EDIT:(Getting a Different Error Now: " Index exceeds matrix dimensions".) >>User Inputed Word--> Yields a corresponding number.

>PREVIOUS:

>Hello, this is a small part of a larger code I am writing that is supposed to give a total "value" of pieces of scrap >metal at a junk yard. The other parts are fairly straightforward, and I have had no trouble figuring them out >(involved basic statements), except for the final part.

>Anyway, A user will input a range of numbers describing things such as the "length, width, mass, etc", and then a >"value" of the piece of >metal is determined by adding up the sub scores. These numbers range from a grade of 1-5.

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Thanks for the help earlier guys, but now I am getting a new error.

My new code: (the x1, x2, x3 ect are just arbitrary variables to store the sub-scores)

cond = input('Condition');
switch cond
    case 1
        x1=0;
    case 2
        x1=5;
    case 3
        x1=10;
    case 4
        x1=15;
    case 5
        x1=20;
    otherwise
        x1=0;
end

color = input('Color');
switch lower(color)
  case {'blue' 'white'}
    x2 = 12;
  case 'red'
    x2 = 20;
  case 'pink'
    x2 = 2;
  case 'black'
    x2 = 15;
  otherwise
    x2 = 0;
end

mass= input('Mass');
switch mass
    case 1
        x3 = 8;
    case 2
        x3= 16;
    case 3
        x3=16;
    case 4
        x3=20;
    case 5
        x3=20;
    otherwise
        x3=0;

end

length= input('Length: ');
switch length
    case 1
        x4=8;
    case 2
        x4=8;
    case 3
        x4=19;
    case 4
        x4=19;
    case 5
        x4=19;
    otherwise
        x4=0;
end

width= input('width: ');
switch width
    case 1
        x5=6;
    case 2
        x5=13;
    case 3
        x5=13;
    case 4
        x5=18;
    case 5
        x5=18;
    otherwise
        x5=0;
end

points=(x1)+(x2)+(x3)+(x4)+(x5);
disp(['The value of that piece of scrap is ', num2str(points), ' points'])

The error "Index exceeds matrix dimensions" is occurring at every "input" line.

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

Spencer: Try it this way:

clc; % Clear command window.
format compact;  % Remove unnecessary blank lines from output.
workspace; % Display the workspace panel.
defaultValue = 1;
titleBar = 'Enter a value';
caUserInput = inputdlg('Enter the condition ', titleBar, 1, {num2str(defaultValue)});
if isempty(caUserInput),return,end; % Bail out if they clicked Cancel.
cond = round(str2double(cell2mat(caUserInput)));
switch cond
    case 1
        x1=0;
    case 2
        x1=5;
    case 3
        x1=10;
    case 4
        x1=15;
    case 5
        x1=20;
    otherwise
        x1=0;
end

caUserInput = inputdlg('Enter the color ', titleBar, 1, {num2str(defaultValue)});
color = round(str2double(cell2mat(caUserInput)));
if isempty(caUserInput),return,end; % Bail out if they clicked Cancel.
switch lower(color)
  case {'blue' 'white'}
    x2 = 12;
  case 'red'
    x2 = 20;
  case 'pink'
    x2 = 2;
  case 'black'
    x2 = 15;
  otherwise
    x2 = 0;
end

caUserInput = inputdlg('Enter the mass ', titleBar, 1, {num2str(defaultValue)});
if isempty(caUserInput),return,end; % Bail out if they clicked Cancel.
mass = round(str2double(cell2mat(caUserInput)));
switch mass
    case 1
        x3 = 8;
    case 2
        x3= 16;
    case 3
        x3=16;
    case 4
        x3=20;
    case 5
        x3=20;
    otherwise
        x3=0;

end

caUserInput = inputdlg('Enter the length ', titleBar, 1, {num2str(defaultValue)});
if isempty(caUserInput),return,end; % Bail out if they clicked Cancel.
length = round(str2double(cell2mat(caUserInput)));
switch length
    case 1
        x4=8;
    case 2
        x4=8;
    case 3
        x4=19;
    case 4
        x4=19;
    case 5
        x4=19;
    otherwise
        x4=0;
end

caUserInput = inputdlg('Enter the width ', titleBar, 1, {num2str(defaultValue)});
if isempty(caUserInput),return,end; % Bail out if they clicked Cancel.
width = round(str2double(cell2mat(caUserInput)));
switch width
    case 1
        x5=6;
    case 2
        x5=13;
    case 3
        x5=13;
    case 4
        x5=18;
    case 5
        x5=18;
    otherwise
        x5=0;
end

points=(x1)+(x2)+(x3)+(x4)+(x5)
fprintf('The value of that piece of scrap is %d points.\n', points)

[Image Analyst]

Notem these:

caUserInput = inputdlg('Enter the width ', titleBar, 1, {num2str(defaultValue)});

is supposed to be all on one single line (in case it doesn't show up that way in your browser).

[Spencer]

Yes, that seemed to solve it. Thank you again for all your help!

Answer 2

[Geoff]

Nah... Try this:

colors = {'Blue', 'Red', 'Pink', 'Black', 'White'};
values = [12 20 2 15 12];

You can search for the index of your colour like this:

col = find( cellfun(@(c) strcmpi(c, color), colors) );

Or, the more clunky approach is to use a switch statement...

switch lower(color)
  case 'blue'
    value = 12;
  case 'red'
    value = 20;
  .....
end

Hope that wasn't too much hinting.

[Image Analyst]

You may call it more clunky, but I find the switch way more readable/understandable.

[Spencer]

Oh! Okay, that makes WAAAAY more sense then what I was attempting to grind out. Thank you to you both!

[Geoff]

I mean more clunky because if you simply want to map a string to a value, a switch statement can become very cluttered. Plus, using arrays means you can generalise the solution into a function (which could inform the user what the available options are if they enter an invalid value). It reduces the possibility of having to update your code in more than one place if you want to make a change, and you can use the same function for any string->value input.

Answer 3

[Image Analyst]

Why are you messing with strings and input()? Why not use menu(), like this:

%Blue=12
%Red=20
%Pink=2
%Black=15
%White=12
button = menu('Pick a color', 'Blue', 'Red', 'Pink', 'Black', 'White')
switch button
  case 1
    output = 12
  case 2
    output = 20
  case 3
    output = 2;
  case 4
    output = 15
  otherwise
    output = 12
end
message = sprintf('The value is %d', output);
msgbox(message);

Answer 4

[Spencer]

Hi, after taking into consideration the tips you both have given me so far, I sort of simplified the code I had, from long if then statements to switch statements.(As shown above)

How ever I am now getting an error "Index exceeds matrix dimensions"

It is occurring at every "input" line. Am I missing some crucial detail/ making a critical mistake that you can see?