Insert array into larger array with unknown number of dimensions

Hello,

I want to evaluate measurement data with varying number of input parameters. Each parameter results in a dimension of my measured datapoints. There are at least five, but up to eight parameters, ergo dimensions of my data points. When reading the data from its file, I need to loop through two always existing dimensions (the left ones). In each loop, I read an array, that has three to six dimensions. So it looks like

for n=1:nparameter(1)
    for m=1:nparameter(2)
        data(n,m,:) = datasource.(parameter_a(n)).(parameter_b(m));
    end
end

Now, the data(n,m,:) only allows a single dimension vector to be inserted, but the datasource will have multiple dimensions. Using the code above results in the error message

Unable to perform assignment because the indices on the left side are not compatible with the size of the right side.

How can I read my data fields? I know the number of dimensions and their size a few lines, before this code is executed.

Answer 1

[Rik]

It will probably hurt performance, but you could calculate the linear indices with sub2ind.

Alternatively, you can use this trick:

data = zeros(10,10,3,4,5);
trailing = repmat({':'},1,ndims(data)-2);
data(1,1,trailing{:}) = ones(1,1,3,4,5);
disp('it works :)')

it works :)

[Kevin Kleiboemer]

Thank you so much. The second solution works flawlessly. my last attempt was close to your solution, but wrong, so I thought, it would be a dead end. Seeing your code makes very much sense.