MATLAB: Does a .dat file look good in Matlab, then open with incorrect formatting externally?

datatext file

Hi All,
As per the title, this short script:
    for i = 1:length(X)
      fid = fopen(['LUKE_',num2str(i),'.dat'],'w');
      fprintf(fid, ['LUKE''s blade design, element number ',num2str(i),'\n']);
      fprintf(fid, 'data here NOT from PROPID \n')
      fprintf(fid, '1 \n') %No. airfoil tables in this file
      fprintf(fid, [num2str(i),'\n']) %table ID parameter
      fprintf(fid, '13 \n') %stall angle
      fprintf(fid, '0 \n') %not used


      fprintf(fid, '0 \n') %not used
      fprintf(fid, '0 \n') %not used
      fprintf(fid, '-4.245 \n') %Angle of attack for zero Cn for linear Cn curve (deg)
      fprintf(fid, '6.009 \n') %Cn slope for zero lift for linear Cn curve (1/rad)
      fprintf(fid, '1.809 \n') %Cn at stall value for positive angle of attack for linear Cn curve
      fprintf(fid, '-1 \n') %Cn at stall value for negative angle of attack for linear Cn curve
      fprintf(fid, '0 \n') %Angle of attack for minimum CD (deg)
      fprintf(fid, '0.01072 \n') %Minimum CD value
      for k = 1:length(AERO_ANG)
          fprintf(fid,'%-8s',num2str(AERO_ANG(k)));
          fprintf(fid,'%-8.6s',num2str(AERO_CL(k,i)));
          fprintf(fid,'%-8.7s\n',num2str(AERO_CD(k,i)));
      end
      fclose(fid)
  end
Output looks as expected when 'opened as text' in Matlab. This is not the case when opened externally. Could someone please explain why?
Thanks,
Pascal

Best Answer

If you need to open in NotePad, then change the 'w' in the fopen() to 'wt' .
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