For loop getting array name

Hi,

I am reading in a series of tables.

I then want to run a for loop performing operations on each of these tables. To do this I want to use the 'I'th name in my array.

My code looks like this:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

%% Import the data
Table_A = readtable("Table_A", opts);
Table_B = readtable("Table_B", opts);
Table_C = readtable("Table_C", opts);

%% Defining the datasets to perform operations on
datalist = ["Table_A ","Table_B","Table_C"];

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
for i = [1,2,3];

ID=datalist(i); % I want this to be the table "Table_A" so that I can peform operations in this for loop
Table_ID = datalist(i); % I want this to be the string "Table_A" so that I can use it to name the heading of a table


%%%%% Now do things on the array "ID" during the for loop such as extracting data
Time= ID.Time;

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the end of the for loop, I am duping the data into a table.

Is there any way to achevie what I want?

Thanks!

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

datalist = named_variable(Table_A, Table_B, Table_C);

%stuff

for i = 1:numel(datalist)
  ID = datalist(i).content;
  Table_ID = datalist(i).name;
  time = ID.Time;
end

function ds = named_variable(varargin)
   ds = struct('content', varargin, 'name', cell(1,nargin));
   for K = 1 : nargin
     name = argname(K);
     if isempty(name)
        error('input #%d must be a named variable not an expression', K);
     end
     ds(K).name = name;
   end
end

[James Browne]

I tired something like that but the "datalist = named_variable(Table_A, Table_B, Table_C);" bit didn't work.

named_variable isn't a function. Can you elaberate on what is hapening here?

[Stephen23]

"Can you elaberate on what is hapening here?"

Poor data design is forcing you into writing complex, inefficient code that is difficult to work with.

The simple, efficient approach is to use indexing into one array, just as the MATLAB documentation shows:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/import_export/process-a-sequence-of-files.html

Answer 2

[Stephen23]

Your approach is leading you up the garden path. It is simpler to use indexing:

P = 'absolute or relative path to where the files are saved';
C = ["Table_A","Table_B","Table_C"];
N = numel(C)
D = cell(1,N);
for k = 1:N
    F = fullfile(P,C{k});
    D{k} = readtable(F,opts);
end

And now, exactly as you request:

for k = 1:numel(D)
    ID = D{k}; % table of filedata
    ID.Time
    Table_ID = C(k); % table name
end