Table: Add collumn with conditional

How to modify this function to create a better code think in how to get a dynamic output table.

In this simple example below, I have only 3 possible input arguments, but in real-life I have 20 possible input arguments.

function table_out = dynamic_table(varargin)

     % Set the valid function input arguments:
     input_options = {'array_a', 'array_b', 'array_c'};
    
     % Set the index values of each function input argument:
     ARRAY_A_IDX = 1;
     ARRAY_B_IDX = 2;
     ARRAY_C_IDX = 3;

    % Preallocate a valid output table arguments:
    output_options = zeros(length(input_options), 1);
    
    % Check each function input argument:
    for i = 1:length(varargin{:})
        % Check if the input(i) is a valid input option:
        [is_valid, opt_idx] = ismember(char(varargin{:}(i)), input_options);
        if(is_valid)
            % If is a valid option, set as true:
            output_options(opt_idx) = true;
        else
            % This input(i) is not a valid function input argument:
            warning('Unable to find the entered field: %s', char(varargin{:}(i)));
        end
    end

    % Set a dummy array content:
    array_a = [1; 2; 3];
    array_b = [4; 5; 6];
    array_c = [7; 8; 9];

    %% Construct a dynamic conditional output table:
    if((output_options(ARRAY_A_IDX)) & (!output_options(ARRAY_B_IDX)) & (!output_options(ARRAY_C_IDX)))
        % Only one output collumn:
        table_out = table(array_a);
    elseif ((output_options(ARRAY_A_IDX)) & (output_options(ARRAY_B_IDX)) & (!output_options(ARRAY_C_IDX)))
        % Two output collumns:
        table_out = table(array_a, array_b);
    elseif ((output_options(ARRAY_A_IDX)) & (output_options(ARRAY_B_IDX)) & (output_options(ARRAY_C_IDX)))
        % Three output collumns:
        table_out = table(array_a, array_b, array_c);
    end

end

How can I get this 'table_out' with different number of collumns depending of the function input arguments?

[Geoff Hayes]

Nycholas - are all input column names of the format 'array_a', 'array_b', 'array_c', etc. or can they be something else? Do you really need to check to see if the input parameters match on these column names or can you just assume that whatever the user is passing in is valid? Where will the data for each column come from? I suspect that it won't be like the dummy array content you have above...

[Nycholas Maia]

Hey Geoff,

"are all input column names of the format 'array_a', 'array_b', 'array_c', etc. or can they be something else?"

-> Response: They can be something else

Do you really need to check to see if the input parameters match on these column names or can you just assume that whatever the user is passing in is valid?

-> I would like to show a warninng/error message if the user wrote a invalid collumn name

Where will the data for each column come from? I suspect that it won't be like the dummy array content you have above...

-> In real-life, inside this function a get a real data from a text file and I want to output a custom table collumns

Do you have any solution?

[Nycholas Maia]

Let me try a different example to be more clear: People attributes

function table_out = dynamic_table(varargin)
     % Set the valid function input arguments:
     input_options = {'Name', 'Age', 'Weigth'};
    
    % JUST FOR THIS EXAMPLE, I will set a dummy data for each array.
    % BUT in real-life I got a real data from text file and database parse
    % Another difference: In real-life I have a lot of collumns, and not only 3;
    
    % Set a dummy array content:
    name = {'Joe'; 'Elisa'; 'John'};
    age = [30; 10; 25];
    weigth = [100; 150; 180];
    
    %% Construct a dynamic conditional output table:
    if('function input argment is only (1) Name')
        % Only one output collumn:
        table_out = table(name);
    elseif ('function input argment is (1) Name and (2) Age')
        % Two output collumns:
        table_out = table(name, age);
    elseif ('function input argment is (1) Name and (2) Age and (3) Weigth')
        % Three output collumns:
        table_out = table(name, age, weigth);
    end
end

Running this function, the output should be like:

myTable = dynamic_table('Name')
| Name |
 'Joe'
 'Elisa'
 'John'

Second option:

myTable = dynamic_table('Name', 'Age')
| Name | Age |
 'Joe'   30
 'Elisa' 10
 'John'  25
 

The last option:

myTable = dynamic_table('Name', 'Age', 'Weigth')
| Name | Age | Weigth |
 'Joe'   30     100 
 'Elisa' 10     150
 'John'  25     180

Anyone can give a solution for this?

Thanks!