is there an equivalent vlookup formula excel in matlab of a string?

I have the following matrix:

Name_1 Name_2 ..... Name_n
23.5    25.8          29.6
24.5    85.5 ........ 59.2

A matrix (nxn), where in the first row ther'is the name of stocks, and in the other row the historical price. Then, I have another matrix of pair of stocks, for example:

Name_1  Name_2
Name_3 Name_5

and so on.... I want a code that give me for all pair the respective stock prince. For example for the first pair: Name_1 Name_2 I want to extrapolate the following matrix:

Name_1 Name_2
23.5   25.8
24.5   85.2

and so on. Thxs

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

I'd use tables.

ca = {'Name_1' 'Name_2' 'Name_n';
  23.5    25.8  29.6;
  24.5    85.5  59.2}
% Convert cell array to table
numericalDataOnly = ca(2:end,:);
t = cell2table(numericalDataOnly);
% Make columns have the names we want.
t.Properties.VariableNames = ca(1,:)

% Make the other cell array
ca = {'Name_1'  'Name_2';
  'Name_3' 'Name_5'}
% Extract columns for the first row
% which is the columns for Name_1 and Name_2 only.
row = 1; % Whatever you want, can even be a loop index
col1 = t{:, ca{row, 1}}
col2 = t{:, ca{row, 2}}
% Construct final array.  It will be doubles, not a table.
output = [col1, col2]

[fede]

Hi cell2table doesn't work because I have 2013Ra

Answer 2

[Walter Roberson]

looking_up = {'Name_1', 'Name_2'};
[tf, colidx] = ismember(looking_up, YourCell(1,:));
Extract = YourCell(:, colidx(tf));