Error using fprintf when copying cell content into a text file

I'm trying to copy the content of the following cell into a text file.

I'm using the following code:

[maxrow, maxcolumn]=size(MyCell);
id = fopen('filename.txt','w+t');
if id<0
error('could not open file');
end
for ro =1:maxrow
 for co =1:maxcolumn
fprintf(id,'%10s',MyCell{ro,co});
 end
fprintf('\n')
end
fclose(id)

But I'm getting this error:

"Error using fprintf

Function is not defined for 'cell' inputs."

Any help?

Thanks!

[dpb]

The cell contains another cell...have to dereference all the way to the content with fprintf

[Walter Roberson]

If you have R2019b or newer, use writecell()

[Ahmad Fakih]

I there anyway around this for the R2018a version? Apparently my large cell consists of many cells each containing one element only (all the small cells are basically 1x1). I wonder if there's a way to make it one big 2D cell.

[Rik]

Replace MyCell{ro,co} with something that makes sure you access the contents. From your screenshot it is difficult to tell what that syntax should be.

[Ahmad Fakih]

@Rik the the cell is linked below. Its called R1. It contains many 1 by 1 cells only.

Answer 1

[Rik]

The code below works, but it is probably better to define your FormatSpec in such a way that you can print your data line by line .

S=load('MATLAB Cell to Text.mat');MyCell=S.R1;

[maxrow, maxcolumn]=size(MyCell);
id = fopen('filename.txt','w+t');
if id<0
    error('could not open file');
end
for ro =1:maxrow
    for co =1:maxcolumn
        data=MyCell{ro,co};
        if isa(data,'cell')
            %assume a nested cell with a char array
            fprintf(id,'%10s',data{1});
        else
            %assume a numeric type
            fprintf(id,'%.2f',data);
        end
    end
    fprintf(id,'\n');
end
fclose(id);

[Ahmad Fakih]

Thank you!

Answer 2

[dpb]

Having data helps...to achieve the objective in the easiest way w/o writecell, use the intermediary of converting to a table...

writetable(cell2table(R1),'celldata.txt')

results in the file containing...

>> tR1=cell2table(R1);
>> writetable(tR1(1:10,:),'celldat.txt')
>> type celldat.txt

R11,R12,R13,R14,R15,R16,R17
Link=,1,   DOF=U1   Fixed=No   NonLinear=Yes   TransKE=0   TransCE=0,   Force=,NaN,   Displ=,0.05
Link=,1,   DOF=U1,   Force=,NaN,   Displ=,0.035
Link=,1,   DOF=U1,   Force=,NaN,   Displ=,0.025
Link=,1,   DOF=U1,   Force=,NaN,   Displ=,0.015
Link=,1,   DOF=U1,   Force=,NaN,   Displ=,0.008
Link=,1,   DOF=U1,   Force=,NaN,   Displ=,0.005
Link=,1,   DOF=U1,   Force=,NaN,   Displ=,0.003
Link=,1,   DOF=U1,   Force=,NaN,   Displ=,0.001
Link=,1,   DOF=U1,   Force=,NaN,   Displ=,0.0005
Link=,1,   DOF=U1,   Force=,0,   Displ=,0
>> 

for a small section.

If there's intent and/or need to do something with the data other than just create a text file from it, it would probably be best to go back to the point at which the content was created and do something differently there -- probably when the data were read from their source as looks like was machine-created.