find char indices (row,column)

Grettings,

I have this html text file which I convert into a character array (38x343 char) using 'char' and I am triying to find the indices of all the lines starting with '<B>' using the command 'find'

So far I have typed this code,

 [row,col]=find(strncmpi('outchar', '<B>', 3)) % outchar = variable of char        array

but I keep getting empty brackets:

 row =

     []

 col =

     []

One line of the text file looks like this:

 <B><FONT SIZE=+1 COLOR="#483D8B">COASTAL WATERS FORECAST

And I want MATLAB to output

row [3 4 5 6 ...] col [1:3 ....] % 1:3 = columns from 1 to 3

What can I type?

Answer 1

[Jan]

Variables are not enclosed in quotes:

[row,col] = find(strncmpi(outchar, '<B>', 3))

In opposite to this strncmpi('outchar', '<B>', 3) searches in the string 'outchar', which does not start with '<B>'.

I assume a cell string would be more convenient and efficient than a CHAR matrix.

STRNCMPI replies a logical vector: TRUE if the string matchs, FALSE otherwise. Therefore FIND will give you the wanted row indices, but not the columns "[1:3, ...]".

[Juan Rosado]

Jan, thank you for your answer.

The thing is I am converting the text to character array because I want to display a specified data following the '<B>' tag

For example,

 <FONT SIZE=+1 COLOR="#800000">TONIGHT</FONT>'
    'EAST WINDS 11 TO 16 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET. SCATTERED'
    'SHOWERS.

I want MATLAB to display,

     winds: 'EAST WINDS 11 TO 16 KNOT' 
     waves: 'SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET'
% divide the sentence in phrases using structured variables

and for this I need to generate a character array because a string would output the whole sentence which I dont want.

What do you suggest me?

[F.]

I think you should use a cell array like Jan Simon.

After you have the command regexp to give you the position of the first character of your string. With the length, you’ll have your columns.