convert cell array of mixed strings to cell array of numbers

I have a cell array as follows:

ca = [{' [1000 X X X X]'  }    {' X'             }    {' X'      }    {' 1.234' }];

I would like to convert this into a numeric cell array where 'X' is interperted as 'NaN'. My solution uses the following function:

function out = x2decimal(in)
%sscanf doesn't handle NaN
X = NaN;
out = eval(in);
return

In cellfun:

out = cellfun(@(x) x2decimal(x), ca, 'Uni', false)
out = {1×5 double}    {[NaN]}    {[NaN]}    {[1.2340]}
out{1} = 1000         NaN         NaN         NaN         NaN

My solution works but contains the dreaded eval function. Do you see an alternative that is more mat-thonic?

On windows 10, matlab 2020b.

Thanks,

-Chris

[Dyuman Joshi]

Not sure about mat-thonic, but here is another approach -

ca = [{' [1000 X X X X]'  }    {' X'             }    {' X'      }    {' 1.234' }];
ca = replace(ca,'X', 'NaN');
out = cellfun(@str2num, ca, 'uni', 0)

out = 1×4 cell array
    {[1000 NaN NaN NaN NaN]}    {[NaN]}    {[NaN]}    {[1.2340]}

[checker]

Thanks, that saves me a custom function. Interestingly, str2num uses eval! I'd use str2double but want to perserve exactly the textual representation of the numbers (which are sourced from a single precision float) and it's not clear to me how str2double would affect the display.

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

ca = {' [1000 X X X X]', ' X', ' X', ' 1.234' }

ca = 1×4 cell array
    {' [1000 X X X X]'}    {' X'}    {' X'}    {' 1.234'}

out = regexp(ca,'[^\s\[\]]+','match');
out = cellfun(@str2double,out,'uni',0)

out = 1×4 cell array
    {[1000 NaN NaN NaN NaN]}    {[NaN]}    {[NaN]}    {[1.2340]}

[Dyuman Joshi]

So the approach above is to divide each element into cell arrays and then use str2double?

[Stephen23]

"So the approach above is to divide each element into cell arrays and then use str2double?"

Yes.