Is there a way to copy files with a name specified by a link contained within an array to a new folder?

I am new to MatLab and am trying to copy multiple files from one folder, which the link is defined in a csv table, to a new location. I tried useing the following but it didnt work. ANy help would be much appreciated.

clear
close all
clc
%%
% Data import
Data = readtable('C:\Users\data.csv')

%%
% Select column with the file names
File_location = Data{:,5}

%%
mkdir C:\Users\Desktop\copied
status = copyfile(File_location, 'C:\Users\Desktop')

Answer 1

[Geoff Hayes]

Jack - without seeing the error message from your above code, I suspect that File_location is a cell array of paths to files and you are trying to use copyfile which copies a single file or folder from one location to another. I think that you will want to loop over every file (string) in File_location and call copyfile on that file.

[Jack Robertson]

Hi Geoff,

thanks, i think your description is correct that File-location is a cell array of paths.

i didn't get an error it just didn't copy any files and the following:

status =

logical

0

How would i loop over every file (string) in File_location? sorry i know this is probably basic.

THanks,

Jack

[Geoff Hayes]

Hi Jack - from the documentation, a return value of zero suggests success (see status output), To loop over the code, you could do something like

for k = 1:length(File_location)
    fileAndPath = File_location{k};
    status = copyfile(fileAndPath, 'C:\Users\Desktop');
    fprintf('Copying file %s with status %d', fileAnPath, status);
end

There are more efficient ways of doing the above (i.e. use cellfun to copy each file) but if it doesn't work, you can use the MATLAB debugger and step through each line to see what is happening. (Maybe File_location is empty or isn't a cell array?)

[Jack Robertson]

thank you for the responce but i still get the following error and no files have moved:

[Jack Robertson]

This code works fine if i stop it and manually enter the fileAndPath output into replace the 'FileAndPath' in status = copyfile('FileAndPath', 'C:\Users\Desktop\copied')

but when i run it it gives output as follows with the status logical showing status = logical 0 (if i manually enter the FileandPath output it gives status = logical 1)

2×1 cell array

{'C:\Users\Desktop\619834.svs'}

{'C:\Users\Desktop\619839.svs'}

fileAndPath =

'C:\Users\Desktop\619834.svs'

status =

logical

0

Copying file C:\Users\Desktop\619834.svs with status 0

fileAndPath =

'C:\Users\Desktop\619839.svs'

status =

logical

0

Copying file C:\Users\Desktop\619839.svs with status 0>>

[Geoff Hayes]

The error message is a type in my code (in the fprintf) where it is trying to reference a variable (fileAnPath) that doesn't exist. Try changing it to

for k = 1:length(File_location)
    fileAndPath = File_location{k};
    status = copyfile(fileAndPath, 'C:\Users\Desktop');
    fprintf('Copying file %s with status %d', fileAndPath, status);
end