How to save an fprintf command to a variable?

I am using the fprintf function to display a column of values from a matrix assigned "Summary1." I would like to assigned a variable "a" to whatever the fprintf command displays. Using the code below displays the values in the command window just fine:

Summary1 =
100.0000 0.0000

150.0000 0.0000

200.0000 0.0000

250.0000 0.0001

300.0000 0.0018

350.0000 0.0121

400.0000 0.0510

450.0000 0.1561

500.0000 0.3820

 fprintf ('%u %1.2e \n', [Summary1]')

=

100 3.92e-15

150 2.64e-09

200 2.17e-06

250 1.22e-04

300 1.78e-03

350 1.21e-02

400 5.10e-02

450 1.56e-01

500 3.82e-01

However, when I put in

 a = fprintf ('%u %1.2e \n', [Summary1]')

I get "a = #" one number as my answer. Is there a way I can assign a one letter variable to this fprintf command and have it output my column of values from "Summary1"?

Thanks!

[Stephen23]

"I get ... one number as my answer": yes, because that is exactly what the fprintf documentation says will happen: it returns the bytes written.

[Gramotey]

I am also a newbie. Use sprintf() to print into a string (make array of strings).

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

Use sprintf(), not fprintf() when you want to save the result to a string:

% Save display to a string:
string = sprintf ('%u %1.2e \n', [Summary1]');
% Now print the string to the command window.
fprintf ('%s\n', string);

[Guillaume]

The reason behind the naming of these two functions is that fprintf prints to a file (traditionally, the console / command window has been considered a file), while sprintf prints to a string.

Answer 2

[Kayuri Shah]

The other option is to save your results in a matrix, as you did, and then wait to print until the end. In fprintf, you are just printing to a destination, rather than saving the string to use later. In that case, use fprintf when you are ready to print that section of your work.

Otherwise, save the string in sprintf and then print that to the window you want.