MATLAB: Pull together files of the same name from different folders

dirfopentextscan

I am reading in several files of the same name from all different folders based on the folder name. Here I have gathered a list of the paths for these files:
axialList = dir('*_A_*');
for i = 1:length(axialList)
folders{i} = strcat(axialList(i).folder,axialList(i).name);
end
for i = 1:length(folders)
axialFiles{i} = strcat(folders{i},'\specimen.dat');
end
This gives me cells with all the file paths I want to read. Then I'm trying to put these names in a loop to read it. This worked before I put it in the loop:
FormatString = repmat('%f',1,7);
for i = 1:length(axialFiles)
fileID = fopen(axialFiles{i});
SortHeader = textscan(fileID,'%s',5,'delimiter','\n');
Data{i} = textscan(fileID,FormatString,'delimiter','\t');
Data{i} = cell2mat(Data{i});
fclose(fileID)
end
Now that I have it reading in fileID in the loop, I get the error 'Invalid file identifier. Use fopen to generate a valid file identifier'. If instead I just put the file names in like here:
FormatString = repmat('%f',1,7);
for i = 1:length(axialFiles)
% fileID = fopen(axialFiles{i});
SortHeader = textscan(axialFiles{i},'%s',5,'delimiter','\n');
Data{i} = textscan(axialFiles{i},FormatString,'delimiter','\t');
Data{i} = cell2mat(Data{i});
% fclose(fileID)
end
I get an empty cell array. Please help!

Best Answer

Here's how i ended up doing it. Some of my cell references were a bit off, and the fullfile command helped.
axialList = dir('*_A_*');
for i = 1:length(axialList)
folders{i} = fullfile(axialList(i).folder,'\',axialList(i).name);
end
axialFiles = cell(length(axialList),1);
for i = 1:length(folders)
axialFiles{i} = fullfile(folders{i},'\specimen.dat');
end
Data = cell(1,length(axialFiles));
for i = 1:length(axialFiles)
fileID = fopen(axialFiles{i});
SortHeader = textscan(fileID,'%s',5,'delimiter','\n');
FormatString = repmat('%f',1,7);
Data{i} = textscan(fileID,FormatString,'delimiter','\t');
Data{i} = cell2mat(Data{i});
fclose(fileID);
end