Any alternative to using the eval command

Hi,

Is there a way to execute the following command without using the eval command?

 eval(['save ADCP', num2str(k), ' U V W']);

I want to save the variables U V W to a mat file called ADCPx where x is a number that changes in each iteration of a loop.

The above command works fine but I was wondering if there was an alternative way?

Thanks

[Jan]

+1: A smart idea to search for an alternative to eval. See also Tutorial: Do not eval.

[Stephen23]

"I want to save the variables U V W to a mat file called ADCPx where x is a number that changes in each iteration of a loop."

How do you get those numbers into the variable names in the first place?

You could easily avoid this whole issue by not adding numbers onto variable names. A number implies that you have a de-facto index, in which case why not just turn it into a real index, which would be simpler, more efficient, less buggy, and easier to debug. And you would avoid magically accessing variable names, wherever that might occur in your code.

[Jan]

@Stephen: ADCP1 is the name of the MAT-file, not a numbered variable. For files in the file system, indexing is not implemented by the modern operating systems, unfortunately. I loved Bill Gates' idea of omitting the complete file system stuff and replace it by a data base. Organizing files in folders is a stone age method. But, sigh, Mr. Gates decided to develop ribbons and tiles at first, while the file system still limits the length of the names to 260 characters.

[Stephen23]

@Jan Simon: I must have gone blind for a moment. You are quite right.

[Guillaume]

"Organizing files in folders is a stone age method"

Agreed! And using said folder organisation as an integral part of your programming language is even worse. Looking at you there, matlab with your @folder, +folder, private folder, etc.!

Answer 1

[Guillaume]

save(sprintf('ADCP%d', k), 'U', 'V', 'W');

[Jan]

+1. A perfect answer.

[Chris O'Donnell]

Thanks for this!