How to change a variable name without changing the value itself?

I've got some variables like these: OutArray, OutArray2 and so on...

I need to refresh the base name OutArray adding the "1", "2", "3"... taking advantage of the loop iterator, how may I do it?

I have MATLAB R2023A

[Stephen23]

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/304528-tutorial-why-variables-should-not-be-named-dynamically-eval

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

Just do them one at a time, reassiging existing variables to variables with your new, preferred names. Then you can clear the old-named variables from memory with clear if you want.

newname1 = OutArray;
newName2 = OutArray2;
newName3 = OutArray3;
newName4 = OutArray4;
clear('OutArray', 'OutArray2', 'OutArray3', 'OutArray4');

Surely you don't have more than a handful of those variables. If you do (big mistake), then see this

TUTORIAL: Why Variables Should Not Be Named Dynamically (eval) -

for reasons why not to do that.

FAQ: https://matlab.fandom.com/wiki/FAQ#How_can_I_create_variables_A1,_A2,...,_A10_in_a_loop?

If you have tons of variable names because they are columns of a big table you read in from a file, then consider converting them all to a 2-D array with the table2array function.

Answer 2

[Star Strider]

Save them as elements of a cell array instead, when you first create them.

Answer 3

[chicken vector]

This is in general not recommend because is prone tu bugs and affects code readibility.

If you really want to do this anyway, have a look at genvarname and eval.

Answer 4

[claudio]

The easy way

variables = ["OutArray" "OutArray2" "OutArray3"];
for kk = 1:numel(variables)
    eval(variables(kk) + string(kk) + " = eval(variables(kk))");
    clear(variables(kk))
end

A more refined way

variables = string(who);    % retrieve the name of the variables from workspace 
                            % without having to write them by hand
for kk = 1:numel(variables)
    eval(variables(kk) + string(kk) + " = eval(variables(kk))");
    clear(variables(kk))
end

[John D'Errico]

Neither of those ways is at all refined. And neither of them are a remotely good idea. They will lead to crappy, buggy, and SLOW code, when a simple array was all that was ever needed. Is there even a remotely good reason to recommend this? NO.

Answer 5

[Antonio Victoria]

Thank you all for your answers!