Passing input variables to function

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Hamza
Hamza on 28 Apr 2014
Commented: Hamza on 28 Apr 2014
Hi,
I am working on a script in which I define variables that then get passed onto a function to do further calculations with.
I am able to pass numerical values across but when I try to pass on a string of say 'yellow' across to the function I get the following error message ' In an assignment A(I) = B, the number of elements in B and I must be the same.'
I was wondering if anyone could point me towards the right approach to take when passing text between Matlab function.
Many thanks in advance.
Hamza
  4 Comments
Hamza
Hamza on 28 Apr 2014
Hi Mischa,
Would this help?
m-file:
number_jackets = 5
colour = 'yellow'
var(1) = number_jackets
var(2) = colour
func = trial(var)
In this example I am trying to pass across the number of jackets and the colour of the jackets.
Is this what you were asking for?
Hamza

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Accepted Answer

dpb
dpb on 28 Apr 2014
OK, you're needing a cell array to hold the disparate types in one array. Write
var{1} = number_jackets;
var{2} = colour;
instead. NB: the "curlies", the '{}' instead of parens to create the cell array.
For such a case, as it'll be highly likely you'll want to access the two in the function rather than combine in a cell I'd probably either
a) pass them separately, particularly if they're going to be the only arguments to the function, or
b) make the related stuff into a structure with named fields for the clothing article
  1 Comment
Hamza
Hamza on 28 Apr 2014
Thank you very much dpb, the curlies did the trick! :)
Hamza

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More Answers (1)

Niklas Nylén
Niklas Nylén on 28 Apr 2014
Edited: Niklas Nylén on 28 Apr 2014
The problem is that you are trying to put mixed data types (one number and one string) into the same vector. If you use a cell instead, by replacing () with {} this is possible:
number_jackets = 5
colour = 'yellow'
var{1} = number_jackets
var{2} = colour
You will need to use {} when accessing the elements again.
myJacketColor = var{2}
Another way is to pass them as two separate arguments
func = trial(number_jackets, colour)

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