converting cell array to matrix

I have a cell array a = {'a' , 'b' , 'c' ,'d' , 'e'}

I need to convert a cell array to matix with ','(comma in between)

my answer should be a = a,b,c,d,e

how can i do it?

thanks a lot

[Guillaume]

While technically

a = 'a,b,c,d,e';

is a matrix. Calling it a char array or a string would make more sense.

It certainly begs the question: do you understand the differences (or lack of) between a matrix of numbers and a matrix of characters?

Answer 1

[Andrei Bobrov]

a = {'a' , 'b' , 'c' ,'d' , 'e'};

a = sprintf('%c,',[a{:}]);
a = a(1:end-1);

[Titus Edelhofer]

Andrei, generally correct, but the OP wanted to have a "," in between, so:

a = {'a' , 'b' , 'c' ,'d' , 'e'};
% add a "," after each string:
aCell = strcat(a, ',');
% combine (see above)
aString = [aCell{:}];
% remove the last ",":
aString(end)=[];

Titus

[Guillaume]

This all seems extremely convoluted. What is wrong with ?

a = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'};
a = strjoin(a, ',')  %available since 2013 (a or b?)

[Gopalakrishnan venkatesan]

how to perform the same operation if given cell array a = {'abc_def' , 'sdfds_sdaf' , 'ddfs_sdfsd'} answer should be

a = abc_def , sdfds_sdaf , ddfs_sdfsd

thanks a lot

[Guillaume]

See my comment and look at the documentation of strjoin.

[Titus Edelhofer]

@Guillaume: nothing wrong with strjoin except that I did not know it ;-)