How to make a while loop fill out an array?

Hello, I am trying to use a while loop to move through an array of strings and allocate the strings to a corresponding number system. Tstr provides the string array for the switch input. The output should be 1 1 7 1 2 1 4 1 3 complementing 'DEB' 'DEB' 'TFR' 'DEB' 'DD' 'DEB' 'FPI' 'DEB' 'CPT' however it returns 1 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8. Please help me to return the intended array.

Tlist = { 'DEB' 'DEB' 'TFR' 'DEB' 'DD' 'DEB' 'FPI' 'DEB' 'CPT'};

l = length(Tlist);
n=1;
while n <= l
  Tstr(1,n) = string(Tlist(1,n));
  switch Tstr
    case 'DEB'
     Tt(1,n) = 1;
    case 'DD'     
     Tt(1,n) = 2;     
    case 'CPT'
     Tt(1,n) = 3;
    case 'FPI'
     Tt(1,n) = 4;
    case 'FPO'
     Tt(1,n) = 5;
    case 'CHG'
     Tt(1,n) = 6;
    case 'TFR'
     Tt(1,n) = 7;
    otherwise
     Tt(1,n) = 8;
  end
  n=n+1;
end

[dpb]

HINT:

What happens to

  Tstr(1,n) = string(Tlist(1,n));

when n > 1 later on when you use simply Tstr?

Answer 1

[dpb]

Tlist = { 'DEB' 'DEB' 'TFR' 'DEB' 'DD' 'DEB' 'FPI' 'DEB' 'CPT'};
lup={'DEB','DD','CPT','FPI','FPO','CHG','TFR'};

>> [~,Tt]=ismember(Tlist,lup)
Tt =
     1     1     7     1     2     1     4     1     3
>> 

for fixup for missing elements add

Tt(Tt==0)=numel(lup)+1;

[Chris Heard]

Thanks a lot. Don't fully understand why the loop didn't work still but at least I can crack on with it now.

EDIT. Got it, need to switch on Tstr(1,n).

[dpb]

Right, that would work. While the vectorized solution is probably the way to go, the loop/switch construct variable doesn't need the subscript at all...

  Tstr=string(Tlist(1,n));
  switch Tstr
    ...

Or, you could even eliminate the temporary entirely.