Matlab: how to convert character array or string into a formatted output OR parse a string

Could someone please tell me how to convert character array into a formatted output using Matlab?

I am expecting data like this:

 CHAR (1 x 29) : 0.050822999    3.141592979 ; (1)

CELL (1 x 1) or string: '0.050822999       3.141592979  ; (1)'

I am looking for output like this:

 d1 = 0.050822999; %double
 d2 = 3.141592979; %double
 index    = 1;   % integer

I tried transposing and then using str2num(Str'); but, it's returning me 0x 0 double.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards, DK

Solution

you can use regexp to parse the string

c = { '0.050822999 3.141592979 ; (1)' };
p = regexp( c{1}, '^(\d+\.\d+)\s(\d+\.\d+)\s*;\s*\((\d+)\)$', 'tokens', 'once' ); %//parse the input string
numbers = str2mat(p); %// convert extracted strings to numerical values

Example result

ans =
0.050822999
3.141592979
1

Explaining the regexp pattern:

^ - pattern starts at the beginning of the input string
(\d+\.\d+) - parentheses ('()') enclosing this sub-pattern indicates it as a single token
\d+ matches one or more digits, then expecting \. a dot (notice the \, since . alone in regexp acts as a wildcard) and after the dot \d+ one or more digits are expected.
This token should correspond to the first number, e.g., 0.050822999
\s expecting a single space
(\d+\.\d+) - again, expecting another decimal fraction as the second token.
\s* - expecting white space (zero or more).
; - capture the ; in the expression, but not as a token.
\s+ - expecting white space (zero or more).
\( - expecting an open parenthesis, note the \ since parentheses in regexp are used to denote tokens.
(\d+) - expecting one or more digits as the third token, only integer numbers are expected here. no decimal point.
\) - expecting a closing parenthesis.
$ - pattern should reach the end of the input string.