Create cell array with the same string n-times

Hi all,

I have another problem I haven't found any soulution for yet.

I have a list of Values and I have the name of the .mat-file the values are saved in as a string.

For example

name='Values.mat'

values =

     1
     2
     3
     4
     5

Now I need to create a cell array with the name of the file for each value.

For example

>> values.filename

ans =

Values.mat Values.mat Values.mat Values.mat Values.mat

Does anybody know how I can create that cell array, size depending on how many values I have?

Thanks a lot! Oli

Answer 1

[Daniel Shub]

The names of your variables are a little confusing ... You are starting with values being a double array and then wanting values to be a structure ...

To answer your question you can create a cell array with the same string n-times with deal.

doc deal

Specifically you can make a 1x5 cell array filename have the value saved in name with:

[filename{1:5}] = deal(name);

you may want to consider a structure array ...

values = struct('value', mat2cell(values, 1, ones(5, 1)), 'filename', name)

[Olli]

Thanks a lot! Sorry for the confusing description, but your responses were very helpful! Oli

[morteza HEIDARI]

thank you man. it was helpful.

Answer 2

[Jan]

C    = cell(1, 5);
C(:) = {'String'};

[Jonathan Deaton]

You are the real winner here.

[Youcef Yahiaoui]

Jan Simon's answers are always the best. Whenever I look anything up, I always look for this distinct picture! Thanks, Jan Simon.

[Walter Roberson]

Yifei Wang comments to Jan:

short and good as always

[Jan]

Thanks. I forward the compliments to Matlab, which allows such compact and nive solutions. Try the same in C... ;-)

[Pearl]

awesome! Another thanks to you!

[Jon]

very nice technique - found this before, forgot it, and just came back again - thank you

[BN]

Dear Jan,

Thank you, it solve my problem too. I just want to say thanks to you.

Best Regards

[Saeid]

Jan's always there to give the shortest version of every solution. This helped me too!

[Fabio Rondina]

still usefull after 10 years. Thanks @Jan

[Rob]

Nice simple solution but it baffles me why Matlab needs two lines of code to do a simple task (or why the default is to set the contents as doubles)?

[M_A_C]

Hello Jan,

Your elegant solution worked for me using the function strings.

Answer 3

[Grzegorz Knor]

repmat({'filename.mat'},1,5)

Answer 4

[dscharf]

Riff'ing on @Jan's answer and noting @Rob's comment,

c(1:5) = {'string'}

c = 1x5 cell array
    {'string'}    {'string'}    {'string'}    {'string'}    {'string'}

gives a 1x5 in one line (assuming c hasn't been defined before) and

d(1:5,1) = {'string'}

d = 5x1 cell array
    {'string'}
    {'string'}
    {'string'}
    {'string'}
    {'string'}

gives a 5x1. Or at least they do in 2022a.