How do I convert this to a while loop?

I have a script that works but I would like to convert it to a while loop and I am stuck. Any help is appreciated. Script is below. The script reads a text file that is input by the user. I can send the text file for testing if needed.

clc% Clear the command window.
clear % Clears the workspace to prevent issues with other stored information
%The next line prompts the user to enter a file name.
%The input expects a string so the user does not have to use single quotes around the file name.
x = input('Enter file name: ','s');
%Reading the information in the text file and storing it as a string.
textread(x,'%s')%Charcters between spaces will stored as 1 string
%Storing the information from x to the variable srt1
str1 = textread(x,'%s');
% Variable to be used for storing the added value of each decoded row in text file
sum = 0;
%aleph = 1;beit = 2;gimel = 3;dalet = 4;hei = 5;vav = 6;zayin = 7;cheit = 8;
%tet = 9;yud = 10;khaf = 20;lamed = 30;mem = 40;nun = 50;samech = 60;
%ayin = 70;pei = 80;tzadi = 90;quf = 100;resh = 200;shin = 300;tav = 400;
k=1; % Variable to be used with resulting vector
vecsum = 0;%This will be the resulting vector
for i=1:length(str1)
  if strcmp(str1{i},'aleph')
          a = 1;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'beit')
          a = 2;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'gimel')
          a = 3;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'dalet')
          a = 4;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'hei')
          a = 5;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'vav')
          a = 6;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'zayin')
          a = 7;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'cheit')
          a = 8;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'tet')
          a = 9;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'yud')
          a = 10;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'khaf')
          a = 20;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'lamed')
          a = 30;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'mem')
          a = 40;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'nun')
          a = 50;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'samech')
          a = 60;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'ayin')
          a = 70;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'pei')
          a = 80;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'tzadi')
          a = 90;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'quf')
          a = 100;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'resh')
          a = 200;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'shin')
          a = 300;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'tav')
          a = 400;sum = sum + a;
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'-1')
          continue
      elseif strcmp(str1{i},'0')
          fprintf('%i \n',sum)% This line moves the prompt 1 line down
          vecsum(k,1) = sum;% This stores the values into a vector
          k = k + 1;
          sum = 0;
  end
end

%This code will ask the user for the name of the excel file being created.
%Same as above the input is expected to be a string no single quotes needed
str = input('Name the excel file: ','s'); 
%This command creates the excel file and uses the string stored to str
xlswrite(str,vecsum)

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

You should be considering using ismember() to return the index of str1 in a cell array of strings that are the possibilities. Use the returned string index to index an array of corresponding values [1:9 10:10:90 100:100:400 0 nan]. Break the vector up at the locations where the '0' are detected, and return the sum() over each segment.

[David Hughes]

This script was written to achieve the result the way the instructor wanted it. I was just curious if it could be written as a while loop.