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mat2str

Convert matrix to characters

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Syntax

chr = mat2str(X)
chr = mat2str(X,n)
chr = mat2str(___,'class')

Description

chr = mat2str(X) converts the numeric matrix X into a character vector that represents the matrix, with up to 15 digits of precision.

You can use chr as input to the eval function. For example, A = eval(chr) reproduces the values from the original matrix to the precision specified in chr.

example

chr = mat2str(X,n) converts X using n digits of precision.

example

chr = mat2str(___,'class') includes the name of the class, or data type, of X in chr. You can use this syntax with any of the arguments from the previous syntaxes.

If you use this syntax to produce chr, then A = eval(chr) also reproduces the data type of the original matrix.

example

Examples

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Open Live Script

Convert a numeric matrix to a character vector.

chr = mat2str([3.85 2.91; 7.74 8.99])
chr = 
'[3.85 2.91;7.74 8.99]'

You can convert chr back to a numeric matrix using the eval function.

A = eval(chr)
A = 2×2

    3.8500    2.9100
    7.7400    8.9900
Open Live Script

Convert a numeric matrix to a character vector, to three digits of precision.

chr = mat2str([3.1416 2.7183],3)
chr = 
'[3.14 2.72]'
Open Live Script

Create an array of integers and convert it to a character vector. By default, the output of mat2str represents an array of doubles. To represent a different numeric type in the output, use the 'class' input argument.

Create a vector of 16-bit unsigned integers.

X = uint16([256 512])
X = 1x2 uint16 row vector

   256   512

Convert X to a character vector, including the data type of X.

chr = mat2str(X,'class')
chr = 
'uint16([256 512])'

Convert chr back to an array of integers. A has the same values and data type as X.

A = eval(chr)
A = 1x2 uint16 row vector

   256   512

Input Arguments

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Input array, specified as a numeric matrix.

Digits of precision, specified as a positive integer.

Tips

  • mat2str returns character arrays only. Starting in R2016b, you can convert numeric arrays to string arrays using the string function.

Extended Capabilities

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

See Also

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