How do I see the index values of strfind ?

I am trying to use strfind to locate values in a cell array and then compare the adjacent cells to a string that I have in order to see if the string matches the array. Ex.

        A={'a' 'c' 'a' 't' 'e' 'f' 'g'}
        B=strfind(A,'a')

[Guillaume]

A=['a' 'c' 'a' 't' 'e' 'f' 'g']

is not a cell array. It is an array of character, basically a string and the above line is the same as

A = 'acatefg'

So, have you got a cell array of single characters

A = {'a' 'c' 'a' 't' 'e' 'f' 'g'}

a string as you've shown in your example, or something else?

[j smith]

I have a cell array of single characters like you showed in the third example

Answer 1

[Guillaume]

If you do have a cell array, unlike your example (see comment to your question), and you're trying to match a string in the cell array, then it is not strfind you need but strcmp:

A = {'a' 'c' 'a' 't' 'e' 'f' 'g'}
find(strcmp(A, 'a'))

Answer 2

[Star Strider]

You can’t find 'b' in your ‘A’ array because there is no 'b' in ‘A’.

Please describe in a bit more detail what you want to do.

[j smith]

what I meant to say was I want to find 'a' in this array and then be able to find the where in the array this value is so that I can compare it to the other characters next to it.

[Star Strider]

This is not robust, but will allow you to find the indices of the two (or fewer) characters next to the character-of-interest. If there are fewer than two, it includes the index of your variable-of-interest, but that is likely unavoidable:

A=['a' 'c' 'a' 't' 'e' 'f' 'g']
B=strfind(A,'a')
Bnext = [max(1,B(1)-1), min(B(1)+1,length(A)); max(B(1),B(2)-1), min(B(2)+1,length(A))];

Bnext =
     1     2
     2     4

You can build on it to make it more robust to fit your needs.

[j smith]

I'll try this out