Using movefile function in existing and unexisting files

The following use of the "movefile" function works only if the requested files exist. But it yields error messages and stops the iteration when the files do not exist:

DistPath_MT = SourceFolder;
DistFolder_MT  = fullfile(DistPath_MT,'MT');
if ~exist(DistFolder_MT )
    mkdir(DistFolder_MT )
end
DistPath_T1w = SourceFolder;
DistFolder_T1w  = fullfile(DistPath_T1w,'T1w');
if ~exist(DistFolder_T1w)
    mkdir(DistFolder_T1w)
end
DistPath_PD = SourceFolder;
DistFolder_PD  = fullfile(DistPath_T1w,'PD');
if ~exist(DistFolder_PD)
    mkdir(DistFolder_PD)
end

movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_MT*'),DistFolder_MT);
movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_T1w*'),DistFolder_T1w);
movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_PD*'),DistFolder_PD );

How can I identify the target files in the SourceFolder , and move them to DistFolder when some of them exist while others don't? I unsuccesfully tried out something like:

if ~exist(DistFolder_MT)
    movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_MT*'),DistFolder_MT)
end
%...the same for '*_T1w*' and '*_PD*'

Many thanks in advance

[Stephen23]

Note that the MOVEFILE documentation states "If source is a folder or is capable of specifying multiple files and destination does not exist, then movefile creates destination", so MKDIR is probably superfluous.

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

Capture the error as an output, and the error will not be thrown when you call the function:

[X,Y,Z] = movefile('doesnotexist*.txt','subdir')

X = logical
   0

Y = 'No matching files named '/users/mss.system.Chrpre/doesnotexist*.txt' were found.'

Z = 'MATLAB:MOVEFILE:FileNotFound'

[julian gaviria]

Thanks a lot @Stephen23,

The code is way more efficient now thanks to your suggestion about "mkdir". However, I still do not manage to integrate the mentioned line to avoid interruption in the iteration when the "movefile" function does not find one of the requested files.

SourcePath ='/f1/f2/f3/f4/f5/f6/';     
index = 01 : 1005;
%missing_idx = [07, 08, 15, 17,20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 30]; %
index(missing_idx) = [] %
%iteration for the 7th subfolder of the source path
for i = 1 : length(index)
    if  index(i) >= 1 & index(i) < 10        
        newParticipant = ['sub-s00' , num2str(index(i))];
        SourceFolder = fullfile(SourcePath,newParticipant,'ses-01','anat')
    elseif index(i) >= 10 & index(i) < 100  
        newParticipant = ['sub-s0' , num2str(index(i))];
        SourceFolder = fullfile(SourcePath,newParticipant,'ses-01','anat')
    elseif  index(i) >= 100  
        newParticipant = ['sub-s',  num2str(index(i))];
        SourceFolder = fullfile(SourcePath,newParticipant,'ses-01','anat')
    end        
    %Moving files to their new subfolders respectively  
    SourceFolder = fullfile([SourcePath,newParticipant],'ses-01/anat')
    movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_MT*'),fullfile(SourceFolder,[newParticipant,'_MT']));
    movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_T1w*'),fullfile(SourceFolder,[newParticipant,'_T1w']));
    movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_PD*'),fullfile(SourceFolder,[newParticipant,'_PD']));
end

For instance, I've got the follwing error message due to inexistent "MT" files in S038. It stopped the script, of course:

Error using movefile

No matching files named '/f1/f2/f3/f4/f5/f6//sub-s038/f8/f9*_MT*' were found.

Error in moving_files_final (line 28)

movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_MT*'),fullfile(SourceFolder,[newParticipant,'_MT']));

[Stephen23]

" However, I still do not manage to integrate the mentioned line to avoid interruption in the iteration when the "movefile" function does not find one of the requested files."

Because your code still does not return any output arguments from MOVEFILE.

Here are the modified lines of code:

  [X,Y,Z] = movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_MT*'),fullfile(SourceFolder,[newParticipant,'_MT']));
  [X,Y,Z] = movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_T1w*'),fullfile(SourceFolder,[newParticipant,'_T1w']));
  [X,Y,Z] = movefile(fullfile(SourceFolder,'*_PD*'),fullfile(SourceFolder,[newParticipant,'_PD']));
% ^^^^^^^^^^ this is exactly what I showed in my answer.

[julian gaviria]

Oops....

A huge thanks @Stephen23

Best regards,