MATLAB Programming Fundamentals - MathWorks

Functions

• Accept any text data types as input arguments.
  
  
  • If an input argument can be a string array, then also allow it to be a character
    vector or cell array of character vectors.
  
  
  
  


• Accept character arrays as both names and values in name-value pair arguments.
  
  
  • In name-value pair arguments, allow names to be specified as either character
    vectors or strings—that is, with either single or double quotes around the name. If
    a value can be a string array, then also allow it to be a character vector or cell
    array of character vectors.
  
  
  
  


• Do not accept cell arrays of string arrays for text input arguments.
  
  
  • A cell array of string arrays has a string array in each cell. While you can create
    such a cell array, it is not recommended for storing text. If your code uses strings
    as the primary text data type, store multiple pieces of text in a string array, not a
    cell array of string arrays.
  
  
  
  

However, if your code accepts heterogeneous cell arrays as inputs, then consider

accepting cell arrays that contain strings.

• In general, return strings.
  
  
  • If your function returns output arguments that are text, then return them as string
    arrays.
  
  
  
  


• Return the same data type when the function modifies input text.
  
  
  • If your function modifies input text and returns the modified text as the output
    argument, then the input and output arguments should have the same data type.
  
  
  
  

Classes

• Treat methods as functions.
  
  
  • Accept character vectors and cell arrays of character vectors as input arguments,
    as described in the previous section. In general, return strings as outputs.
  
  
  
  


• Specify properties as string arrays.
  
  
  • If a property contains text, then set the property using a string array. When you
    access the property, return the value as a string array.
  
  
  
  

6 Characters and Strings