Two cells merged together with different conditions

I want cell a and b merged together.

1) When one of the two string as a value (as 5,6 or 7) I want c to have that value.

2) When the two cells has both the letter A and B, I want array c to have the letter A.

3) When the cells string has the letter A , I want array c to have the letter A.

4) When the cells string has the letter B , I want array c to have the letter B.

%Given cells

a={'A'; 'B' ; 5 ; 6; 'A' ; 'A'; 'B'};

b={ 7; 'B' ;'A' ;'B'; 'A' ; 'B' ; 'A'};

%Wanted Outcome

c={ 7; 'B' ; 5 ; 6; 'A' ; 'A'; ; 'A'};

[Jan]

c={ 7;  'B' ; 5  ; 6; 'A' ; 'A'; ; 'A'};
%                               ^  ??

This is no valid Matlab syntax. So please explain uniquely, what you expect here. The empty matrix [ ] ?

What have you tried so far and which problem occurs? Is this a homework question?

[Dora de Jong]

Sorry the c had a typo. Here is the good one.

c={ 7; 'B' ; 5 ; 6; 'A' ; 'A'; 'A'};

No this is not a homework question. It is simplified version of a piece of script I'm working on.

[Dora de Jong]

@Jan I am think now on something like this.

a={'A'; 'B' ; 5 ; 6; 'A' ; 'A'; 'B'};

b={ 7; 'B' ;'A' ;'B'; 'A' ; 'B' ; 'A'}

c=cell(7,1);

for s=1:7

if a(s,1)=='A' && a(s,2)=='A'

c(s)='A'

elseif b(s,1)=='B' && b(s,2)=='B'

c(s)='B'

elseif b(s,1)=='A' && b(s,2)=='B'

c(s)='A'

elseif b(s,1)=='B' && b(s,2)=='A'

c(s)='A'

else

c(s) = %value

end

end

Answer 1

[Jan]

a = {'A'; 'B' ; 5  ; 6; 'A' ; 'A'; 'B'};
b = { 7;  'B' ;'A' ;'B'; 'A' ; 'B' ; 'A'};

c = cell(size(a));  % Pre-allocation
isNum_a     = cellfun('isclass', a, 'double');
isNum_b     = cellfun('isclass', b, 'double');
sameChar    = strcmp(a, b);  % replies FALSE, if one is a number
c(isNum_a)  = a(isNum_a);
c(isNum_b)  = b(isNum_b);    % prefer b if both are numbers  [EDITED, Typo fixed]
c(sameChar) = a(sameChar);   % or b(sameChar)
c(~sameChar & ~isNum_a & ~isNum_b) = {'A'};

[Dora de Jong]

Wawooow Jan really nice! Thank you!

Is works almost perfectly. C(1,1) has to be 7, but is now 'A'. Why is that??

C=[

'A';

'B';

5;

6;

'A';

'A';

'A']

[Dora de Jong]

This will be the script when C(1,1) has to be 7!!

a = {'A'; 'B' ; 5  ; 6; 'A' ; 'A'; 'B'};
b = { 7;  'B' ;'A' ;'B'; 'A' ; 'B' ; 'A'};
c = cell(size(a));  % Pre-allocation
isNum_a     = cellfun('isclass', a, 'double');
isNum_b     = cellfun('isclass', b, 'double');
sameChar    = strcmp(a, b);  % replies FALSE, if one is a number
c(isNum_a)  = a(isNum_a);
c(isNum_b)  = b(isNum_b);    % prefer b if both are numbers
c(sameChar) = a(sameChar);   % or b(sameChar)
c(~sameChar & ~isNum_a & ~isNum_b) = {'A'};

[Jan]

Yes, this was a type:

c(isNum_b)  = b(isNum_b);    % prefer b if both are numbers  [EDITED, Typo fixed]
%             ^ this was a by accident

This is a little bit simpler:

c           = cell(size(a));  % Pre-allocation
c(:)        = {'A'};          % As default value
isNum_a     = cellfun('isclass', a, 'double');
isNum_b     = cellfun('isclass', b, 'double');
sameChar    = strcmp(a, b);  % replies FALSE, if one is a number
c(isNum_a)  = a(isNum_a);
c(isNum_b)  = b(isNum_b);    % prefer b if both are numbers
c(sameChar) = a(sameChar);   % or b(sameChar)
% If 'A' is the default already, this can be omitted:
%   c(~sameChar & ~isNum_a & ~isNum_b) = {'A'};

[Dora de Jong]

Yes A as default is a nice extra!

Thank you for you help @Jan. I really appreciate it.

[Dora de Jong]

@Jan

I am wokring on the script we discussed yesterday. Now I'am making the script for more strings than two. So not only:

a = {'A'; 'B' ; 5  ; 6; 'A' ; 'A'; 'B'};
b = { 7;  'B' ;'A' ;'B'; 'A' ; 'B' ; 'A'};

But a lot more of these.

Do you have a idea how we can make the part below, if we have more strings than two.

sameChar    = strcmp(a, b); 
c(sameChar) = a(sameChar);

[Dora de Jong]

@Jan

I found allready a solution