Using dir() without changing directory?

I need to find files that have dir(['*K1*.json']); in their names which are in a specific folder different from the matlab script folder. I prefere not to change directory because I will get error while running the script.

Is there any way to do so?

[Geoff Hayes]

Zeynab - rather than changing directories, why not just include the full path to that folder that has those files that you are looking for? Use that full path when calling dir.

[Zeynab Mousavikhamene]

@Geoff Hayes what do you mean by full path?

[Geoff Hayes]

The full path to your folder could be something like

dir(['/users/geoffh/someFolder/*K1*.json'])

or whatever is appropriate for your platform.

[Zeynab Mousavikhamene]

@Geoff Hayes As i mentioned in the question, the folder containing *K1*.json is differnt from matlab running script and when I use dir(['/users/geoffh/someFolder/*K1*.json']) it will check all files in the folder containing the matlab script not in the folder containing K1.json files. I need a structure that can define the folder containing K1.json files.

[Jim Riggs]

Perhaps you did not understand:

The path specification "/users/geoffh/someFolder/" represents the full path to the folder that contains the files that you want to search. You need to substitude the actual path to your files.

If you specify a path in the 'dir' command, it will searth that specified folder.

[Stephen23]

"I prefere not to change directory because I will get error while running the script. "

Changing folders to access data files is slow and makes the code harder to debug. Best avoided.

It is much better to use absolute/relative filenames, as the others have already commented.

"the folder containing *K1*.json is differnt from matlab running script... I need a structure that can define the folder containing K1.json files."

That is exactly what absolute/relative filenames are for:

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

Answer 1

[per isakson]

Use an absolute path rather than a relative path (as proposed in the comments). It's easier to get it right. Thus try

sad = dir( fullfile( 'c:', 'specific', 'folder',  ['*K1*.json'] )  );