How do I cd inside a for loop to a bunch of folders containing a file with same name?

I have some data in a directory saved in various folders with name 1_1_1, 1_1_2, .... etc. All files in those folder have same name. I have defined a for loop and in that I want to cd to required folders (1_1_1, 1_1_2,....) one by one. Hence in the pathname I need to input the loop varibales. Please see below script.

clear;clc

for a=1:1:1

for v=1:1:1

for s=1:1:10

formatSpec='/media/satyajit/My_Passport/Satyajit/Extra_Backups/folder1/folder2/%d_%d_%d';

str=sprintf(formatSpec,a,v,s);

cd str

Script_1

Script_2

end

end

end

But, it is showing error - "Error using cd

Cannot CD to /home/satyajit/str (Name is nonexistent or not a directory).

Error in Master (line 27)

cd str"

[Stephen23]

Do not change directory just to import/export data files.

Use absolute/relative filepaths instead, it is more efficient and easier to debug.

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

Do not change directory just to import/export data files.

Use absolute/relative filepaths instead, it is more efficient and easier to debug:

P = '/media/satyajit/My_Passport/Satyajit/Extra_Backups/folder1/folder2';
for a=1:1:1
    for v=1:1:1
        for s=1:1:10
            T = sprintf('%d_%d_%d',a,v,s);
            F = fullfile(P,T)
            ... use the filepath F here
        end
    end
end

Note that you can even call scripts in any folder using RUN.

[Satyajit Ghosh]

Thanks for the answer. I am new in MATLAB. Could you explain how I "use the filename"? Right now I am loading the required two files in the scripts (to be ran inside the for loops) like below.

a1=load('Singles_S1.txt');

a5=load('Singles_S5.txt');

How do I use the character variable "F" in that?

[Walter Roberson]

a1 = load(F);

[Stephen23]

" Could you explain how I "use the filename"? Right now I am loading the required two files in the scripts (to be ran inside the for loops) like below."

Then you need to also add the filenames, for example:

a1 = load(fullfile(F,'Singles_S1.txt'));
a5 = load(fullfile(F,'Singles_S5.txt'));

Or without F, you can simply refer directly to the path P and the subdirectory T:

T = sprintf('%d_%d_%d',a,v,s);
a1 = load(fullfile(P,T,'Singles_S1.txt'));
a5 = load(fullfile(P,T,'Singles_S5.txt'));

[Stephen23]

I am guessing that Slave1 etc. are actually functions and not scripts (as you wrote), in which case you need to pass the filename as an input argument to the function:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_prog/scripts-and-functions.html

[Satyajit Ghosh]

Slave_1 is a script. It is not recognizing the F,P,T variables. Error -

"Undefined function or variable 'P'.

Error in Slave_1 (line 10)

a1=load(fullfile(P,T,'Singles_S1.txt'));

Error in Master (line 32)

Slave_1"

[Satyajit Ghosh]

Sorry. There is a clear command in the Slave_1 script. Problem is resolved. Thank you very much @Stephen