How to display error using error function?

I have a program that computes thermal conductivity based on an input of a certain alloy and temperature. I would like to have the function display an error if the wrong alloy is inputted. Would It be possible to do this with the error function? This is the code I have so far.

function k = ThCond(alloy,T) % T = input temperature
k = zeros(1,numel(T));
for a = 1:numel(T)
      if (298 <= T(a)) && (T(a) <= 840) && strcmp(alloy,'Al2')
         k(a) = 149.7 + 0.0809.*T(a) - (1.*10^(-4)).*(T(a).^2);

        elseif (298 <= T(a)) && (T(a) <= 773)
           k(a) = 76.64 + 0.2633.*T(a) - (2.*10^(-4)).*(T(a)^2);

        end

        if (293 <= T(a)) && (T(a) <= 890) && strcmp(alloy,'Al3')
            k(a) = 124.7 + 0.56.*T(a) + (1*10^(-5)).*(T(a)^2);

        end

        if (100 <= T(a)) && (T(a) <= 1200) && strcmp(alloy,'Cu1')
            k(a) = 453.9 - 0.1054.*T(a);

        end

        if (460 <= T(a)) && (T(a) <= 1188) && strcmp(alloy,'Cu2')
            k(a) = 140.62 + (112.14.*10^(-4)).*T(a);

        end

        if  T(a) <= 1443 && strcmp(alloy,'Cu3')
            k(a) = 16.041 + (438.9.*10^(-4)).*T(a);

        end

        if (400 <= T(a)) && (T(a) <= 1000) && strcmp(alloy,'St1')
            k(a) = 76.63 - 0.0459.*T(a);

        end

        if (298 < T(a)) && (T(a) < 1573) && strcmp(alloy,'St2')
            k(a) = 6.31 + ((27.2.*10^(-3)).*T(a)) - (7.*10^(-6)).*(T(a).^2);

        end

        if  T(a) <= 1727 && strcmp(alloy,'St3')
            k(a) = 20 + (61.5.*10^(-4)).*T(a);

        end  
  end
  end

[Wick]

An error will break out of the routine and stop execution. A warning will display text to the command window but keep going. Generally, it's most graceful to use a warning followed by a return command as the exit to a subroutine that fails to execute. Will this work for you?

[Porgs]

Not really, I would like to use the error fuction to display a personal error message that I write, to the user.

[Walter Roberson]

error('Alloy must be H2SO4 or CuTi2C6H8') ;

Answer 1

[Wick]

Simple enough then.

err = 'This is an error message.'; % perhaps something a bit more descriptive
error(err);

Answer 2

[Porgs]

Where would I put that in my code because I'm getting an error message when I'm trying to use this.

[Wick]

That's literally what the 'error' function does. It displays an error and breaks execution (unless it's part of a try,catch structure). So you'd put it as the result of an 'else' statement or possibly as result of an 'otherwise' option in a switch,case structure.

If you you don't want an actual error message and just want text displayed to the screen you can use the 'disp' or 'warning' commands instead.

Answer 3

[Porgs]

Ok thanks

Answer 4

[usha shree]

one dimesional error with two elements

[Walter Roberson]

Could you expand upon that remark?