function using if or switch statement

I am going to make a function called XYZ that takes as its only input argument one positive integer specifying the year of birth of a person and returns as its only output argument the name of the generation that the person is part of ('X', 'Y', or 'Z ') according to the table below. For births before 1966, return 'O' for Old and for births after 2012, return 'K' for Kid . Remember that to assign a letter to a variable, you need to put it in single quotes,

I have make that code

    function born=generationXYZ(n)
    if 1966<=n<=1980
        born='X';
    end
        if 1981<=n<=1999
            born='Y';
        end
            if 2000<=n<=2012
               born='Z';
            end
            if n<=1966
                born='O';
            end
            if n=>2012
                born='K';
            end

        end

but when i test this code i getting an error when i remove last two if check i always recipe z in output.

I know it can make with switch statement kindly refer me where i need corrections. Thanks in advance for assistance....

Answer 1

[Guillaume]

To fix your code, use Walter's answer.

You call also altogether avoid if or switch and use:

function born = generationXYZ(n)
   bins = [-Inf, 1966, 1981, 2000, 2013, +Inf]; %as Walter pointed out some of your edges are ambiguous
   gennames = 'OXYZK#'; %return # if input is +Inf
   born = gennames(discretize(n, bins));
end

This also has the advantage that it also works for vectors

[Muhammad Usman Saleem]

@Walter's for contribution .Kindly elaborate your answer.I will nice one

[Stephen23]

@Guillaume: very nice solution. It is worth nothing that discretize was introduced with R2015a, so not all users will have this.

[Guillaume]

On older versions (with histcounts):

[~, ~, idx] = histcounts(n, bins);
born = gennames(idx);

On even older versions (with histc):

[~, idx] = histc(n, bins);
born = gennames(idx);

[Guillaume]

@muhammad, your comment is confusing, was it addressed to me?

If so, and you want me to elaborate. it's simple, you create bins to partitionate the date and ask matlab with discretize (or histcounts or histc on older versions) to tell you in which bin the date fall. You then use the bin index to extract the correct generation letter.

Answer 2

[Walter Roberson]

The expression 1966<=n<=1980 is interpreted as ((1966<=n)<=1980) . The first subpart of that, (1966<=n), returns a logical value, 0 for false and 1 for true. That value is then tested against <= 1980 and since 0 and 1 are both <= 1980, the result is always true.

You need 1966 <= n && n <= 1980

You also need to look more carefully at how you are treating the exact year 1966 and how you are treating the exact year 2012

[Muhammad Usman Saleem]

@Walter Roberson thanks for contributions.I am now using this

function born=XYZ(n)
if 1966 <= n && n <= 1980
    born='X';
elseif 1966 <= n &&n <= 1980
        born='Y';
elseif 1981 <= n && n <= 1999
           born='Z';
elseif  1966 > n
            born='O';
elseif 2012 > n
    born='K';
end
end

When i check this code for XYZ(2014) which is greater then 2012 i do not get 'k' in output.Guide me about the reason and error..

[Muhammad Usman Saleem]

When i check this code for XYZ(2014) which is greater then 2012 i do not get 'k' in output.Guide me about the reason and error..

[Walter Roberson]

if 2012 > n then n < 2012 so that test is checking for dates before 2012.

Note: there is no reason to keep checking 1966. Test 1966 first, and if that is false then you know the value must be at least 1966 and need not test against 1966 again.

[Muhammad Usman Saleem]

Walter Roberson thanks for contribution. i do not get your answer.Try to answer in the form of algorithm..thanks