Calling a function using a string generated earlier in code.

What I want to do is call a function using a string that was generated earlier in the code. The initial function takes user input to create the string for the internal function. Here is what I have so far:

function [Cmdty2Pull]=refresh_AllComdtyCloses(Cmdty2Pull)
LastPullTable = [Cmdty2Pull '_History'];

I want to then do the following

irow = length(LastPullTable(:,1)

where irow is set to length of cell array CL_History if the user inputs CL.

Is there an easy way to do this that I just dont know about?

[Jonathan]

How many different calls will you be making? How many "_History" cells are there?

[Ben Clark]

I currently have 3 cell arrays using this naming convention but moving forward there may be more added.

It will most likely be called in a few other places in the code.

Hope this answers your questions.

[Jonathan]

Let me know if the solution below works.

Have a good one, Ben!

Answer 1

[Jonathan]

Here is a solution that will work depending on how many different cells you're talking about.

Define the cell (in any function) like this:

setappdata(0,'CL_History',{CELLDATA HERE});

and call it like this:

irow = length(getappdata(0,LastPullTable));

The problem is (how I see it) that you have to be using some sort function to reference a string or else "length" will just give you the length of the string.

This solution will work, but it may not be efficient or reasonable depending on what kind of data you're dealing with and the amount present.

[Ben Clark]

So what should into {CELLDATA HERE}? I am trying to get it to work but I am having a bit of trouble still.

[Jonathan]

Whatever data is in CL_History, you said it was a cell so that's what I went with. Let me show you an example.

setappdata(0,'My_Data',[1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3]);
setappdata(0,'My_String','Test String');
setappdata(0,'a_Cell',{'a' 'cell' 'of' 'strings'});

getappdata(0,'My_Data')
getappdata(0,'My_String')
getappdata(0,'a_Cell')

Copy and paste the lines above into your command window to see how get/set appdata works. It's basically storing information in the ML root.

setappdata(where, name, data)

if you originally defined CL_History like:

CL_History = {1 0 1 1};

just modify it to

setappdata(0,'CL_History',{1 0 1 1});

[Ben Clark]

I see, the examples helped a ton. Much thanks.

[Jonathan]

Happy to help! Maybe someone else has a better method of solving, but I've fallen in love with the setappdata command over the last few days!

You could also create an m-file for each cell and use feval:

function [output] = CL_History()

CL_History = {cell};
output = length(CL_History);

and in your original function:

irow = feval(LastPullTable);