How to display the value of an enumeration in a table, as opposed to a 1x1 array of the enumeration class?

See the attached image. In my table, I have a series of asset types. Ideally, my table would display 'cash' or 'bond' instead of 1x1 Asset Type...

Is this possible?

[Walter Roberson]

When you say enumeration, is it correct that you are referring to an enumeration that is part of a classdef? That is what the image suggests to me, but I want to check with you because sometimes people use the term enumeration for what MATLAB calls categorical

[Simon Parten]

Yes - I have a classdef AssetType 'enumeration', not a categorical...

[Walter Roberson]

Hmmmm... I am finding information on customizing display of objects to the screen, but not on how to customize display within a composite structure. And for enumerations, my tests with the WeekDays demonstration enumeration seem to be ignoring the customization I am adding.

But my tests do not show the same behaviour you are describing:

>> t = table([WeekDays.Monday;WeekDays.Wednesday])
t =
  2×1 table
      Var1   
    _________
    Monday   
    Wednesday

Is it possible that your AssetType is more than just an enumeration, or possible that you are storing a cell of enumeration values instead of individual enumeration values?

[Simon Parten]

See the attached screenshot. I've also tried the custom display route for the customistation of the display inside a composite structure...

 without getting anywhere!

Answer 1

[Peter Perkins]

Simon, I forget exactly what release (I'm guessing R2016a or b), but sometime after tables were originally released in R2014b, the display was updated to do what I think you are asking:

>> t = table(rand(3,1),[WeekDays.Monday; WeekDays.Monday;WeekDays.Tuesday])
t =
  3×2 table
     Var1       Var2  
    _______    _______
    0.48976    Monday 
    0.44559    Monday 
    0.64631    Tuesday

[Simon Parten]

I think my question was perhaps poorly formed. The console display works as expected... but not when inspecting the table. As I expect to work with large tables, it's the latter which is more important.

See the attached screenshot.

[Walter Roberson]

Ah so this is a variable browser issue...

[Simon Parten]

Apologies, I think I expressed the question poorly... I don't work so much with the console so didn't think to test it :-/

Answer 2

[Marco Norambuena]

Any update on this?

[Walter Roberson]

No progress in any released version.

[Marco Norambuena]

I don't know if this helps anybody, but at least is a quick workaround.

You can just re-cast the enumeration element by a string.

Just do

table(string([AssetType.Bond; AssetType.Flex]))

[Simon Parten]

Yes... altough the use case is to preserve some functionality implicit in the enumeration... methods etc.

It means we need a 'view' column and an 'entitiy' column... then when you get to reporting time things get a bit weird. It's a workaorund... but for me not an attractive one :-).

But thanks for posting.