Check if string contains a set of numbers

Hello everyone!

I have a cell with several names like this example "'NeuroIMAGEsfnwmrda1017176session1rest1aalTCs.mat'" and a variable with several numbers like "2371032" and so on.

I want to know if it is possible to check if a name in that respective cell contains a number that is present in another variable or the opposite, and if so, how can I achieve that?

Thanks in advance!

[Scott MacKenzie]

I used strfind with good results:

C = {'NeuroIMAGEsfnwmrda1017176session1rest1aalTCs.mat'};
var1 = '176';
var2 = '789';

strfind(C{:}, var1) % output = 23 (found at index 23)
strfind(C{:}, var2) % output = [] (not found)

Answer 1

[Cris LaPierre]

It would be helpful to have more data to test with, but my approach would probably be to convert the cell of names to a string array, and then use digitspattern to extract the 7-digit number. I could then convert the output of digitspattern to numbers, and then use ismember to see which of those numbers exist in your variable of numbers.

C = {'NeuroIMAGEsfnwmrda1017176session1rest1aalTCs.mat'};
n = [2371032;1017176];

pat = digitsPattern(7);
nums = extract(string(C),pat)

nums = "1017176"

[Lia,locb] = ismember(str2double(nums),n)

Lia = logical
   1

locb = 2

[Iugo]

Hi @Cris LaPierre, thanks for your fast reply!

I'm using Matlab R2020b but it is not recognizing the digitsPattern... it shouldn't be already there?

Thanks!

[Cris LaPierre]

It was introduced in R2020b so you should have it. It is included in base MATLAB. It runs for me in R2020b.

[Iugo]

I don't know what's going on but I can't use it... is there any alternative to digitsPattern?

[Cris LaPierre]

Yes - regular expressions.

Type the following into your command window

which digitsPattern

You should get something somilar to this

built-in (C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2020b\toolbox\matlab\strfun\pattern\digitsPattern)

[Iugo]

The digitsPattern it's not found...

[Cris LaPierre]

Run the command ver in your command window and share the output (remove your license number)

[Iugo]

So sorry, I taught I had Matlab R2020b, but I have the R2020a...

MATLAB Version: 9.8.0.1323502 (R2020a)

MATLAB License Number: -----

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Version 10.0 (Build 19043)

Java Version: Java 1.8.0_202-b08 with Oracle Corporation Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM mixed mode

[Cris LaPierre]

Ah, well in that case, digitsPattern did not yet exist. You could try using regexp.

Here's an example that works for the minimal data you provided. It at least gives you a starting point.

C = {'NeuroIMAGEsfnwmrda1017176session1rest1aalTCs.mat'};
n = [2371032;1017176];

nums = regexp(C,'\d{7}','match')

[Lia,locb] = ismember(str2double(nums{:}),n)

[Iugo]

Thank you @Cris LaPierre, that's it!!