convert from cell array to vector

Please how do i convert a cell array like a ={'1','2','3','4','5','6','7','8','8'}; to be b = [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8]. I tried the function cell2mat but it didnt give me b = [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8].

Thanks

Answer 1

[Jan]

a ={'1','2','3','4','5','6','7','8','8'};
n = str2double(a)

This can be faster under some conditions:

n = sscanf(sprintf('%s ', a{:}), '%d').'

cell2mat converts the cell array of char vectors to a char matrix. But this does not convert the char vectors to numbers.