Why do I get a different length of the vector for different runs ?

This is my code :

d=1

p=1

Number_Included = [ 3 7 2 ]

while p<=3

r(d:(d+Number_Included(p)-1)) = rand(1, Number_Included(p));

d=numel(r)+1

p=p+1;

end

the purpose is to generate 3 random numbers , then 7 random numbers, then 2 random numbers in the vector r , thus vector r is supposed to be of the dimension 1*12

1st run gives a vector r 1*12

2nd run, the dimensions of r change to 1*21!

I don't understand why thisis happening, could someone explain to me please, and how do I make sure that the dimensions stay 1*12( the desired) ???

I've notices that this problem does not happen when I clear the workspace

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

During the second run look carefully at the values that d will have.

On the while loop's first iteration everything works as you probably expect, because

d=1

but then on the while loop's second iteration this is the value of d:

d=numel(r)+1  % d = 13

and then on the third iteration this will be the value of d:

d=numel(r)+1  % d = 20

Of course this happens because you still have the entire 12-element vector in your workspace, leftover from the first run, and you are using that already-existing vector to determine the index d. In fact, this is quite easy to demonstrate, e.g.:

r = nan(1,12);

and then run your code:

r = 
   0.244767   0.016480   0.136528        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN
r =
   0.244767   0.016480   0.136528        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN   0.611294   0.591830   0.816990   0.740789   0.207290   0.699129   0.515550
r =
   0.244767   0.016480   0.136528        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN   0.611294   0.591830   0.816990   0.740789   0.207290   0.699129   0.515550   0.706269   0.041856

"how do I make sure that the dimensions stay 1*12( the desired) ???"

Write simpler, more robust code:

• avoid while, because for is much better when the number of iterations is known.
• preallocate all output arrays before the loop (this would avoid the issue that you are seeing).
• avoid complex indexing calculations.
• avoid writing code that requires that you clear variables for it to work properly.

Something like this would be much more robust:

V = [3,7,2];
N = numel(V);
C = cell(1,N);
for k = 1:N
    C{k} = rand(1,V(k));
end
Z = [C{:}]

Or even simply:

Z = rand(1,sum(V))

[Abbi Hashem]

Thank you so much !

I understand what you mean, however I am not clear on the second suggested solution.

Can you please clarify more your second suggested solution and help me type this code with the while loop , and pre-allocate the output arrays ( I understand that the first solution may be easier to apply , yet in other cases I may not know the exact number of iterations needed )

[Stephen23]

The second solution is a simplification of what you showed in your question, i.e. without any loop because what you showed in your question does not require any loop.

If you do not know the number of iterations then you could do something like this:

C = {}; % Very important!
k = 0;
while ...
    k = k+1;
    ....
    C{k} = rand(...);
end
Z = [C{:}]

[Abbi Hashem]

Thank you so much !