Extract part of a filename from a directory list

Hi, Can anyone please show me a 'nice' way to achieve what I what, preferably without looping.

I have a folder containing multiple files with similar format names 'XXX_YYY_010203.txt'. The numeric part is a timestamp, I would like to extract the timestamps into an array.

Currently my code looks like this:

    filelist=dir(folder); 
    x=regexp({filelist(:).name},'_','split')
    x=cellfun(@(x) regexp(x(3),'\.','split'),x)
    x=cellfun(@(x) x(1),x)

Which works, but isn't exactly readable.

Answer 1

[Oleg Komarov]

I suppose that your filenames always have the date as ddmmyy and it's always at then end:

 x = {'XXX_YYY_010203.txt'
      'XXX_YYY_020203.txt'};
 x = cellfun(@(in) in(end-9:end-4),x,'un',0)

[Tom Wright]

Thanks

 x = cellfun(@(in) in(end-9:end-4),{filelist(:).name},'un',0)

[Sogand Karbalaieali]

Thank you. Also, if all file names do not have the same patterns, those with different name pattern shall be excluded to avoid error in the code.