Overwrite empty cell array with strings

I have an empty cell array, I want to add a row of strings to this matrix.

The empty matrix is 12x100. The row of strings can vary in length, but will always be below 100. Hence I want an oversized cell array to accommodate larger rows of strings. I want to put the row of strings into a specified row within the empty matrix, in my example code, I'm trying to put the row of stings into the first 41 columns in row 2....

I don't understand why the below code doesn't work:

MasterCellArray{2,1:41}=rowofstrings

or

MasterCellArray{2,1:41}=rowofstrings(1,41)

Any help is appreciated

[the cyclist]

What size and type of variable is rowofstrings?

Can you give a small example of the input and output you are expecting. Please don't just describe. Try to show what the MATLAB variables actually are.

An individual cell can hold an entire string, so I am not sure why you need 12x100. Are you trying to split the string, one character per cell?

[Mat]

rowofstrings is a row of strings, they follow the form CLPB44444, where the numbers are variable. Eg. CLPB44445 CLPB44453 CLPB44320... I have 12 batches of data like this, with a varying number of strings in each batch. Hence why I wanted 12 rows. I wanted a 100 columns to ensure enough space to fit all of the data.

Answer 1

[Matt Tearle]

If rowofstrings is a 1-by-41 cell array then your first line will work if you change the {} to ():

MasterCellArray(2,1:41) = rowofstrings

If not, then you'll have a problem... Using the {} on the left is going to fail because that returns 41 individual elements. If you use (), you're indexing into a 1-by-41 cell array that is a portion of MasterCellArray. That means the expression on the right of the = must also be a 1-by-41 cell array. So if rowofstrings is a (1-by-41) char array, for example, you could do something like:

MasterCellArray(2,1:41) = cellstr(rowofstrings')'

(This converts rowofstrings to a cell array, letter-by-letter, then assigns each cell to the appropriate element of MasterCellArray.)

[Mat]

Thanks Matt, first solution worked - I thought I had tried changing the brackets already but I expect there were other problems with my code when I tried that, and never went back. I had been trying to convert my rowofstrings to fit into a zeroes matrix, but I think this was impossible because the rows contain letters (eg CLPB1234). On a learning curve here, so thanks for the talk through!