Using addpath with a user defined string

I'm trying to use the addpath command in a script but with a user defined folder name which I want to delete at the end of the script. There are several folders in the path, all containing files of the same name (output from a program) but the folder names are different.

Using foldername=input('Enter the folder name:','s')

then

addpath C:\xxx\'foldername'

Doesn't work because addpath doesn't read the string input. Any thoughts?

[Stephen23]

Rather than concatenating strings, use fullfile:

 str = fullfile('C:', foldername, 'mydir');

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

The single quotes are messed up. Try just passing in the variable (if it's the full path):

addpath(foldername);

Otherwise

folder = sprintf('C:\xxx\%s', foldername);
addpath(folder);

or simply call uigetdir() instead of input , which is probably what you should do.

[Abdelrahman Helaly]

Thank you.

Answer 2

[Sean de Wolski]

addpath(['C:\xxx\' foldername])

if foldername is a variable

addpath 'C:\xxx\foldername'

if foldername is a string literal

[Valkmi]

What if the foldername is a variable and in the middle of the path for example 'C:\foldername\xxx

[Image Analyst]

Use sprintf() to build a string

folder = sprintf('C:/%s/blahblah', foldername)
addpath(folder)

[Guillaume]

Even better, use fullfile to build file paths. It will ensure that the correct separator is used:

folder = fullfile('C:', foldername, 'blahblah');

Answer 3

[Image Analyst]

Why not be friendly to your user and just use uigetdir(), rather than be cruel and make them type it in, and possibly have to go to File Explorer to find the name if they don't know it already?

startingFolder = pwd; % Wherever you want....
folderName= uigetdir('Enter the folder name:', startingFolder)

% Add folder to search path.
addpath(folderName);
path % Print path to command window.

% Later . . . Remove folder from search path.
rmpath(folderName);
path % Print path to command window.