How to convert string within a cell array into an array?

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I have a cell array like this:
c = {'[18,1]' '[18,2]' '[18,3]' '[19,4]'}
I would like to be able to convert it into something like this:
A = [18,1] [18,2] [18,3] [19,4]
Essentially what I want to do is to separate the strings in the cell arrays and turn them into individual array, can someone please help?

Accepted Answer

Stephen23
Stephen23 on 10 Sep 2017
Edited: Stephen23 on 10 Sep 2017
Method one: concatenation and sscanf:
>> c = {'[18,1]' '[18,2]' '[18,3]' '[19,4]'};
>> reshape(sscanf([c{:}],'[%f,%f]'),2,[]).'
ans =
18 1
18 2
18 3
19 4
Method two: cellfun and cell2mat:
>> A = cell2mat(cellfun(@(s)sscanf(s,'[%f,%f]'),c,'uni',0)).'
A =
18 1
18 2
18 3
19 4
However if you are importing these strings from a file it would be easier to import the data correctly as numeric in the first place. Where do these strings come from?
  1 Comment
Regis Kan
Regis Kan on 10 Sep 2017
Edited: Regis Kan on 10 Sep 2017
Yeah, thanks. The numbers does not originate from files, got them using shortestpath function.

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