Matpower 71

MATPOWER 7.1

Use this skill for MATLAB/Octave work that depends on MATPOWER 7.1. Prefer the MATPOWER 7.1 legacy APIs and behavior unless the user explicitly asks for a newer MATPOWER 8.x MP-Core workflow.

Core Rules

1. Prefer named constants from define_constants or idx_bus, idx_gen, idx_brch, idx_cost over hard-coded matrix column numbers.
2. Load cases with loadcase; save cases with savecase; preserve MATPOWER case struct semantics.
3. Use runpf or rundcpf for power flow, runcpf for continuation power flow, and runopf or rundcopf for optimal power flow.
4. Use mpoption for solver, algorithm, tolerance, verbosity, and output configuration.
5. For custom OPF behavior, first check standard extension fields (A, l, u, H, Cw, N, fparm, z0, zl, zu) and gencost; use userfcn callbacks when staged customization is needed.
6. Do not edit the user's installed MATPOWER package in place. If MATPOWER source behavior must change, edit project-local copies of the relevant .m files and verify MATLAB/Octave resolves those copies first.

Reference Routing

Load only the references needed for the task.

• Start with references/quickstart.md for ordinary MATPOWER programming patterns.
• Use references/case-format.md for mpc structs, baseMVA, bus, gen, branch, gencost, optional fields, and case construction.
• Use references/constants-and-indexing.md for define_constants, idx_* helpers, and internal vs external numbering.
• Use references/power-flow.md for AC/DC PF with runpf, rundcpf, Q-limit handling, and PF result fields.
• Use references/continuation-power-flow.md for CPF with runcpf.
• Use references/opf.md for AC/DC OPF, gencost, runopf, rundcopf, objectives, and common OPF results.
• Use references/opf-extensions.md for custom constraints, costs, variables, and OPF formulation extensions.
• Use references/callbacks-userfcn.md for add_userfcn, callback stages, and save/print/custom formulation hooks.
• Use references/options-solvers.md for mpoption, algorithms, solvers, output control, and reproducibility.
• Use references/results-and-postprocessing.md for interpreting solved cases and extracting flows, voltages, losses, costs, and success flags.
• Use references/testing-debugging.md for installation checks, regression cases, convergence debugging, and path issues.
• Use references/source-architecture.md before reading or changing MATPOWER internals.
• Use references/source-modification-guide.md before editing any project-local copy of a MATPOWER source file.
• Use references/source-index.md for official MATPOWER 7.1 documentation and source lookup locations.

Source Modification Rule

Never modify files inside the user's installed MATPOWER package.

When a requested change requires modifying MATPOWER source behavior, copy the relevant MATPOWER .m file or files into the current project/workspace and edit those project-local copies. Place the copies wherever fits the project structure, such as the project root, src/, a local overrides folder, a vendored source directory, or an existing MATLAB source folder. Follow the repository's conventions instead of imposing a fixed folder name.

Before editing a copied MATPOWER source file:

1. Identify the installed MATPOWER source file being copied.
2. Identify the project-local copy that will be edited.
3. Confirm the project-local copy is earlier on the MATLAB/Octave path than the installed MATPOWER package.
4. Use which <function_name> to verify MATLAB/Octave resolves the intended project-local function.
5. Identify the affected call chain and the regression cases to run after the change.

If an extension can be implemented cleanly with case data, mpoption, OPF extension fields, or userfcn callbacks, prefer that over source copying.

Validation Expectations

For generated or modified MATLAB code, include a small runnable check when feasible:

define_constants;
mpc = loadcase('case9');
results = runpf(mpc, mpoption('verbose', 0, 'out.all', 0));
assert(results.success == 1);

For OPF work, test at least case9 or case30 plus the user's target case when available. For project-local MATPOWER source overrides, verify which <function_name> before running tests.