`matlab.lang.makeValidName`

Converts text into valid variable or field names.

Syntax

v = matlab.lang.makeValidName(str)

Returns str changed into a valid name.

[v, modified] = matlab.lang.makeValidName(str)

Also tells which strings had to change.

Description

Valid names are returned unchanged. Spaces are removed and the letter after each is capitalized ('my value' becomes 'myValue'), other illegal characters become underscores, and a name that starts with a digit or is a reserved word gets the prefix x. The function does not make names unique; combine it with matlab.lang.makeUniqueStrings for that.

Tables use this rule to turn column headings of imported files into variable names.

Input arguments

str: Text, string array or cell array of text.

Output arguments

v: Valid names, in the same shape as str.
modified: Logical array: true where the name was changed.

Example

Repairing names

[v, changed] = matlab.lang.makeValidName({'total cost', '3rd', 'a-b', 'ok'})

Output

v = 1×4 cell

    {'totalCost'}    {'x3rd'}    {'a_b'}    {'ok'}
changed = 1×4 logical array

   1   1   1   0

matlab.lang.makeValidName