Error using copyfile from a changing directory

I am pulling a file to read in from an always changing directory. I would like to copy this file into a directory I have it for storage and further data analysis.

this_folder = pwd
[data, path] = uigetfile('*csv')
data2 = fullfile(path, data)

do some processing then when I am finished

f_all = fullfile(this_folder, 'data_plots\All_data_plots')
copyfile(data,f_all)

I get the error:

Error using copyfile
Argument must contain a string

The problem is data, data2, f_all, path, and this_folder are all characters so I am not sure what it means by must contain a string.

[per isakson]

What does

   whos data data2 f_all

show?

[Calabrese]

class char for all

[Image Analyst]

Don't use "path" - it's a built in reserved variable and you'll destroy it. Use "folder" instead. And use *.csv instead of *csv.

[per isakson]

"class char for all" &nbsp Are you sure?

>> copyfile( 'abc', 'def' )
Error using copyfile
No matching files were found. 
>> copyfile( 1, 'def' )
Error using copyfile
Argument must contain a string.

and clicking the Cancel-button

>> [ file, folder ] = uigetfile('*.csv')
file =
     0
folder =
     0

[Calabrese]

Using a different variable besides path gets rid of the error I was getting. I am not sure why if in the beginning I reassign the reserved variable but I won't complain.

However I when I tried copying the file using the path in the file name it still gives me an error.

copyfile(data2,f_all)

I decided to just change my directory temporarily to perform the function

cd(folder)

f_all = fullfile(this_folder, 'data_plots\All_data_plots')
copyfile(data,f_all)

cd(this_folder)

and that works

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

If the user cancels uigetfile() then the file output (which you call "data") will return a numeric value rather than a character.

If you use uigetfile() with Multiselect turned on, then the file output will return as a cell array of strings, even if only one value is chosen by the user.

[Calabrese]

What do you mean cancels the uigetfile()? When I get the file I use the path name later to find it in the directory I got it from and then copy it to a subfolder from the directory I was originally in

[Walter Roberson]

uigetfile() uses the native file choice interfaces so it looks different for each operating system. For OS-X, in the bottom right corner there will be the normal "Open" button to select the file, but just to the left of that there will be a "Cancel" button. If the user chooses to Cancel then the output is not a character string.

[Calabrese]

I am not canceling anything though, I am simply saving the path of I folder I get to a variable so I could use it again later to copy the file. The solution to the error I was getting to use a different variable instead of path.