Sorting a structure array

I have used a previous code that creates a structure array with the name of several subfolder where i want to import data

% Path of the main folder : 
yourpath = 'D:\Dropbox\...';
% Get all the subfolders
ContentInFold = dir(yourpath);
SubFold = ContentInFold([ContentInFold.isdir]); % keep only the directories
% Loop on each folder
FColLocal = [];
for i = 3:length(SubFold) % start at 3 to skip . and ..
    filetoread = fullfile(yourpath,SubFold(i).name,'FCol_LocalForce.out'); % <- this is the "Fcol_LocalForce.txt" file of the ith subfolders
    % then type your code to read the text files and store in one variable
      FColLocal{end+1} = dlmread(filetoread, ' ', [10 0 1008 0]); % the format depends of your files
    end

In the SubFold structure array, thats where i would like to sort the field 'name' with a diferend order of the determined by Matlab.

The problem is that the field 'name' is formed with characteres of the type:

'1._0.005._0.2_.4._2'

'10._0.005._0.2_.16._4' ,

'100._0.002._0.5_.4._16'

The field name corresponds to subfolder name (except the first 2 rows),

but I would like to change to (as it is ordered in the windows folder)

'1._0.005._0.2_.4._2' ,

'2._0.005._0.2_.4._4'

'3._0.005._0.2_.4._8'

...

where only the first character of the name field controles the sorting (ascending).

Thanks

[Jon]

Could you please further clarify. Please make a short example list of the filenames in the order that they are returned by directory and then for those same filenames please list how you would like them sorted. I think you have tried to do that above, but I am confused by your listing for example of '3._0.005._0.2_.4._8', I don't see that filename anywhere in the screenshot you have, and don't really know what you are trying to show.

[FabioP]

The List of the filenames (sub-folders) that are returned by directory in the use the previous code are the ones in the figure above:

'1._0.005._0.2_.4._2'

'10._0.005._0.2_.16._4' ,

'100._0.002._0.5_.4._16'

'101._0.002._0.5_.8._2'

and continue down the column to a total of 252 folders (from a parametric study) thats why they dont appear all in the figure.

The first character of filename folder (x._y._z._k._m) , the x, represent the couting of the subfolders, and it shoud start in:

'1._0.005._0.2_.4._2' ,

'2._0.005._0.2_.4._4'

'3._0.005._0.2_.4._8'

....

as it is in the windows folder (from 1 to 252) sorted by name:

Hope it helps to understand the problem.

Answer 1

[per isakson]

Hint:

This script sorts with regard to the leading group of digits (converted to numeric)

%%
SubFold = { '1._0.005._0.2_.4._2'  
            '10._0.005._0.2_.16._4' 
            '100._0.002._0.5_.4._16' 
            '101._0.002._0.5_.8._2' 
            '2._0.005._0.2_.4._4' 
            '3._0.005._0.2_.4._8' 
        };
%%
cac = regexp( SubFold, '^\d+', 'match' );
num = cellfun( @(c) str2double(c), cac );
[~,ixs] = sort( num );
%%
SubFold( ixs, 1 )

it returns

ans =
  6×1 cell array
    {'1._0.005._0.2_.4._2'   }
    {'2._0.005._0.2_.4._4'   }
    {'3._0.005._0.2_.4._8'   }
    {'10._0.005._0.2_.16._4' }
    {'100._0.002._0.5_.4._16'}
    {'101._0.002._0.5_.8._2' }
>> 

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