"contains" with multiple conditions

Returns logical true for the elements of a string array that contain a set of substrings combined by boolean operators.

Function based on MATLAB's "contains" which gives logical indices of string array "str" as true for the elements that contain a set of strings in "substr". The strings in "substr" can be combined by using EQUAL ('='), NOT ('~'), AND ('&'), OR ('|') operators processed in this order. If "substr" consists of multiple elements, they are combined by OR.

INPUTS:

"str" / "substr": string array or cell array of strings

OUTPUTS:

"idc_log": logical (TF) indices vector same length as "str"

EXAMPLE:

str = {'fuel', 'air', 'm_fuel', 'm_steam', 'Tsteam', 'Tair', 'Tfuel'};

substr = ['=Tair | ~steam | T & fuel & ~steam'];

substr = {'=Tair', '~steam', 'T & fuel & ~steam'}; % treated same as substr above

idc_log = contains_multi(str, substr)

idc_log gives indices of the elements in "str" which are exactly EQUAL to 'Tair' OR does not contain 'steam' OR contain 'T' AND 'fuel' but NOT 'steam'.

Version: 1.1

Tested on MATLAB 2020b

Yasir, 2023-11-11