Using load for different files with varying names

I have 25 files with .mat files, naming from data1 to data25

how to load them properly without manualy typing from 1 to 25

Here is my idea and the error

```

for i = 1:1:25

load('data%d.mat',i)

end

```

Error using load

Must be a text scalar.

Answer 1

[Akira Agata]

How about the following?

for kk  = 1:25
    fileName = sprintf('data%d.mat', kk);
    load(fileName)
    %
    % Some process for each file
    %
end

[Stephen23]

@Miraboreasu: Note that LOADing directly into the workspace often leads to problems processing the loaded data, exactly as your follow-up question indicates:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/1804775-access-variables-with-naming-in-workspace

It is strongly recommended to LOAD into an output variable:

S = load(..)

and then access the fields of S.

[Akira Agata]

Yes, of course it is recommended to load into an output variable, as you mentioned.

Thank you for your additional comment !

Answer 2

[Stephen23]

Here is a robust approach, by not LOADing directly into the workspace, which also also resolves your follow-up question. The code assumes exactly one variable per MAT file.

N = 25;
C = cell(1,N);
for k = 1:N
    F = sprintf('data%d.mat',k);
    C(k) = struct2cell(load(F));
end

All of your imported filedata wll be in the cell array C. Note that you can trivially loop over all of C, or access its contents individually. For example, the data for the second file:

C{2}

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_prog/access-data-in-a-cell-array.html

When you learn to avoid having meta-data in variable names (e.g. pseudo-indices), then you can start to learn how to write neat, simple, and very efficient MATLAB code.