How do I create an excel file from a cell array that actually displays all the information in each colum?

Hi all,

I have a 1X4 cell array (called result), where each colum contains one 3X1 cell array containing one numeric variable and two datenum variables. I was wondering how I can export these data to an excel file to simply be a 3-row-by-4-colum spreadsheet? I tried:

T=cell2table(result);
writetable(T, "result.xlsx")

but the resulting file result.xlsx is simply a 1x4 sheet containing 'result1', 'result2', 'result3', and 'result4'. How can I get the 3-row-by-4-colum spreadsheet output?

Answer 1

[Bob Thompson]

I would suggest reformatting your data first, so that you have everything in the upper level of cells.

for i = 1:size(result)
    results{:,i} = result{i};
end

Then you should just be able to use the excel writer to output this.

xlswrite('result.xlsx',results);

[Guillaume]

Yes, convert your cell vector of cell vectors into a 2D cell array. What's the point of the extra level of indirection?

A much simpler way of obtaining that 2D cell array;

result = [result{:}];  %no loop needed

There's little benefit of converting to a table if all you're doing is writing to excel, so indeed use xlswrite with that 2D cell array.

[Bob Thompson]

Hmm, I tried doing result = [result{:}]; and a I got 1x12. Although, now that I think about it, my internal arrays were 1x3 instead of 3x1. Is that the difference?

[Guillaume]

Well, yes. If you horizontally concatenate four 1x3 arrays you get a 1x12 array. If you horizontally concatenate for 3x1 arrays you get a 3x4 array.

If the arrays were 1x3, then

vertcat(result{:}).'

would be the way to go.