How would I add a label to a variable?

Let's say I'm programming a converter, like miles to kilometers, how do I make it so when I type it all out the answer comes out as "10 kilometers" instead of just the number 10?

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

https://www.mathworks.com/help/symbolic/units-list.html

units can be attached to symbolic computation, where they end up being treated like multiplication by a variable a lot of the time.

units are not supported in numeric work without the symbolic toolbox... Well, except in Simscape and derivatives such as SimBiology

Answer 2

[Les Beckham]

Without extra toolboxes, and assuming that you are programming your 'converter' as a function and you wish to print the results as well as return them to the caller, you might use the fprintf() function within your conversion functions. For example:

% test_mi2km_converters.m
%
% https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/731023-how-would-i-add-a-label-to-a-variable?s_tid=srchtitle

distance_mi = 10; % initially in miles
distance_km = mi2km(distance_mi);
distance_mi_check = km2mi(distance_km);
distance_km_check = mi2km(distance_mi_check);

function km = mi2km(mi)
    km = ((mi*5280) * 0.3048) / 1000;
    fprintf('%f miles = %f kilometers\n', mi, km);
end

function mi = km2mi(km)
    mi = ((km*1000) / 0.3048) / 5280;
    fprintf('%f kilometers = %f miles\n', km, mi);
end

Here is the resulting output:

>> test_mi2km_converters

10.000000 miles = 16.093440 kilometers

16.093440 kilometers = 10.000000 miles

10.000000 miles = 16.093440 kilometers

Adapt as desired. Note that this code requires Matlab release 2016b or later (when they started allowing functions to be defined inside of scripts).