create variable with name from string?

[Stefan Pofahl]

Here is may answer:
###############################################
function [RET]= variablenamefromstring()
# string of variablename may come from file
  nameofvariable = "bananas";
# a real number makes no sence in this context, but there is a real number :-(
  numberoffruits = 2.01;

# test output from "sprintf"-command,
# (the format spezifier "%i" ensure, that it will be an integer value)
  sprintf ([nameofvariable, "= ", num2str(numberoffruits, "%i")]);
# evaluate string
  eval (sprintf ([nameofvariable, "= ", num2str(numberoffruits, "%i")]));

# check value of new variable
#  eval (nameofvariable)

# alterantive check of new variable value
  eval ([nameofvariable, ";"])
endfunction
################################################

Now it is your job to build the data-structure.
Please let me know the result of your work.

Regards,

Stefan

2008/3/30, Malte Köster <m.koester at jacobs-university.de>:
> Hi there!
>
>  I was wondering if there is a way to create a variable with a name
>  that is read from a string.
>
>  For example I'm reading a file that is  a shopping list. The first
>  line of the file specifies a category, after that it contains items
>  belonging to the category:
>  fruits
>  apple
>  peach
>  banana
>  I want to read the file, and save the information in a data structure
>  like
>         items_to_buy =
>         {
>                 fruits =
>                 {
>                         apple
>                         peach
>                         banana
>                 }
>         }
>  So before I read the file I don't know that I want to call my
>  variable "fruits". I want to read this varibale name from some string.
>
>  Hope I could make a bit clear what I mean.
>  Of course there's many ways to work around this, but I was wondering
>  if it is possible to do something like this.
>
>  cheers,
>  malte
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