genvarname

(To be removed) Construct valid variable name from string

genvarname will be removed in a future release. Use matlab.lang.makeValidName and matlab.lang.makeUniqueStrings instead.

Syntax

varname = genvarname(str)

varname = genvarname(str,exclusions)

Description

varname = genvarname(str) constructs a string or character vector varname that is similar to or the same as the str input, and can be used as a valid variable name. If str is a string array or cell array of character vectors, genvarname returns a string array or cell array of character vectors in varname. The elements returned by genvarname are guaranteed to be different from each other.

Note

genvarname does not create a variable in the MATLAB^® workspace. You cannot, therefore, assign a value to the output of genvarname.

varname = genvarname(str,exclusions) returns a valid variable name that is different from any name listed in the exclusions input.

Specify the function who in exclusions to create a variable name that will be unique in the current MATLAB workspace.

Examples

Generate Variable Names

Create four similar variable names that do not conflict with each other.

v = genvarname({'A', 'A', 'A', 'A'})

v = 1×4 cell
    {'A'}    {'A1'}    {'A2'}    {'A3'}

Input Arguments

str — Input text

string array | character array | cell array of character vectors

Input text, specified as a string array, character array, or cell array of character vectors.

exclusions — Excluded variable names

string array | character array | cell array of character vectors

Excluded variable names, specified as a string array, character array, or cell array of character vectors.

Tips

• A valid MATLAB variable name consists of letters, digits, and underscores, such that the first character is a letter, and the length of the name is less than or equal to the value returned by the namelengthmax function. Any name that exceeds namelengthmax is truncated in the varname output.

• If the str input contains any white-space characters, genvarname removes them and capitalizes the next alphabetic character in str. If str contains any nonalphanumeric characters, genvarname translates these characters into their hexadecimal value.

Extended Capabilities

Thread-Based Environment

Run code in the background using MATLAB® backgroundPool or accelerate code with Parallel Computing Toolbox™ ThreadPool.

This function fully supports thread-based environments. For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions in Thread-Based Environment.

Version History

Introduced before R2006a