Compare multiple columns in a cell array with strcmp

I have an m x n cell array. I would like to pull specific rows that match strings from different columns. Currently, I'm accomplishing this with two matlab lines as follows:
hill_log = runlog1(strcmp(runlog1(:,4), 'Hill'),:);
hill_log2 = hill_log(strcmp(hill_log(:,6), 'Kilometer'),:):
I'd like to be able to do this on one line with one strcmp, possible?
Thanks Dave

3 Comments

I don't see that doing this on one line will be clearer code though. Why not just leave it as it is? Code that is easier to understand has fewer mistakes, and is much easier to maintain.
What will make the code 100% clearer is a comment that states the intent.
Otherwise, I do believe that a one-liner using logical operations express the intent better that you want all runlog1 where column 4 is Hill AND column 6 is Kilometer.
It is all a matter of taste of course, I would do something like this:
ishi = strcmp(runlog1(:,4), 'Hill');
iskm = strcmp(runlog1(:,6), 'Kilometer'):
hill_log2 = runlog1(ishi & iskm, :);

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 Accepted Answer

Hum, why not use logical operations?
hill_log2 = runlog1(strcmp(runlog1(:,4), 'Hill') & strcmp(hill_log(:,6), 'Kilometer'), :);
In my opinion, it expresses the intent better than concatenating strings with a special character.

More Answers (1)

hill_log2 = runlog1( ismember( strcat(runlog1(:,4), char(65535), runlog1(:,6)), ['Hill' char(65535) 'Kilometer']), :);
You could use strcmp() instead of ismember() if you prefer.
char(65535) can be any character that you are sure does not appear in the columns. Except maybe char(0), that one is touchy, some of the routines malfunction on char(0)

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Asked:

on 2 Feb 2016

Edited:

on 2 Feb 2016

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