The Structural Dynamics Toolbox now supports variable handle objects. Which act as pointers to variables that are actually stored as global variables, user data of graphical objects, or in files.
v_handle objects are used to
allow context dependent reference to a single MATLAB variable
provide a graphic callback when modifying the object in a function or the command line.
v_handle objects essentially behave like global variables with the notable exception that a clear command only deletes the handle and not the pointed data.
Only advanced programmers should really need access to the internal structure of v_handle.