Comparing and locating string values

I have a x=1x10 string of colors and the user enters a a=1x3 string of colors. Im trying to get the index of the location in the x-variable. How can i achieve that?

% my code

x=["Brown","Blue","Red","Orange","Purple","Black","Yellow","White"];

% User input

a=["Brown","Red"];

% I try this but it does not work

idx=strcmpi(a(1:2),x);

[Walter Roberson]

Look at the second output of ismember()

Answer 1

[stozaki]

Please try following command.

ret = find(ismember(x,a))

ismember

find

[Stephen23]

Simpler and more efficient without the superfluous find:

>> [~,idx] = ismember(a,x)
idx =
   1   3