Load function "unknown command option" while used in for loop+ while double clicking a file in matlab

Hello everyone! I am trying to write a script where I will perform analysis on a specific file in a saved workspace. I have multiple workspaces in one folder (with names differing), and I would like to loop over each workspace in my folder to do my analysis. I am using this code:

c=dir("*.mat");
filenames={c.name};
ul=numel(filenames);

for u= 1:ul

      load(filenames{u})

However, I have an error saying

Error using load
Unknown command option.

I restarted MATLAB to be sure, and now when I try to open a workspace by double clicking on it, I get the same error.

Anyone knows why this happens?

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

"Anyone knows why this happens?"

Because the leading '-' character in the filename means that it is not a valid filename. Using a leading '-' is a syntax that indicates the start of an option, and is not valid for filenames: "File names must start with a letter, and can contain letters, digits, or underscores."

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_env/specify-file-names.html

Note that save will not accept that name either. The reason for this is that .mat files, like function names, are closely tied up with the language syntax and MATLAB operation, and must follow the rules of the language.

[Walter Roberson]

Though the documentation does continue on to show using spaces in the name.

[Dinc Yasat Hacibalogly]

Well, I have changed the filename to "e.mat" and I still get the same error.

[Stephen23]

@Dinc Yasat Hacibalogly: please show us the output of this command:

which load -all

What MATLAB version are you using?