How can I split a string in an array of strings such that each string is either a predefined array of strings, a variable or a string?

Hi all,

I have two predefined arrays, say:

first = ["alpha" "beta"];
second = ["{" "}"];

and I want to create a function which receives a string and splits the string in different string arrays(or cell). Each array(or cell) should contain either a single member of one of the two arrays, a variable that is not a member of the arrays (without including the blank space) or a string. Ex:

Input string:

"alpha{ beta} new {} new2 "This is a string" }"

Output string:

"alpha" "{" "beta" "new" "{" "}" "new2" "This is a string" "}"

In a previous post a Matlab member proposed this:

S = "alpha{ beta} new {} new2}";
T = ["alpha","beta", "{","}"];
[X,Y] = strsplit(S,T, 'CollapseDelimiters',false);
X = strtrim(X); % you forgot to mention, that you also want to remove whitespace
X(2,:) = [Y,""];
X(strlength(X)==0) = []

but this solution does not accept a string inside a string.

Hope it is clear!

Bests,

Stergios

Answer 1

[Khushboo]

Hello,

MATLAB accepts a string within a string only when the inner string is enclosed within single quotes and not double quotes. Keeping this in mind, I modified the previous MATLAB answer as mentioned by you to also include string within a string:

S = "alpha{ beta} new {} new2 'This is a string' }";
T = ["alpha","beta", "{","}", "'"]; %added "'" as a delimiter to detect string within a string
[X,Y] = strsplit(S,T, 'CollapseDelimiters',false);
Y = erase(Y, "'"); % removing all occurrences of "'" from result as it is not needed
X = strtrim(X); % you forgot to mention, that you also want to remove whitespace
X(2,:) = [Y,""];
X(strlength(X)==0) = [];

Thus the output for this is:

 "alpha"    "{"    "beta"    "}"    "new"    "{"    "}"    "new2"    "This is a string"    "}"

[Stergios Verros]

Thank you very much!

[Stergios Verros]

Hi Khushboo,

I found one bug. If:

S = "alpha{ beta} new {} new2 new3 'This is a string' }";

The ouput will be:

"alpha"    "{"    "beta"    "}"    "new"    "{"    "}"    "new2 new3"    "This is a string"    "}"

Is is possible to seperate the "new2 new3" to "new2" ''new3"?

Thanks!