or timetable function. For example, convert the Python Pandas DataFrame df to a MATLAB table and timetable.

T = table(df);
TT = timetable(df);

For more information, see Use Python Pandas DataFrames in MATLAB.

Use the Run Python Code task in the Live Editor to interactively run Python code or files and generate the corresponding MATLAB code. You can also use the Live Editor task to return Python variables in MATLAB, as well as pass MATLAB data to the Python code.

To add the task to a live script in the Live Editor, click Task on the Live Editor tab and select the Run Python Code icon.

For more information, see Run Python Code.

If a Python function returns multiple datetime objects as a list or a tuple of Python datetime objects, use the MATLAB datetime function to convert the list or tuple to a MATLAB datetime array. For more information, see Handle Multiple Python datetime Objects Returned from Python Function.

If a Python function returns multiple timedelta objects as a list or a tuple of Python timedelta objects, use the MATLAB duration function to convert the list or tuple to a MATLAB duration array. For more information, see Handle Multiple Python timedelta Objects Returned from Python Function.

MATLAB now supports CPython version 3.11, in addition to existing support for versions 3.9 and 3.10. For supported version information, see Versions of Python Compatible with MATLAB Products by Release.

You can convert between MATLAB datetime values and Python® datetime or NumPy datetime64 values. For examples, see Use MATLAB datetime Types with Python.

You can convert between MATLAB duration values and Python timedelta or NumPy timedelta64 values. For examples, see Use MATLAB duration Types with Python.

You can use Python objects as keys in dictionaries. For more information about dictionary keys, see dictionary.