Converting multiple table variables from string to categorical data

I've figured out how to use the categorical function to convert a single table variable (i.e., a single column of table data) to categorical data using the table.variable=categorical(table.variable) method but is there not a way to convert multiple variables/columns from string to categorical with a single command?

Thanks,

JK

Answer 1

[Tim leonard]

I'd love to know if this is possible as well. This is the best I can figure out, but still not really at all elegant.

%make table
  tblIn= table({'cat';'dog';'bird'},{'bat';'rat';'sat'},(1:3)')
%which cols to convert
  cellOfColumnNames = {'Var1','Var2'}

    tblOut = [tblIn(:,~ismember(tblIn.Properties.VariableNames,cellOfColumnNames))...
               varfun(@categorical,tblIn,'inputvariables',cellOfColumnNames)];

% or, unpacked a little bit:

    newTable = varfun(@categorical,tblIn,'inputvariables',cellOfColumnNames);

    tblOut = [tblIn(:,~ismember(tblIn.Properties.VariableNames,cellOfColumnNames))...
               newTable];

[Dhruv Ghulati]

This is a great answer. I tried to use the same thing for the function str2double, but I got an error

Error using table (line 253) All variables must have the same number of rows.

Error in table/varfun (line 220) b = table(b{:},'VariableNames',b_varnames);

continousVars = {'artists_paying_for', 'bookmarks','connected_ga','connected_fb',...
    'connected_itunes','free_artists','subscribed_artists','usersincompany',...
    'companyartistspaidfor','sincelastcontacted','sincelastheardfrom','sincefirstseen',...
    'sincesignedup','sincecompanylastseen','sincecompletedsetup','sinceusercreated',...
    'sinceaccountcreated','sincecompanycreated'};
newTable = varfun(@str2double,cleanNBS,'inputvariables',continousVars);
T = [cleanNBS(:,~ismember(cleanNBS.Properties.VariableNames,catVars))...
    newTable];

Any ideas?

[Guillaume]

Please start your own question (you can link to this one to add context) rather than hijacking somebody's else.