Help with isempty and exists

Hello community,

I have a simple problem. I want to prompt the user to enter a directory name, check if it exist. If it does, store that fullpath into my guidedata. If it doesnt, create the directory and also 2 subdirectories within that directory then store fullpath into guide data. The name of the directory I want to search and create folders in is named 'Labelers.' It's fullpath is C:\Users\ecorbett\Documents\MATLAB\Labelers So far I have this code:

prompt = {'Enter Labeler Name:'};
dlg_title = 'Labeler Name';
num_lines = 1;
answer = inputdlg(prompt);

if isempty('Labelers'(answer))
     mkdir('Labelers','answer')

else
    handles.name = answer;
    guidata(gcf, handles);
    handles = guidata(gcf);
end

It's not working thus far. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

[Image Analyst]

Why don't you just call uigetdir to let the user specify a folder and create one if needed? The "New folder" button is right there on the dialog box.

[B_Richardson]

Hmmm, hadn't considered that option. I suppose that would have been easier.

Answer 1

[Oleg Komarov]

root = 'C:\Users\Oleg\Desktop\';
answer = inputdlg(prompt);

if isempty(answer{1}) || exist([root answer{1}],'dir') ~= 7 
     mkdir(root,'answer')
else
    handles.name = answer;
    guidata(gcf, handles);
    handles = guidata(gcf);
end

[B_Richardson]

if exist(answer,'C:\Users\ecorbett\Documents\MATLAB\Labelers') ~= 7

mkdir('answer')

I get this error:

??? Undefined function or method 'exist' for input arguments of type 'cell'.

Error in ==> act_ive_gui_new>act_ive_gui_new_OpeningFcn at 90

if exist(answer,'C:\Users\ecorbett\Documents\MATLAB\Labelers') ~= 7

[B_Richardson]

I guess its because 'answer' is a cell array and exist doesnt support that type of input.

[Oleg Komarov]

if exist(answer{1},'dir')

Don't change 'dir'!

[B_Richardson]

Great that works! I have one more question:

mkdir('C:\Users\ecorbett\Documents\MATLAB\Labelers','answer')

Right answer as the filename instead of the variable within answer. Do I need to remove the quotes?

[Oleg Komarov]

Execute in the command line:

answer{1}

'answer'

And verify what's in ans.

[B_Richardson]

I see, the {1} is used to index the cell array?

[Oleg Komarov]

Yes, you get to access the content of a cell array with c{} while c() retrieves the content wrapped in the cell.

[B_Richardson]

I see. So if I wanted to make a subdirectory within that newly created directory I would use:

mkdir('../answer{1}','newFolder')

?

[Walter Roberson]

Not quite.

mkdir(['../' answer{1} '/newFolder'])

Or more readable perhaps,

mkdir(sprintf('../%s/newFolder', answer{1}))

[B_Richardson]

Thats funny, neither of them seem to work?

[B_Richardson]

if exist(answer{1},'dir')~= 7

%the line below works, but the lines to create the subfolders dont

mkdir('C:\Users\ecorbett\Documents\MATLAB\Labelers',answer{1})

mkdir(['../' answer{1} '/Labels'])

mkdir(['../' answer{1} '/Segmentation'])

[B_Richardson]

Nevermind Walter! That works! I had something else wrong! Thank you