How to use xls in functions?

I am currently working on a project that requires me to load an excel file into MATLAB. I know I can do this by using an xlsread, but whenever I try to do this in a function file it only outputs the numeric values, not the headers with it. I am confused by this because it runs properly as a script, but the project requires me to use an xlsread in a function. I have tried:

function [table, txt] = trails()
[table, txt] = xlsread('trails.xlsx');

I do not understand why this isn't working. The only thing that comes to mind is the headers are strings, but I'm not sure if that is the issue.

[KMD]

I am finding (in general) I am unable to assign text within functions. For example, if I am looking at names and height, if I were to execute

function [num, txt, raw]=demographic()
[num, txt, raw]=xlsread('demographic_data.xlsx');
end

It only gives me the numerical value of the heights and outputs this to ans. It does not show me what the names are or assign the heights to num.

Answer 1

[KSSV]

USe:

[num,txt,raw] = xlsread('my file') ;

num gives only numerical data

txt gives only text data

raw gives whole data of the sheet

[KMD]

So I tried

function [table, txt, raw]= trails()
[table, txt, raw]= xlsread('trails.xlsx');
end

But this did not fix the issue. My code is able to read and output the table (meaning the numerical values of the trials file, but it still does not output the headers or text. Additionally, when this code is ran the numerical values are output, but they are not assigned to the variable table, instead it is assigned to ans.

Answer 2

[Star Strider]

In your code, the headers (and other string information) will be in the ‘txt’ variable. The numeric values will be in the badly-named ‘table’ variable.

You might find using the readtable (link) function (in R2013a and later) to be preferable.

[KMD]

So this gave me a partial solution, however the first row of my table is only one column while the rest of the table is 4 columns wide. I am not sure how to fix this problem now. When I ran my code before using the 'txt' variable and 'table' variable using the xlsread format the information was not assigned to these variables. Instead it was assigned to the variable ans. I believe that this is part of my problem with xlsread and am not sure how to remedy it.

[Star Strider]

The first row may be a cell array of the column header text data. The ‘table’ variable likely has the 4 columns of numeric data. The ‘ans’ variable may be the cell array of all the data in the file. This would normally be the third output of xlsread.

[KMD]

I am finding (in general) I am unable to assign text within functions. For example, if I am looking at names and height, if I were to execute

function [num, txt, raw]=demographic()
[num, txt, raw]=xlsread('demographic_data.xlsx');
end

It only gives me the numerical value of the heights and outputs this to ans. It does not show me what the names are or assign the heights to num. When I execute this as in a script file

[num, txt, raw]=xlsread('demographic_data.xlsx')

it works okay. It is only when I try to load the information as a function file. The project I am working on specifically asks for this information to be loaded into a function file.

[Star Strider]

It should not assign anything to ‘ans’.

Everything should be assigned to ‘num’, ‘txt’, and ‘raw’, unless you are calling your function without specific outputs.

You have to call it in your script as:

[num, txt, raw] = demographic();

[KMD]

Right, and when I enter that as a script file it assigns it to num, txt, raw. But when I go to do that in a function file it does not work.

function [num, txt, raw]=demographic()
[num, txt, raw]=xlsread('demographic_data.xlsx');
end

For this output it only assigns it to ans, it does not assign it to num , txt, or raw.

[Star Strider]

If you call it as:

[num, txt, raw] = demographic;

the variables will be assigned ‘num’, ‘txt’, and ‘raw’ in the calling script workspace.

If they are assigned as ‘ans’, you are doing something wrong that I cannot guess.