Rename folders using folder names saved in cells

I have a folder 'A' inside which I have numbered folders. I saved the folder numbers inside a cell:

cell_numbers = {2;10;22;48};

I want to rename those folders with the names contained in this cell:

cell = {'parameter_1';'parameter_2';'parameter_3';'parameter_4'};

So I want that:

- the folder '2' will be called 'parameter_1'

- the folder '10' will be called 'parameter_2'

- the folder '22' will be called 'parameter_3'

- the folder '48' will be called 'parameter_4'

Answer 1

[the cyclist]

Here is one way:

cell_numbers = {2;10;22;48};
cell = {'parameter_1';'parameter_2';'parameter_3';'parameter_4'}; % <---- You should rename this variable, because "cell" is a MATLAB function name

for nc = 1:numel(cell_numbers)
    movefile(sprintf("%d",cell_numbers{nc}),cell{nc})
end

[Alberto Acri]

Why do you use movefile? I need to rename some folders.

[the cyclist]

Literally the first line of the documentation for movefile states: "Move or rename file or folder".

[Alberto Acri]

If I try using the lines of code you gave me it works correctly, however if I apply it to my code (where the cells are generated by a for loop, but identical to the ones provided) it doesn't work for me and gives me this error:

Error using movefile
No matching files named 'C:\Users\Alberto\....\....\52' were found.

Error in file_rename (line 61)
    movefile(sprintf("%d",value_number_cell),value_parameters_cell)

I have attached the code for you.

The natsortfiles function (line 28) (downloadable at this link) is located in the 'natsortfiles_folder' folder inside the principal_folder path (line 9).

[Stephen23]

"If I try using the lines of code you gave me it works correctly, however if I apply it to my code (where the cells are generated by a for loop, but identical to the ones provided) it doesn't work for me and gives me this error:"

Yet clearly something is different. Likely candidates: wrong filenames or wrong location (e.g. your code uses relative filenames and you run the code from another location). Since we do not have you file system, you need to find out what the difference is. Start by enabling debug mode, e.g. DBSTOP IF ERROR. Then see if LS or DIR can list those files, using the given path. Check the path. Really check it.

The most important step to debugging is to look at what the code is really doing. Not just what you think it is doing.

"The natsortfiles function (line 28) (downloadable at this link) is located in the 'natsortfiles_folder' folder"

Why do you need NATSORTFILES just to move/rename some files/folders?

[Alberto Acri]

Hi @Stephen23. I am not very familiar with matlab and especially with debugging..

In any case, I don't understand what the difference is between the saved cells (see .mat file) and the cells written below:

num_cell = {4;5;16;24;85;95};
parameters_cell = {'parameter_4';'parameter_5';'parameter_16';'parameter_24';'parameter_85';'parameter_95'};

In my opinion they are the same, but in the former case the code does not work, while in the second case it does.

[the cyclist]

The error reported:

No matching files named 'C:\Users\Alberto\....\....\52' were found

looks like you tried to move a folder (number 52) that does not exist. You can check for the existence of the folder by using the exist function.

But, it seems that you might be reading the folder names automatically, so maybe the error is that you are constructing the folder name incorrectly later? It's burdensome for us to try to recreate a file/folder setup that mimics what we might guess you have.

Also, I don't know if this part of it, but the cell contents in the comment just above, and in the MAT files you attached in the same comment, are not identical. (You can check this using the isequal function).

For num_cell, you have numeric contents in one cell, and character arrays in the other cell.

For parameters_cell, you have 'parameter_' in one cell, and 'parameters_' in the other.

[Alberto Acri]

This is true. My mistake.

In any case, the folders are contained in the folder named 'parameters':

I also noticed these errors (change the final number):

- If nc=1:

No matching files named 'C:\Users\Alberto\Desktop\parameters\52' were found.

- if nc=2:

No matching files named 'C:\Users\Alberto\Desktop\parameters\53' were found.

- if nc=3:

No matching files named 'C:\Users\Alberto\Desktop\parameters\4954' were found.

- if nc=4:

No matching files named 'C:\Users\Alberto\Desktop\parameters\5052' were found.

- if nc=5:

No matching files named 'C:\Users\Alberto\Desktop\parameters\5653' were found.

- if nc=6:

No matching files named 'C:\Users\Alberto\Desktop\parameters\5753' were found.

I still thank you for your help, but I am not very familiar with matlab and this error I honestly don't understand.

[Stephen23]

"but I am not very familiar with matlab and this error I honestly don't understand."

Your screenshot shows e.g. that there is no subfolder named "52", and the error messages tell us e.g. that there is no folder named "52". What do you expect MATLAB to tell you, in such a case?

[the cyclist]

I think it is probably a problem with how you are using my sprintf code. In the version your originally posted, the cell array held numeric values, so I used %d to insert the value into the string:

sprintf('Numeric input works: %d',1)

ans = 'Numeric input works: 1'

But %d will not work for a character input (as you expect):

sprintf('String input does not work: %d','1')

ans = 'String input does not work: 49'

If you have a character array input for my sprintf suggestion, then use %s to tell MATLAB you are inputting a string:

sprintf('String input works: %s','1')

ans = 'String input works: 1'

[Alberto Acri]

Thank you @the cyclist, it works. It was easier than expected!

[Steven Lord]

You've got a mismatch somewhere between numbers and characters. What are characters 52 and 53?

char(52)

ans = '4'

char(53)

ans = '5'

What are the names of your first two files?

Looking at the third file, characters 49 and 54 are '1' and '6'.

char([49 54])

ans = '16'

I'm guessing somewhere you tried assigning text data into a numeric array using subscripted indexing.

x = 1:10 % numeric array

x = 1×10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

x(5) = '5' % x(5) becomes 53 because char(53) is '5'

x = 1×10

1 2 3 4 53 6 7 8 9 10

I recommend using a string array instead, as assigning numbers into a string array or vice versa converts them the way you probably expect (5 becomes "5" and vice versa rather than '5' becoming 53 and vice versa.)

x(8) = "64" % Assign string into numeric array

x = 1×10

1 2 3 4 53 6 7 64 9 10

s = string(x)

s = 1×10 string array
    "1"    "2"    "3"    "4"    "53"    "6"    "7"    "64"    "9"    "10"

s(2) = 999 % Assign number into string array

s = 1×10 string array
    "1"    "999"    "3"    "4"    "53"    "6"    "7"    "64"    "9"    "10"