Changing Current directory (cd) using a string variable.

I'm trying to change directory into two levels of subfolders but am having trouble making cd(variable) accept the input argument.

Once into each subfolder, I need to call a function (dirf) that will create a batch file of all files in the cd.

Thanks!

%find directory
p = uigetdir
% Get a list of all files and folders in this folder ie: birds
files    = dir;
names    = {files.name};
% Get a logical vector that tells which is a directory.
dirFlags = [files.isdir] & ~strcmp(names, '.') & ~strcmp(names, '..');
% Extract only those that are directories. . and .. are up and down folder
% commands which is why they are removed
subDirsNames = names(dirFlags);

%gets data on how many subfolders in the cd there are
N = numel(subDirsNames)
% for loop for entering into each subdir
for ii=1:N
    % selects subfolder ie: single bird folder
    cdm = fullfile(p,subDirsNames(ii))
    cdm = cell2mat(cdm)
    cd(cdm)
    
    % same logical process filter as before but for sub-sub folders. remove
    % this part if you only have single level folders
    subsubdir = dir;
    subnames = {subsubdir.name}  
subdirFlags = [subsubdir.isdir] & ~strcmp(subnames, '.') & ~strcmp(subnames, '..');
subsubDirsNames = subnames(subdirFlags);
NN = numel(subsubDirsNames)
% selects sub subfolder ie: timepoint or FD song/UD song
for jj=1:NN
    cds = fullfile(p,subDirsNames(ii),subsubDirsNames(jj))
    cds = cell2mat(cdm)
    cd(cds)
    dirf('*.wav','batch')
end
end

[Stephen23]

@Christien Bowman : do you have a specific problem or question? You have shown us some code, but you have not asked us anything, nor given any error messages or warning that you might be getting.

Rather than messing around with slow cd, it would be simple and efficient to access data files using absolute/relative filenames. All MATLAB functions that read/write to data files accept absolute/relative filenames.

Note you can eliminate the . and .. folders in one line:

files    = dir();
names    = setdiff({files([files.isdir]).name},{'.','..'})

[Christien Bowman]

Thank you! That helps with the efficiency a lot.

I restarted MATLAB and 'cd' appears to be working correctly now.

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

files    = dir;

I think you mean

   files = dir(p) ;