`formattedDisplayText`

Returns, as a string, the text that displaying a value would print.

Category: Data Import and Analysis > Data Import and Export

Syntax

str = formattedDisplayText(X)

Captures the display of X.

str = formattedDisplayText(X, Name, Value)

Controls the format with options such as 'NumericFormat' and 'LineSpacing'.

Description

The result is exactly what the command window would show for the value, but kept as data. It is useful for building log messages, writing results to a file, or testing the look of a display without the value being echoed. The 'NumericFormat' option acts like format for this single call only.

Input arguments

X: Any value.
'NumericFormat': Display format such as 'short' or 'long'.
'LineSpacing': 'loose' or 'compact'.

Output arguments

str: String scalar with the displayed text, line breaks included.

Example

Capture a display

s = formattedDisplayText([1 2; 3 4]);
class(s)
fprintf('%s', s)
formattedDisplayText(pi, 'NumericFormat', 'long')

Output

ans = 'string'
     1     2
     3     4
ans = "   3.141592653589793
"

formattedDisplayText