How to repeat a character multiple times as a MATLAB array?

Question

Given a single string value in a MATLAB character array:

['12 N']

How can I repeat this value X times in a new character array?

For example:

X = 5

['12 N'; '12 N'; '12 N'; '12 N'; '12 N']

score 10 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 07 '14 at 19:02

10

Use the repmat function:

A = ['12 N'];
X = 5
Output = repmat(A, X, 1);

will result in a character array.

Depending on your end usage, you may want to consider using a cell array of strings instead:

Output = repmat({A},X,1);

edited Mar 07 '14 at 19:02

Doresoom

answered Mar 07 '14 at 18:57

DaveH

Ah, you beat me as I was typing out the answer! – Doresoom Mar 07 '14 at 18:58
The last line is incorrect: `repmat({A},X,1);` creates a cell array of char arrays, not strings. (Edit: I realize that when this answer was posted, Matlab had not introduced the `string` class yet, so the words "strings" were sometimes used to refer to char arrays) – Paul Wintz Sep 28 '21 at 22:36

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 07 '14 at 19:55

3

repmat is the obvious way to go, but just for the heck of it you could use kron:

A = ['12 N'];
X = 5
B = char(kron(A,ones(X,1)))

Silly, yes...

answered Mar 07 '14 at 19:55

chappjc

2 Answers2