Correctly storing data in cell arrays

Hi there. I am trying to correltly store my data in cell arrays but I am failing.

This is my code:

txtf = 'kimetsu.txt';
exfile = 'corps_members.xlsx';

Members = readcell(txtf);

sheets = sheetnames(exfile);
g = cellstr(sheets);

urokodaki = cell(numel(g),2);
for i = 1:numel(g)
    urokodaki(i,:) = [g(i), {readcell(exfile,'Sheet',i,'NumHeaderLines',1)}];
end

mant = urokodaki;

df =[];
for p = 1:size(urokodaki, 1)
    
    [ism,idx] = ismember(urokodaki{p,2}(:,4),Members(:,1));
    
    mant{p,2}(ism,4) = Members(idx(ism),2);
    mant{p,2}(~ism,4) = {0};
    
    col1 = mant{p,2}(:,1);
    col2 = mant{p,2}(:,2);
%     disp([col1 col2]) %gives the right output
    df = [df; col1 col2]; % this attaches the bounds of the data and I want spacing between the data
end
disp(df)

This is what I want to get first:

    {[1]}    {[12]}
    {[2]}    {[12]}
    {[3]}    {[10]}
    {[4]}    {[ 4]}
    {[5]}    {[12]}

    {[1]}    {[12]}
    {[2]}    {[12]}
    {[3]}    {[10]}
    {[4]}    {[ 4]}

but this is what I am getting: (the problem with this is that the data is "touching" on the upper and lower bounds). I want there to be spacing between 1-5 and 1-4 but I want this done with a generic code that does not assume that there will always be 1-5 and 1-4. The numbers can change and be something like 1-8, 1-11, 1-13 etc.

    {[1]}    {[12]}
    {[2]}    {[12]}
    {[3]}    {[10]}
    {[4]}    {[ 4]}
    {[5]}    {[12]}
    {[1]}    {[12]}
    {[2]}    {[12]}
    {[3]}    {[10]}
    {[4]}    {[ 4]}

And then finally store the data in a cell array of this sort:

  2×2 cell array

    {'Sheet1'}    {5×2 cell}
    {'Sheet2'}    {4×2 cell}

[dpb]

...
emptyrec=repmat({''},1,2);          % a set of empty cells
df =[];
for p = 1:size(urokodaki, 1)
    ...
    df = [df; col1 col2;empty];     % add the empty record, too...
end
df=df(1:end-1,:);                   % remove trailing empty row

is one way. You could also use blanks(1) in lieu of the empty string if wished; the empty will display a {0x0 char} on command window rather than the blank space if visual appearance matters.

[Andromeda]

Execution of script empty as a function is not supported:
C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2021a\toolbox\matlab\lang\empty.m

Undefined function 'blank' for input arguments of type 'double'.

Error in file1 (line 29)
    df = [df; col1 col2;blank(1)];     % add the empty record, too...

[dpb]

typo -- it's blanks(1)

[Andromeda]

Can you try printing this out and see if you can get what I am trying to get because when I try running this, all I get is errors

[dpb]

Idea/syntax works...

>> num2cell(randi(10,4,2))              % a starting point
ans =
  4×2 cell array
    {[2.00]}    {[2.00]}
    {[9.00]}    {[9.00]}
    {[8.00]}    {[5.00]}
    {[7.00]}    {[7.00]}
>> empty=repmat({blanks(1)},1,2)        % the empty record
empty =
  1×2 cell array
    {' '}    {' '}
>> ans=[ans;empty;num2cell(randi(10,4,2))]  % add empty record; add on another set
ans =
  9×2 cell array
    {[ 2.00]}    {[ 2.00]}
    {[ 9.00]}    {[ 9.00]}
    {[ 8.00]}    {[ 5.00]}
    {[ 7.00]}    {[ 7.00]}
    {' '    }    {' '    }
    {[10.00]}    {[ 1.00]}
    {[ 2.00]}    {[10.00]}
    {[ 7.00]}    {[ 6.00]}
    {[ 1.00]}    {[ 7.00]}
>>

Would have to see your exact code and errors in context to see what may have gone wrong, but the idea works as shown above.

[Stephen23]

Why are you using READCELL when later you just convert this to a numeric matrix?:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/1728465-converting-cell-of-numbers-to-double

Use READMATRIX and avoid messing around with nested cell arrays.

Simpler data design would be to store that data in one table, adding one column/variable to indicate the origin, and make use of the tools that work well with tables, e.g.: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/splitapply.html#bux1l61

[dpb]

I agree w/ @Stephen23 in that even though what showed you will do what you say, this is almost certainly the hard way to go about whatever it is that you're after.

I'd start with something like

>> readtable('corps_members.xlsx','Sheet',1)
ans =
  5×4 table
    CorpsMembers    Rank     Style       Names   
    ____________    _____    _____    ___________
        1.00        12.00    1.00     {'Tanjiro'}
        2.00        12.00    1.00     {'Guyi'   }
        3.00        10.00    1.00     {'Akaza'  }
        4.00         4.00    2.00     {'Rengoku'}
        5.00        12.00    2.00     {'Shenobu'}
>> readtable('corps_members.xlsx','Sheet',2)
ans =
  4×4 table
    CorpsMembers    Rank     Style       Names   
    ____________    _____    _____    ___________
        1.00        12.00    1.00     {'Tanjiro'}
        2.00        12.00    1.00     {'Guyi'   }
        3.00        10.00    1.00     {'Rengoku'}
        4.00         4.00    2.00     {'Zenitsu'}
>> 

Looks like simply appending the sheets and then using unique w/ rows option would give you the database of members; it's not at all clear then what the next step would be with the additional data in the other file -- but one could then add that data to the above for the members in the list; either with missing values for those not or then reduce the table to only those in the other list.

Answer 1

[Prahlad Gowtham Katte]

Hello!

As per my understanding of the query , you wish to have a gap between printing data of 2 different cells. You can use “empty” function to do the same. Following code snippet will print the data as required.

txtf = 'kimetsu.txt';
exfile = 'corps_members.xlsx';

Members = readcell(txtf);

sheets = sheetnames(exfile);
g = cellstr(sheets);

urokodaki = cell(numel(g),2);
for i = 1:numel(g)
    urokodaki(i,:) = [g(i), {readcell(exfile,'Sheet',i,'NumHeaderLines',1)}];
end
empty=repmat({blanks(1)},1,2);% this creates an empty cell of 1x2 which can be inserted after each iteration of for loop.
mant = urokodaki;

df =[];
for p = 1:size(urokodaki, 1)
    
    [ism,idx] = ismember(urokodaki{p,2}(:,4),Members(:,1));
    
    mant{p,2}(ism,4) = Members(idx(ism),2);
    mant{p,2}(~ism,4) = {0};
    
    col1 = mant{p,2}(:,1);
    col2 = mant{p,2}(:,2);
    df = [df; col1 col2;empty]; 
end
disp(df(1:end-1,:))

For more information on the “blanks” and “empty” functions please refer to the following links

Create character array of blanks - MATLAB blanks (mathworks.com)

Create empty array of specified class - MATLAB empty (mathworks.com)

Hope it helps!