Adding config.m to MATLAB and path names

When you replace hard-coded filepaths in Matlab, please do the following:

Say the author has code like

xlsread('C:\Users\me\submission\AEJMacro\yesterday\data.xlsx')

You should do the following:

• Copy template-config.m to the directory of the Matlab script you are running, and call it config.m.

• Adjust the options.

• Add the line config to the main Matlab script.

Then

% Add this ONCE at the top of the program. Do NOT repeat it.
config
% wherever the hard-coded path appears, replace with
xlsread(fullfile(rootdir,'data.xlsx')

This works on any platform.