`startsWith`

Tests whether text begins with a given prefix.

Category: Language Fundamentals > Data Types

Syntax

tf = startsWith(str, pat)

Returns true where str begins with pat.

tf = startsWith(str, pat, 'IgnoreCase', true)

Compares without regard to letter case.

Description

The comparison is made character by character from the start of each text. An empty prefix always matches. str can be a collection, so one call checks a whole list of names.

The prefix is literal text, not a pattern: characters such as * or . have no special meaning.

Input arguments

str: String array, character vector, or cell array of character vectors.
pat: Prefix to look for, or several prefixes. If any of them matches, the result is true.
'IgnoreCase': Logical flag, false by default.

Output arguments

tf: Logical array with one element per text in str.

Example

Single text, list and case

startsWith("hello world", "hello")
startsWith({'apple','banana','avocado'}, 'a')
startsWith('ABC', 'ab', 'IgnoreCase', true)

Output

ans = logical
   1
ans = 1×3 logical array

   1   0   1
ans = logical
   1

startsWith