plus, +

Add numbers, append strings

Syntax

C = A + B

C = plus(A,B)

Description

C = A + B adds arrays A and B by adding corresponding elements. If one input is a string array, then plus appends the corresponding elements as strings.

The sizes of A and B must be the same or be compatible. If the sizes of A and B are compatible, then the two arrays implicitly expand to match each other. For example, if one of A or B is a scalar, then the scalar is combined with each element of the other array. Also, vectors with different orientations (one row vector and one column vector) implicitly expand to form a matrix.

C = plus(A,B) is an alternate way to execute A + B, but is rarely used. It enables operator overloading for classes.

Examples

Add Scalar to Array

Create an array, A, and add a scalar value to it.

A = [0 1; 1 0];
C = A + 2

C = 2×2

     2     3
     3     2

The scalar value is added to each entry of A.

Append Strings

Create two 1-by-3 string arrays, then append similarly located strings in the arrays.

s1 = ["Red" "Blue" "Green"]

s1 = 1×3 string
    "Red"    "Blue"    "Green"

s2 = ["Truck" "Sky" "Tree"]

s2 = 1×3 string
    "Truck"    "Sky"    "Tree"

s = s1 + s2

s = 1×3 string
    "RedTruck"    "BlueSky"    "GreenTree"

Add Two Arrays

Create two arrays, A and B, and add them together.

A = [1 0; 2 4];
B = [5 9; 2 1];
C = A + B

C = 2×2

     6     9
     4     5

The elements of A are added to the corresponding elements of B.

Add Row and Column Vectors

Create a 1-by-2 row vector and 3-by-1 column vector and add them.

a = 1:2;
b = (1:3)';
a + b

ans = 3×2

     2     3
     3     4
     4     5

The result is a 3-by-2 matrix, where each (i,j) element in the matrix is equal to a(j) + b(i):

$$\mathit{a}=\left[{\mathit{a}}_1{\mathit{a}}_2\right],\mathit{b}=\left[\begin{array}{c}{\mathit{b}}_1\\ {\mathit{b}}_2\\ {\mathit{b}}_3\end{array}\right],\mathit{a}+\mathit{b}=\left[\begin{array}{cc}{\mathit{a}}_1+{\mathit{b}}_1& {\mathit{a}}_2+{\mathit{b}}_1\\ {\mathit{a}}_1+{\mathit{b}}_2& {\mathit{a}}_2+{\mathit{b}}_2\\ {\mathit{a}}_1+{\mathit{b}}_3& {\mathit{a}}_2+{\mathit{b}}_3\end{array}\right].$$

Add Vector to Matrix

Create an array, A, and add a column vector to it. The vector is treated as though it is a matrix of the same size as A, so that each element in the vector is added to a row in A.

A = [1 2 3; 4 5 6]

A = 2×3

     1     2     3
     4     5     6

b = [10; 100]

b = 2×1

    10
   100

A + b

ans = 2×3

    11    12    13
   104   105   106

Add Tables

Since R2023a

Create two tables and add them. The row names (if present in both) and variable names must be the same, but do not need to be in the same orders. Rows and variables of the output are in the same orders as the first input.

A = table([1;2],[3;4],VariableNames=["V1","V2"],RowNames=["R1","R2"])

A=2×2 table
          V1    V2
          __    __

    R1    1     3 
    R2    2     4 

B = table([4;2],[3;1],VariableNames=["V2","V1"],RowNames=["R2","R1"])

B=2×2 table
          V2    V1
          __    __

    R2    4     3 
    R1    2     1 

C = A + B

C=2×2 table
          V1    V2
          __    __

    R1    2     5 
    R2    5     8 

Input Arguments

A, B — Operands

scalars | vectors | matrices | multidimensional arrays | tables | timetables

Operands, specified as scalars, vectors, matrices, multidimensional arrays, tables, or timetables. Inputs A and B must either be the same size or have sizes that are compatible (for example, A is an M-by-N matrix and B is a scalar or 1-by-N row vector). For more information, see Compatible Array Sizes for Basic Operations.

• If one input is a string array, then the other input can be numeric, character, string, or a cell array. In this case, plus converts the non-string input into a string array and then appends corresponding elements of the inputs.

• Operands with an integer data type cannot be complex.

• If one input is a datetime array, duration array, or calendarDuration array, then numeric values in the other input are treated as a number of 24-hour days.

Inputs that are tables or timetables must meet the following conditions: (since R2023a)

• If an input is a table or timetable, then all its variables must have data types that support the operation.

• If only one input is a table or timetable, then the other input must be a numeric or logical array.

• If both inputs are tables or timetables, then:

  • Both inputs must have the same size, or one of them must be a one-row table.

  • Both inputs must have variables with the same names. However, the variables in each input can be in a different order.

  • If both inputs are tables and they both have row names, then their row names must be the same. However, the row names in each input can be in a different order.

  • If both inputs are timetables, then their row times must be the same. However, the row times in each input can be in a different order.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | logical | char | string | datetime | duration | calendarDuration | table | timetable
Complex Number Support: Yes

Tips

• For appending text, plus only operates on string arrays. Use the append function to append text in character vectors or cell arrays.

Extended Capabilities

Tall Arrays

Calculate with arrays that have more rows than fit in memory.

The plus function fully supports tall arrays. For more information, see Tall Arrays.

C/C++ Code Generation

Generate C and C++ code using MATLAB® Coder™.

Usage notes and limitations:

• If you use plus with single type and double type operands, the generated code might not produce the same result as MATLAB^®. See Binary Element-Wise Operations with Single and Double Operands (MATLAB Coder).

GPU Code Generation
Generate CUDA® code for NVIDIA® GPUs using GPU Coder™.

HDL Code Generation

Generate VHDL, Verilog and SystemVerilog code for FPGA and ASIC designs using HDL Coder™.

Inputs cannot be data type logical.

Thread-Based Environment

Run code in the background using MATLAB® backgroundPool or accelerate code with Parallel Computing Toolbox™ ThreadPool.

This function fully supports thread-based environments. For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions in Thread-Based Environment.

GPU Arrays

Accelerate code by running on a graphics processing unit (GPU) using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

The plus function fully supports GPU arrays. To run the function on a GPU, specify the input data as a gpuArray (Parallel Computing Toolbox). For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions on a GPU (Parallel Computing Toolbox).

Distributed Arrays

Partition large arrays across the combined memory of your cluster using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

This function fully supports distributed arrays. For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions with Distributed Arrays (Parallel Computing Toolbox).

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

R2023a: Perform operations directly on tables and timetables

The plus operator supports operations directly on tables and timetables without indexing to access their variables. All variables must have data types that support the operation. For more information, see Direct Calculations on Tables and Timetables.

R2020b: Implicit expansion change affects calendarDuration, datetime, and duration arrays

Starting in R2020b, plus supports implicit expansion when the arguments are calendarDuration, datetime, or duration arrays. Between R2020a and R2016b, implicit expansion was supported only for numeric and string data types.

R2016b: Implicit expansion change affects arguments for operators

Starting in R2016b with the addition of implicit expansion, some combinations of arguments for basic operations that previously returned errors now produce results. For example, you previously could not add a row and a column vector, but those operands are now valid for addition. In other words, an expression like [1 2] + [1; 2] previously returned a size mismatch error, but now it executes.

If your code uses element-wise operators and relies on the errors that MATLAB previously returned for mismatched sizes, particularly within a try/catch block, then your code might no longer catch those errors.

For more information on the required input sizes for basic array operations, see Compatible Array Sizes for Basic Operations.