MATLAB: How do you extract the actual name of your input variable in a function

variables

I need to extract the actual name of my input variable for naming a file. Here is my simple script.
     function bmp=array2bmp(a)
     bmp=uint8(a);
     nam=strcat(varname(a),'.bmp');
     imwrite(bmp,nam,'bmp');
     end
and varname is a function defined as such
     function n=varname(var)
     n=inputname(1);
     end
so if I have an array named 'testbmp' and I type
     bmp=array2bmp(testbmp);
My output is a .bmp file named 'a.bmp' not 'testbmp.bmp'. This does not make sense to me. Is there a way I can call the actual name of my actual input variable instead of whatever dummy variable I wrote in the function?

Best Answer

Alex - it does make sense since you are passing a variable named a into your function varname. To get the variable name testbmp, you would have to call inputname(1) from the within the function that "receives" this variable as an input I.e. array2bmp.
Related Question