Fast method of data storage / retrieval?

Hi,

I have a set of file paths that i currently store in cell format every day. For example, Files is a 3x1 cell that contains paths in C:\genscripts

Files = 

      'C:\genscripts\AT-735-PD_T4P00252.txt'
      'C:\genscripts\AT-740-CANcase_projects.txt'
      'C:\genscripts\AT-740-PD2_T4R00262.txt'

This Files result is stored in a MAT file with the command

save('myfiles.mat','Files')

and this result is continually repeated (to have a fast and up to date directory of what files are). Is there any way to do this faster?

Answer 1

[Oleg Komarov]

Saving .mat files in '-v6' won't compress them and you will save time.

EDIT

save('myfiles.mat','Files','-v6')

[Darin McCoy]

I should have clarified - i would like to save time when loading these files. Is a MAT file the best choice? Are cells the best choice for storing?

[Oleg Komarov]

If you save with in '-v6' format when you load you will save time because no decompression is performed.

Mat file is a good choice. The size of the file matters.

Answer 2

[Walter Roberson]

Saving as text might be even faster.

MyFiles = regexp(fread('myfiles.txt'), '\n', 'split');

or

fid = fopen('myfiles.txt','rt');
MyFiles = textscan(fid,'%[^\n]');
fclose(fid);

or a number of other variations.

What you do might depend in part upon whether your file names are restricted to ASCII, or to UTF-16BE, or are general UTF-8 .