String starting with ' and ending with '

I have a function that calls a filename. The filename must be typed in with the string delimiter ' ' included into the argument. I have string variables holding the filenames. How do I call this function using the string variables and have the string delimiter explicitly passed to the function. If I just give it the variable name, it chokes because the delimiters are not there. Here is the structure of how the function opens the file.

function [A, B]=testfunction(file);

% [data, header]=testfunction(file)
% This function reads in a file and its header information

fid=fopen(file,'r','ieee-be');

. . .

Thanks,

Francois

Answer 1

[Thomas]

Here is my function file

function [A,B]=readfunction(file)

file_name=file    % donot need this just to show it goes to variable
fid=fopen(file_name);

end

Now if I give the following command

>> readfunction('hello.m')
file_name =
hello.m

It comes in without the ' ' delimiters.. and opens the file just fine..

[Francois Piche]

The argument you are calling in your example function has the filename in ' ' string delimiter. If you tried calling your test function with a string variable it would not work.

Try readfunction(file_name) and see what happens. I am trying to use the function to open multiple files with different names which are stored in string variables.

[Thomas]

you need to use the ' ' delimiter to call a file, you cannot do without.. and even if you use the ' ' delimiter in the calling the function the variable will not have the ' ' delimiter..

>> name='hello.m';
>> readfunction(name)
file_name =
hello.m

how ever if you want to use it again you need to add the single quotes to filename as

 new=sprintf('''%s''',file_name)
 readfunction(new)

Works as it should...

Answer 2

[Walter Roberson]

filenames = {'file1.txt', 'file2.txt', 'file3.txt'};
for K = 1 : length(filenames)
  thisfile = filenames{K};
  testfunction(thisfile)
end