How do you replace row names with a column?

say I am using matlab to read an excel file called test.xls, and the file reads into a table like this:

| names Var.1 Var.2 Var.3

1 | A 1 5 0

2 | B 2 4 1

3 | C 3 3 2

4 | D 4 2 3

5 | E 5 1 4

what do I need to do to turn the test.xls table into this:

names Var.1 Var.2 Var.3

A 1 5 0

B 2 4 1

C 3 3 2

D 4 2 3

E 5 1 4

[the cyclist]

Can you upload the test.xls file, and the code you used to import it into MATLAB? You can use the paper clip icon in the INSERT section of the toolbar.

Answer 1

[Joe Vinciguerra]

T = array2table(magic(3));
Names = {'A'; 'B'; 'C'};
T.Names = Names;
T = movevars(T, "Names", "Before", "Var1");

% Here's your table
T

T = 3×4 table
    Names    Var1    Var2    Var3
    _____    ____    ____    ____

    {'A'}     8       1       6  
    {'B'}     3       5       7  
    {'C'}     4       9       2  

% Label the rows using the column T.Names
T.Properties.RowNames = T.Names

T = 3×4 table
         Names    Var1    Var2    Var3
         _____    ____    ____    ____

    A    {'A'}     8       1       6  
    B    {'B'}     3       5       7  
    C    {'C'}     4       9       2  

% remove the "Names" column
T = removevars(T, "Names")

T = 3×3 table
         Var1    Var2    Var3
         ____    ____    ____

    A     8       1       6  
    B     3       5       7  
    C     4       9       2  

% Rename the row dimension to "Names"
T.Properties.DimensionNames(1) = {'Names'}

T = 3×3 table
         Var1    Var2    Var3
         ____    ____    ____

    A     8       1       6  
    B     3       5       7  
    C     4       9       2  

T.Names

ans = 3×1 cell array
    {'A'}
    {'B'}
    {'C'}

Answer 2

[Cris LaPierre]

No, there is not. You can rename the row names, but you cannot remove them from a table.

T = readtable('test.xls')

T.Properties.RowNames

See here: https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/493190-how-to-turn-off-the-default-row-numbers-for-the-table-in-the-live-editor-when-row-names-are-provided