`compose`

Formats values into text using a format with placeholders.

Category: Language Fundamentals > Data Types

Syntax

str = compose(formatSpec)

Processes escape sequences and returns a string.

str = compose(formatSpec, A1, ..., An)

Inserts the values using the format.

str = compose(formatSpec, A)

With a single array A and one placeholder, returns one string per element.

Description

compose is a vectorized sprintf: it formats once per element instead of concatenating everything into one line. compose('%.2f', [1.234; 5.6789]) returns a column of two strings.

The result is a string array, not a char vector, so it can be combined with + and used with the string functions.

Input arguments

formatSpec: Text with operators such as %d, %f, %s, as in sprintf. May be a string array.
A1, ..., An: Values to insert.

Output arguments

str: String array.

Example

One string per element

compose('x=%d', [1 2])
compose('%.2f', [1.234; 5.6789])
compose("Value %d of %s", 3, "x")

Output

ans = 2×1 string array

    "x=1"
    "x=2"
ans = 2×1 string array

    "1.23"
    "5.68"
ans = "Value 3 of x"

compose