%% Set Options When Importing Text Data
% Use the setvaropts function to update properties that control the import of text data. First, get the import options object for the file. Next, examine and update the options for the text variables. Finally, import the variables using the readtable function.
% Preview the data in patients.xls. Notice the text data in the column LastName. Only a preview of the first 10 rows is shown here.
%
%
% Get the import options object.

opts = detectImportOptions('patients.xls');

%
% Get and examine the VariableImportOptions for variable LastName.

getvaropts(opts,'LastName')

%
% Set the data type of the variable to string.

opts = setvartype(opts,'LastName','string');

%
% Set the FillValue property of the variable to replace missing values with 'NoName'.

opts = setvaropts(opts,'LastName','FillValue','NoName');

%
% Select, read, and display a preview of the first 10 rows of the variable.

opts.SelectedVariableNames = 'LastName';
T = readtable('patients.xls',opts); 
T.LastName(1:10)

% Copyright 2012 The MathWorks, Inc.