MATLAB: How to stop while statement

while loop

function isitalike=comparestrings(a,b)
n=length(a);
m=length(b);
c=logical(0);
y=m;
z=n;
f=0;
if m>n
      temp=a;
      a=b;
      b=temp;
end
      for i=1:n
     c=strcmp(a(i),b(1))
          if c
              j=1;
              if a(i:n)>=length(b)
              for k=1:length(b)
              while a(i)==b(j)
          if j==length(b)
               if z>y
          disp('b is in a')
         f=1;
          else
              disp('a is in b')
              f=1;
              end
          end
           j=j+1;
               i=i+1;
              end
          end
              end
              end
          end
      if f==0
           if z>y
          disp('b is not in a')
          else
              disp('a is not in b')
           end
      end
The function above does not work properly I can't stop the while statement after i have found that a is in b or b is in a. This is what happens:
>> a
a =
agg
>> b
b =
sagggsa
>> comparestrings(a,b)
c =
       0
c =
       1
a is in b
??? Attempted to access b(4); index out of bounds because 
numel(b)=3.
Error in ==> comparestrings at 39
              while a(i)==b(j)
>>

Best Answer

What is your statement
if a(i:n)>=length(b)
intended to mean?
Your while loop continues indefinitely because you do not have an condition defined to escape from it with a "break" statement.
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