How to save tables as .mat files without having to type the filename manually?

I want to save a table as a .mat file, but the name I want to give it is stored as a character in my workspace.

I wrote a code which creates tables from .csv files, which then [the tables] are being saved as .mat files. I know the classic way of saving tables as .mat manually.

save table.mat T

But my code works as a loop and I would like to use it for other projects. Thats why I want the process to be automatic.

My code is:

files = dir('*.csv');

for i=1:length(files)
    filenames = {files.name};
    T=xlsread(files(i).name);
    a=filenames{i};
    
end

Now I want the code to firstly separate the actual name from ".csv", and then to somehow use the actual name as name how the .mat file will be saved. So if for example my csv-file is 'LCN_10.csv', I want my .matfile to be saved as 'LCN_10.mat' without having to type the name manually.

I hope that you understood what I meant and would be very pleased if somebody could help me out.

[dpb]

You'll find fileparts and fullfile answer the call quite nicely...

[Jeffrey Clark]

@Leo Hastrich, use matfile or save(filename[, ]) not save filename. You can create a string or char array of whatever you want for the filename in these.

[Peter Perkins]

What Jeffrey is describing is what's known as "command dual".

fun someText

passes "someText" to fun, the equivalent of fun("someText"). In your case, you cannot use the command dual form, because there's no command dual equivalent to fun(someVar)

fun someVar

is equivalent to fun("someVar")

But also, don't use xlsread. Use readtable or readmatrix.

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

The solution is to use function syntax, not command syntax:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_prog/command-vs-function-syntax.html

as explained here:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/import_export/process-a-sequence-of-files.html

and also explained in the SAVE documentation here:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/save.html#d123e1302589

Command syntax is convenient at when playing around in the command window, but is less useful in actual code.

S = dir('*.csv');
for k = 1:numel(S)
    T = xlsread(S(k).name);
    [~,F] = fileparts(S(k).name);
    F = sprintf('%s.mat',F);
    save(F,'T') % <----------- function syntax !!!
end

[Leo Hastrich]

Thank you very much!