MATLAB: Convert Values From Cell Elements to String Elements for Complete Array

Question

Hi Guys,

BACKGROUND:

I have used the code:

[num,text,raw] = xlsread ('TestFile.xlsx')

to read in an Excel spreadsheet.

The "TestFile" has both string and numerical values in the array.

The created "raw" array (cell type) has all the information I believe required (providing I can convert form a cell type to a string type).

I will have the code add 1 to the instance count variable when there is a single "NaN' and end when there is 2 consecutive "NaN" (using an if-statement) later on.

Note: The data sets will be of the same structure but differ in the "NaN" placement (hence the instance count can't be hard coded).

QUESTION:

As the element placement of the "raw" array is how I would like (to access, peruse and then use the data), how do I convert or duplicate each element of the "raw" array so that its location is the same but of the string type (can numerical values be classified as strings for later numerical conversion [subroutine] prior to numerical use )?

Is it advisable to have one array as a string type and another array as the numeric type, then have a function read the type cell array and if a alphabetical, populate the numerical cell (same element position as the element in the cell type array), if alphabetical, populate the string array (again, same element position as the element in cell type array)?

That way I can peruse the relevant array types for their respective values?

NOTE:

I can’t use the "num" array since the element placement is dictated by the first instance of a number (required data for late use omitted).

Answer 1

mask = cellfun(@ischar, raw);
raw(mask) = num2cell(string(raw(mask)));