Error: Undefined function or variable 'fgetl' when fgetl() is placed inside an else statement

Hi, I'm writing a simple script to read a .csv file. I get the error:

Undefined function or variable 'fgetl'. 
Error in (filename) (line 36)
    line = fgetl(fid);"

It's strange because the call to fgetl() outside the if statement works fine!

if(~exist(file_in)) 
    FInputErrMsg = 'not located in working directory.';
    Suggestion = ['Change script parameter or move the file into script'...
                 ' working directory.']; 
    error('Expected input file: "%s" %s\n%s',file_in,FInputErrMsg,Suggestion);  
elseif(exist(file_out))
    % TODO#1
end

% Open file_in1 to count the number of sites N
fid = fopen(file_in,'r');
line = fgetl(fid);
if(fid == -1) 
    error('Error opening %s. Exiting.', file_in);  
else
    line = fget1(fid);    %<---------------------- Offending Line
end
fclose(fid);

Answer 1

[Steven Lord]

Check in your original code whether you're calling fgetl with a lower-case L or calling fget1 with the number one. The code segment you posted implies the latter, the error message you posted implies the former.

[Minh Tran]

*Tear out hair* I apologize. In my haste, I must have tried both lowercase L and the number one but copied the version with the number one onto my clipboard.

Looking at the editor, the lowercase L and the number 1 looks AWFULLY similar.

[dpb]

OK, but you've still got the error test for fopen out of order as written above...

Answer 2

[dpb]

fid = fopen(file_in,'r');
line = fgetl(fid);
if(fid == -1) 
  error('Error opening %s. Exiting.', file_in);  
...

You've got the test for successful fopen out of order; that should be before you try to use it; then the fgetl call doesn't need to be inside the if construct at all. Then, it appears your fopen did fail so you called fgetl(-1) which then looks like an array reference instead of a function call since -1 isn't a valid file handle.

fid = fopen(file_in,'r');
if(fid<0), error('Error opening %s. Exiting.', file_in); end
line = fget1(fid);
fclose(fid);
...