`setvartype`

Sets the data type of variables in import options.

Category: Language Fundamentals > Data Types

Syntax

opts = setvartype(opts, vars, type)

Reads the variables vars as type.

opts = setvartype(opts, type)

Sets the type of every variable.

Description

The detected types are only a guess from the first rows. setvartype overrides them before the file is read, for example to read an identifier column as text so that leading zeros are kept, or a number column as single to save memory.

Input arguments

opts: Import options from detectImportOptions.
vars: Variable name, cell array of names, or indices.
type: Type name such as 'double', 'single', 'int8', 'string', 'categorical' or 'datetime'.

Output arguments

opts: The updated options. opts.VariableTypes lists the types.

Example

fid = fopen('v.csv', 'w');
fprintf(fid, 'id,score\n1,2.5\n2,3.5\n');
fclose(fid);
opts = detectImportOptions('v.csv');
opts = setvartype(opts, {'id','score'}, 'single');
opts.VariableTypes

Output

ans = 1×2 cell

    {'single'}    {'single'}

Notes

In MatLivre setvartype works on import options only, not on tables; for tables use convertvars.

setvartype