Rename Matrix in Using String

Hello all,

I would like to rename a matrix based on a string value. I understand there are more sophisticated ways of doing this, but I am just starting out and I am trying not to get too discouraged by very intimidating looking code.

What I have is basically script1 that generates a matrix named outputName . I am using the string filename in multiple places and would like to also use it here also. I am hoping to find a command that would simply change the matrix name in the workspace so it displays NewName instead.

filename='NewName';

rename(outputName,filename) %%% what function can I use here???

My overall goal is to be able to change script1 , import all files in a directory by changing filename, and plot all matrices in my workspace.

[Paresh yeole]

if outputName is a matrix then you can just do to copy the matrix

filename = outputName

[David Hill]

Hard to understand what you want. If you have matrix A, you can change it to matrix B in the workspace by just assigning:

B=A;

[NikkiCalli]

Thanks for the response ... Actually this changes the matrix name to filename instead of NewName.... :(

[Adam Danz]

If you're trying to assign a variable name based on a string value, that's called dynamic variable naming and it should be avoided.

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/304528-tutorial-why-variables-should-not-be-named-dynamically-eval

[Stephen23]

"I understand there are more sophisticated ways of doing this..."

Actually there are simpler ways of doing this (e.g. indexing, which is also more efficient, less buggy, and easier to debug).

"...but I am just starting out and I am trying not to get too discouraged by very intimidating looking code."

Indexing is simpler than what you are trying to do, and is much more effiicient. If you are just "starting out" with MATLAB, then do yourself a favor and don't shoot yourself in the foot before running in a race.

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/304528-tutorial-why-variables-should-not-be-named-dynamically-eval

"My overall goal is to ... import all files in a directory by changing filename, and plot all matrices in my workspace."

So far everything you describe would be trivially achieved using simple, neat, very efficient indexing. Using indexing is not "more sophisticated" than slow and complex dynamic variable names it is simpler and more efficient (both in terms of run-time and your programming time). Indexing is what the MATLAB documentation recommends:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/import_export/process-a-sequence-of-files.html

[Adam Danz]

@NikkiCalli , 50% of the comments/answers in this thread contain the same link warning against the use of dynamic variable naming :D Let us know if you have any troubles reworking an alternative solution.

Answer 1

[James Tursa]

Suppose you could somehow rename your variable to the name contained in filename. What would you do next? How would you access this variable, under this new name, downstream in your code? You would be forced to write yet more obfuscated code, of course. Don't go down this path. See this link for better options:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/304528-tutorial-why-variables-should-not-be-named-dynamically-eval

You could of course use dynamic field names:

x.(filename) = OutputName;

Now downstream in your code you can use x.(filename)