Create Cell Array

This example shows how to create a cell array using the {} operator or the cell function.

When you have data to put into a cell array, create the array using the cell array construction operator, {}.

myCell = {1, 2, 3;
          'text', rand(5,10,2), {11; 22; 33}}

myCell=2×3 cell array
    {[   1]}    {[          2]}    {[     3]}
    {'text'}    {5x10x2 double}    {3x1 cell}

Like all MATLAB® arrays, cell arrays are rectangular, with the same number of cells in each row. myCell is a 2-by-3 cell array.

You also can use the {} operator to create an empty 0-by-0 cell array.

C = {}

C =

  0x0 empty cell array

To add values to a cell array over time or in a loop, create an empty N-dimensional array using the cell function.

emptyCell = cell(3,4,2)

emptyCell = 3x4x2 cell array
emptyCell(:,:,1) = 

    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}
    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}
    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}


emptyCell(:,:,2) = 

    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}
    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}
    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}    {0x0 double}

emptyCell is a 3-by-4-by-2 cell array, where each cell contains an empty array, [].