How do I convert a value from a cell array into an integer?

My problem is when I read one cell from table, for example 5, I need to convert this in integer value.

I try cell2mat function, but this function converts in matrix form and when I want to multiply it, it gets matrix but I only need a scaler:

d=5 (from the table)
e=cell2mat(d)

f=e*1 there i don't get 5, I get 53.

That is a problem for me.

[David Young]

Please could you show a few lines of code that illustrate the problem? It should be possible to cut and paste the code from your question into MATLAB and replicate the result.

Answer 1

[Matt Tearle]

In addition to what David and Andreas said, I'm wondering if this table is coming from a GUI (ie a uitable) or something like that, so you're actually getting a string representation. In fact, if "5"*1 is resulting in 53, I'd bet that's the problem. Take a look in your Workspace at the class of d or type whos d in the Command Window. The solution is simple: use str2num to convert the table of strings to numbers.

As an aside, you don't need cell2mat for a single element of the table, just index in with curly braces, rather than parentheses. c(4,2) will return a single cell containing the string '5'; c{4,2} will return the contents of that cell - the string itself.

[Eggo Ogge]

Str2num doesn't work, but works str2double function, thanks.

[Matt Tearle]

ah, yes, str2double will work directly on a cell array, whereas str2num works only on strings (char arrays).

[Ahmed Abdellatif]

Finding this answer after 1 day of searching was very helpful, thank you

[Prateek Nagvani]

Thank you Matt!

Answer 2

[Andreas Goser]

In MATLAB, also a scalar is a matrix - a 1x1 matrix.

In MATLAB the default data type is DOUBLE - so even if you assign

d=5;

the internal representation will not be exact 5. But you can work with integers data types see e.g. UINT16.