MATLAB: How to print using fprintf to distinguisish 1.1 from 1.10 and 1.100

string fprintf

I am working on producing tributary pixels input file to GAMS and I need them to be numbered in a way that distinguishes 1.1 from 1.10 and 1.100. Is there a way to print a string of characters distinguishing these differences?
The way I would like my txt file to be displayed is:
1.1,0
.
.
1.10,1,1.9
a=num2str(tribarray(k).pixel,precision);  
fprintf(fid, '%s, %s, %s\n', a, num2str(size(tribarray(k).trib,2)));  %,num2str(tribarray(k).trib));
%fprintf(fid, '%s, %s, %s\n', tribarray(k).pixel, size(tribarray(k).trib,2));
for j = 1:size(tribarray(k).trib,2) 
    b=num2str(tribarray(k).trib(j));
    fprintf(fid, '%s,', b);
end
Thanks, Mariam

Best Answer

What do you mean distinguish? They're the exact same numbers:
a = 1.1;
b = 1.10;
isequal(a, b)  %return true of course.
However many zeros you wrote at the end of the number initially is immediately lost as soon as you store the number into any numeric variable. Your options are thus:
1. store your numbers as string always, never as numeric even initially:
a = '1.1'
b = '1.10'
fprintf('%s, %s', a, b)
2. store your numbers as two integers, the integral part and the fractional part:
ai = 1; af = 1;
bi = 1; bf = 10;
fprintf('%d.%d, %d.%d', ai, af, bi, bf)
----
Side note: Don't do
fprintf('%s', num2str(anumber));
but
fprintf('%d', anumber) %for integers
fprintf('%f', anumber) %for real numbers
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