How do I insert a 1x1 cell array consisting of one vector into a table?

I have the following code block to set up my problem:

test_table = table('Size',[2,1],'VariableTypes',"cell",'VariableNames',["Coordinates"]);
test_array = [2,2,2,2,2]; % single row vector

% Try assigning test_array to a slot in the table
test_table(1,1) = {test_array};

Error using ()
Conversion to cell from double is not possible.

Notice that the code cell above throws the following error "Conversion to cell from double is not possible." However, if I change the value of test_array to a matrix, and try the assignment again...

test_array = [2,2,2,2,2;3,3,3,3,3]; % matrix

% Try assigning test_array to a slot in the table
test_table(1,1) = {test_array}

...things go off without a problem. First question is, why does matlab treat the assignment differently between a vector and a matrix? Second question is, how do I make the assignment in the first code block (assigning a 1x1 cell array consisting of a single row vector into a slot in a table) work?

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

So far no one adressed your questions, nor explained the cause of your problem: the problem comes from the fact that you are using parentheses (to refer to the table itself) as opposed to using curly braces (to refer to the table content).

Q1: I don't know. This question asks about (possibly undocumented) behavior of MATLAB implicitly coercing a cell array into table, because of the fact that you used parentheses referring to a (subset of the) table instead of curly braces to refer to the content of the table. This means your code basically tries to turn a cell array into a table, which is not a well-defined coersion. You could spend some time trying to find out under what conditions that implicit coersion will occur (or not), but the much simpler solution is to use the correct curly braces.

Q2: very easily by using the correct curly braces to refer to the table content:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_prog/access-data-in-a-table.html

Here is your code fixed, the only change is to use curly braces to refer to the table content:

test_table = table('Size',[2,1],'VariableTypes',"cell",'VariableNames',["Coordinates"])

test_table = 2×1 table
    Coordinates 
    ____________

    {0×0 double}
    {0×0 double}

test_array = [2,2,2,2,2;3,3,3,3,3]; % matrix
test_table{1,1} = {test_array}

test_table = 2×1 table
    Coordinates 
    ____________

    {2×5 double}
    {0×0 double}

test_array = [2,2,2,2,2]; % single row vector
test_table{1,1} = {test_array}

test_table = 2×1 table
     Coordinates 
    _____________

    {[2 2 2 2 2]}
    {0×0 double }

Note1: you can certainly use parentheses to refer to the table itself, and use this to replace parts of the table with another table. That would work, and might be useful in some situations.

Note2: This use of parentheses vs curly braces also applies to other container types, e.g. cell arrays & strings.

[Tomi Adelusi]

Thanks for the well-thought out answer stephen23. I was not aware one could use curly braces to index a table, whether it be referring to a subset of the table or referring to the contents of the table.

[Stephen23]

"I was not aware one could use curly braces to index a table, whether it be referring to a subset of the table or referring to the contents of the table."

Curly braces always refer to the content of the table.

Parentheses always refer to (a subtable of) the table itself.

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_prog/access-data-in-a-table.html

Answer 2

[KSSV]

coordinates = [2,2,2,2,2]'; % single row vector
T = table(coordinates)

T = 5×1 table
    coordinates
    ___________

         2     
         2     
         2     
         2     
         2