Merging two categorical columns using a rule

Hi,

I am wanting to merge/add 2 categorical columns but need to use a rule.

For example a= [Flowering not not not], b=[not not not budburst] and I want the final output to be c=[Flowering not not Budburst]?

Basically, when merging/adding the two vectors, I want the word "flowering" or "budburst" to take precedence over "not". "Flowering" will never clash with "budburst" and "not "not" would give a "not".

Thanks, Wendy

Answer 1

[Ameer Hamza]

Here is one way

% Extracting data from yor file
data = readtable('phenology.xls');
a = categorical(data.A);
b = categorical(data.B);

% preparing default output vector
c = categorical(repmat({'not'}, size(a)));

indA = ~ismember(a, 'not');
indB = ~ismember(b, 'not');
c(indA) = a(indA);
c(indB) = b(indB);

isequal(c, data.C)
ans =
  1 <--- The generated c is same as in your xls file.

Answer 2

[Greg]

Make your categorical array ordinal (with "not" as the lowest value), then use c = max(a,b). This is only guaranteed to work since you said valid values won't conflict.

[Wendy Cameron]

This sounds very elegant and I think would work but I'll now have to work out how to make a categorical array ordinal. Ultimately I will have categorical columns as part of a table with dates and temperatures.

[Greg]

Have a read of the documentation page " Ordinal Categorical Arrays ."

Basically, you specify the valueset (allowable entries) in order of smallest to largest:

valueset = {'not';'Budburst';'Flowering'};
var = categorical(a,valueset,'ordinal');

[Wendy Cameron]

Thank you, I've read that now and it seems to make even more sense the way you've written it here!.

Thank you very much. Wendy

Answer 3

[Wendy Cameron]

Hi,

I have attached some sample data. Basically I have columns A and B but want to get column C. I couldn't quite get the method above to work but I am very new to Matlab.

Thanks for your patience. Wendy

[Ameer Hamza]

I just tested my code with your data and it is giving correct output. Can you tell which line is creating the error? Refer to my edited answer to see how to read data from the xls file.

Answer 4

[Wendy Cameron]

Yes that worked with the table I sent you as you describe. I get a 42 x 1 categorical - thank you very much. I'm now just trying to join that column into my original table. Join or interjoin might work.

Thanks, Wendy

[Ameer Hamza]

You can add the new column to the original table using,

data.newColumnName = c;

where data is the table, newColumnName is the name you want to give to the new column and c is the result.

[Wendy Cameron]

Brilliant, thank you - that works perfectly. I've learnt a lot thank you.

Very much appreciated.

[Ameer Hamza]

You are welcome.