How Do I Convert One Data Type to Another in MATLAB?

How Do I Convert One Data Type to Another in MATLAB?

MATLAB is a powerful programming language commonly used for numerical computations and data analysis. When working with data, you might often encounter situations where you need to convert one data type to another.

In this tutorial, we will explore various methods to convert different data types in MATLAB.

Converting Numeric Data Types

MATLAB provides several functions to convert between numeric data types. Here are some common conversions:

1. Converting from Integer to Floating-Point

To convert an integer variable to a floating-point variable, you can use the double() function. This function converts the input value into a double-precision floating-point number.


intVal = 42;
floatVal = double(intVal);
disp(floatVal);

The output will be:


42.0000

2. Converting from Floating-Point to Integer

To convert a floating-point variable to an integer, you can use the int16(), int32(), or int64() functions depending on the desired integer size.


floatVal = 3.14;
intVal = int32(floatVal);
disp(intVal);

Converting Character Data Types

MATLAB also provides functions to convert between character data types. Here are some examples:

1. Converting a Character to ASCII Value

To convert a single character to its corresponding ASCII value, you can use the double() function.


charVal = 'A';
asciiVal = double(charVal);
disp(asciiVal);

2. Converting a String to a Cell Array of Characters

If you have a string and want to convert it into a cell array where each element represents a single character, you can use the cellstr() function.


str = 'Hello';
cellArray = cellstr(str');
disp(cellArray);


' H'
' e'
' l'
' l'
' o'

Converting Logical Data Types

MATLAB allows converting logical values (true/false) to other data types such as numeric or character. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Converting Logical to Numeric Data Type

To convert a logical value to numeric (0 for false, 1 for true), you can use the double() or single() functions.


logVal = true;
numVal = double(logVal);
disp(numVal);

2. Converting Logical to Character Data Type

To convert a logical value to a character (e.g., ‘true’ or ‘false’), you can use the char() function.


logVal = false;
charVal = char(logVal);
disp(charVal);


false

Converting Between Data Structures and Other Types

In addition to converting within different data types, MATLAB also offers functions for converting between data structures and other types like cell arrays or character arrays. Here are some examples:

1. Converting Structure to Cell Array


person.name = 'John Doe';
person.age = 30;
person.city = 'New York';

cellArray = struct2cell(person);
disp(cellArray);


'John Doe'
[30]
'New York'

2. Converting Cell Array to Structure


cellArray = {'John Doe', 30, 'New York'};
fields = {'name', 'age', 'city'};

person = cell2struct(cellArray, fields, 2);
disp(person);