Create variable named from a cell

How do I generate a variable of empty matrix, which is named after the values in one of the cell of imported text in another variable.

E.g I import data file with

A {'DT140906' 'x'};

Now I want to create a varible that will automatically take the name 'DT140906' or what ever the name is in A.

Answer 1

[the cyclist]

A = {'DT140906' 'x'};
eval([A{1},' = {}'])

[Mandeep]

Thank you! This works

Now the only thing is that I like to make this into an empty matrix and How do I do that?

[Image Analyst]

Why is it not empty??? Essentially you're doing

DT140906 = {};

and making a cell (one cell, not a cell array ) with null (empty) contents. Why is your DT140906 variable not empty? What value does it have??? Maybe you want a double scalar instead?? In that case, do

eval([A{1},' = []']); % Brackets instead of braces.

Again, it will be empty.

[Mandeep]

Yup this works

Answer 2

[Image Analyst]

I think that's a bad idea http://matlab.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ#How_can_I_create_variables_A1.2C_A2.2C....2CA10_in_a_loop.3F

And how are you going to be able to refer to that variable later in your code when you don't know the name of it until run-time ? You can use dynamic field names in structures but I don't even like that approach.

[the cyclist]

I was going to wait until the expected "that doesn't work" or rarer "thanks!" before I launched into the fact that what you are doing is likely a bad programming practice, but I agree with Image Analyst here.

If you have any control of how these variables are named upstream from your program, you might be able to do better in the MATLAB section of what you are doing. We'd need to know more detail to help you figure out a strategy.

[Mandeep]

I will put the code in the window and see if that makes a better sense.