How can i create a variable in matlab that name stores in char variable?

The problem is I have a structure with various field names and I can get them as symbolic variables. I need to create a variable that name is the same as name of one field name of the structure. How can I do that?

[Jan]

See TUTORIAL: How and why to avoid Eval

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

Chances are that you do not need that and are advised not to do it. Please review the FAQ on this topic.

Answer 2

[Jan]

Please consider Walter's suggestion. You can find a pile of questions concerning problems caused by this "poofing" methods. Creating variables dynamically is dangerous, confusing, hard to debug and slows down Matlab noticably. The wanted easier solution is to store the variables directly in a struct and avoid the conversion to and from single variables. Notice that "a(1)" can be a variable in one function and a private subfunction call in another function. In opposite to that "S.a(1)" accesses the variable stored in the field ever.

There is no "more simple" way to solve your problem. If you have to use EVAL, your approach includes a high complexity already. Therefore the best solution is to reduce the complexity of the data representation by packing the variables in a struct, array or cell array. Let me compare it with the question about a "simple" method to access variables, whose names are written with light yellow on white paper. Of course, ImageAnalyst can solve this, but it is a much better idea to simply choose a more computer friendly data storage model!

If you'd be grateful for a valuable advice, follow Waltern's suggestion and take into account that this topic was included in the FAQ, because hundrets and thousands of others have struggeled with the same problem also. The FAQ was written for you.

Kind regards, Jan

Answer 3

[Alexis]

Thank you. May be I'm not advised to do it, but the task is that I would like to create a function that could save workspace variables into the structure with the same fieldnames as varible's names, and then build function to download from structure those variables into workspace. It is like as 'save' 'load' functions but which operate with structures instead of files. I have found yet 'eval' function, that seems suit me. May be there is more simple way. I'd be very grateful if somebody advised me.

[Walter Roberson]

See for example Matt Fig's contribution,

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/26216-structure-fields-to-variables

Or see this contribution from Hoi Wong: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/23254-map-fields-of-a-structure-to-output-variables