Textscan syntax disagreement

I am using textscan to import a file. It has 40 columns, which means I use the following.

   data = textscan(dataID, '%f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f');

However I'd like to shorten this up a bit, and go with this instead.

data = textscan(dataID, '%f', 40);

Unfortunately the two return different values and I can't for the life of me figure out why.

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

thisfmt = repmat('%f', 1, 40);
data = textscan(dataID, thisfmt);

When you use '%f', 40, then you instruct textscan to use "%f" 40 times total, which would just get you your first line.