list names in an array

I have many files that i want to list their names in an array but the name is full for example

F:\New\checkfiles\C100.csv

[Adam Danz]

Any problems using dir()?

[Barakat Ibrhim]

it gives the name only like C100

not the whole name

[Adam Danz]

It sounds like you're doing something wrong.

Does your code look like this?

d = dir('C:\Users\name\Documents\MATLAB\'); 
% list all file
{d.name}'

[the cyclist]

It would be handy if dir took an argument, allowing specification of the full path in the output. It seems like this would be a common enough thing to want to do.

[Adam Danz]

Agreed. I suggested testing d.name because the OP stated that it was only returning file name when it should be returning the file extension as well.

Answer 1

[Guillaume]

A lot simpler than all that has been suggested:

foldercontent = dir('C:\somewhere\*.csv');
filelist = fullfile({foldercontent.folder}, {foldercontent.name});  %that's all that is needed.

As said, if a string array is needed, string will convert the cell array of char vectors into a string array

[Adam Danz]

That is more simpler to read and more intuitive. However, for those obsessed with speed, The Cyclist's solution is 1.56x faster and my solution is 1.84x faster; probably due to avoiding overhead in fullfile (median speed comparison of 10,000 repetitions of each single line solution).

[Guillaume]

I would argue that clarity completely trumps speed in this case particularly as the speed difference would be insignificant compared to the file IO that will inevitably follow.

[Stephen23]

+1 fullfile is definitely the way to go.

It is highly unlikely that constructing filenames is going to be a bottleneck in the code.

[Adam Danz]

Definitely clairity over milliseconds.

Answer 2

[the cyclist]

I'm pretty sure there is a better, simpler way to do this, but I believe this does what you want:

s = dir;
fileList = cellfun(@(x,y)[x,'/',y],{s.folder}',{s.name}','UniformOutput',false);

[Barakat Ibrhim]

the output is a cell array

so how can i convert it to a string array not char array

matlab 2016

[the cyclist]

string(fileList)

will convert the cell array to a string array (at least in R2018b).

[Adam Danz]

"I'm pretty sure there is a better, simpler way..."

s = dir;
fileList = strcat({s.folder}',repmat({'/'},size(s)),{s.name}');

[Stephen23]

"I'm pretty sure there is a better, simpler way..."

S = dir(...);
F = cellfun(@fullfile,{S.folder}',{S.name}','uni',0);

Or simply:

F = fullfile({S.folder},{S.name});