How can I save a filename as a string, not as a char?

In my code, the user selects a file. That file name is assigned to "File1" as a char. Is there any way I can assign it as a string variable? I need to manipulate the name of the file after and need it in string form. Thanks.

    if true
      [File1,path] = uigetfile('*.txt');
if isequal(File1,0)
   disp('User selected Cancel');              
else
   disp(['User selected ', fullfile(path,File1)]);
end
    end

Answer 1

[Alexander Jensen]

Is this what you're looking for? Or am I misunderstanding your question. And why do you need it as a string to manipulate it?

if true
   [File1,path] = uigetfile('*.txt');
   File1 = string(File1);
   if isequal(File1,0)
         disp('User selected Cancel');              
   else
         disp(['User selected ', fullfile(path,File1)]);
   end
end

[Walter Roberson]

You should test for 0 before you string() . Also, path is an important function in MATLAB so you should avoid using that as the name of a variable.

[File1, filepath] = uigetfile('*.txt');
   if isnumeric(File1)
         disp('User selected Cancel');              
   else
         File1 = string( fullfile(filepath, File1) );
         disp(['User selected ', File1]);
   end

[matlabq123]

"string()" does not work. I get this warning "Warning: string is obsolete and will be discontinued. Use char instead.".

I need it as a string to manipulate it because I don't see a way of deleting spaces / specific text from a char. For example, you cant use "erase()" on a char variable.

[Walter Roberson]

Which MATLAB release are you using? What shows up for

which -all string

I suspect that you might be using a release before R2016b when string() was added.

You can remove trailing non-significant whitespace with deblank(). You can remove leading and trailing non-significant whitespace with strtrim(). You can remove all whitespace including significant whitespace using

S(isspace(S)) = '';

You can remove blanks specifically using

S(S==' ') = '';

You can replace portions of a string using strrep() or regexprep()

[matlabq123]

This shows up for "which -all string": "built-in (undocumented)"

I am using R2013B.

[Walter Roberson]

The string data type was introduced in R2016b. https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/string.html

You will find that you do not have erase() or related functions.