Simple question regarding data files

3)For a biomedical experiment, the names and weights of some patients have been stored in a file patwts.dat. For example, the file might look like this: Joe Schmo 110.5 Jane Lang 235.4 Mickey Mouse 150.3 Justin Alabama 650.2 Create this data file first.

Am I suppose make a matrix and save it to a data file? If so, I'm not sure what type of matrix to make it.

[per isakson]

You need a cell array to store both numerical and text.

There is also a data type table, but I doubt you need that.

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

You could use a cell array, but I find an array of structures easier - you never have to figure out if you need parentheses of braces. You can create your text file and then read it in with fgetl() and create your structure

fid = fopen('fgetl.m');
tline = fgetl(fid);
counter = 1;
while ischar(tline)
    %disp(tline)

      % First line is name.
      tline = fgetl(fid);
      patientData(counter).name = tline; % Assign field of the structure
      % Next line is weight
      tline = fgetl(fid);

      % Next line is the weight.
      patientData(counter).weight= str2double(tline);
      % Move on to the next structure.
      counter = counter + 1;
  end
  fclose(fid);

[Minh Nguyen]

My question is actually even simpler. How do I make the text file to begin with? I'm stuck on the "Create this data file first"

[Minh Nguyen]

I figured it out, thank you, just as simple as making a text file and saving it as .dat