function ncopies = checkworkspace(obj);

stack = dbstack;

stack(1:2) = [];

stack      = rmfield(stack, 'line');

ncopies = 0;

if ~isempty(stack)

    % empty stack means the base workspace

    % check if we are in a different workspace

    if ~isequal(stack, obj.workspace)

        % is the current stack a subset of the obj workspace?

        % if yes, it means that the object was created in a subfunction

        % and that it is OK to modify it (because it does not exist in the

        % subfunction any more)

        subFlag = false;

        for index = 1:length(obj.workspace)

            if isequal(obj.workspace(index), stack(1))

                subFlag = true;

                if length(stack) > 1

                    for index2 = 1:length(obj.workspace)-index

                        if length(stack) < index2+1

                            subFlag = false;

                        elseif ~isequal(obj.workspace(index+index2), stack(index2+1))

                            subFlag = false;

                        end

                    end

                end

                if subFlag, return; end

            end

        end

        % if subfunction, must be a copy

        if ~isempty(obj.workspace) && strcmpi(stack(end).file, obj.workspace(end).file) && ...

                ~strcmpi(stack(end).name, obj.workspace(end).name)

            % We are within a subfunction. The MMO must have

            % been passed as an argument (otherwise the current

            % workspace and the workspace variable would be

            % equal).

            ncopies = 2;

        else

            if ~isscript(stack(1).file)

                ncopies = 2;

                % we are within a function. The MMO must have

                % been passed as an argument (otherwise the current

                % workspace and the workspace variable would be

                % equal).

            else

                % we cannot be in a function with 0 argument

                % (otherwise the current workspace and the workspace

                % variable would be equal). We must assume that

                % we are in a script.

                while ~isempty(stack) && ~isequal(stack, obj.workspace)

                    stack(1) = [];

                end

                if ~isequal(stack, obj.workspace)

                    ncopies = 2;

                end

            end

        end

    end

end