Thread Subject:

Preallocate Structure Array with Fields

Hello,

I am copying large amounts of data to a structure array:
data_voltage<1x3> structure
Each of the nine cells contains a structure with two fields, x and y, for example:
data_voltage(1,1).x
data_voltage(1,3).y
Each field will contain a matrix of 5e6 rows and 1 column, for example:
data_voltage(1,1).x(5e6,1)=3.9467

Since I am copying my data from fields in a for loop it is necesary that I preallocate the cells to avoid memory issues. I have done this as follows:
data_voltage=struct('x',{zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1),}, 'y',{zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1)});

Is there a way to improve this code so that i do not need to repeat the line zeros(5e6,1) 3 times? I have tried using the cell command but to no avail.

Thanks,
John

a = zeros(1e2,1);
s1 = struct('x',a,'y',a,'z',a);
s = repmat(s1,[1 3]);

Not that there is only one copy of A allocated at this point. Other copies will be allocated while the fields are set later on the code (copy-on-write method).

Bruno

"John Baillie" wrote in message <jvql00$3k2$1@newscl01ah.mathworks.com>...
> Hello,
>
> I am copying large amounts of data to a structure array:
> data_voltage<1x3> structure
> Each of the nine cells contains a structure with two fields, x and y, for example:
> data_voltage(1,1).x
> data_voltage(1,3).y
> Each field will contain a matrix of 5e6 rows and 1 column, for example:
> data_voltage(1,1).x(5e6,1)=3.9467
>
> Since I am copying my data from fields in a for loop it is necesary that I preallocate the cells to avoid memory issues. I have done this as follows:
> data_voltage=struct('x',{zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1),}, 'y',{zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1)});
>
> Is there a way to improve this code so that i do not need to repeat the line zeros(5e6,1) 3 times? I have tried using the cell command but to no avail.
>
> Thanks,
> John

data_voltage=struct('x',repmat({zeros(5e6,1)},1,3), 'y',repmat({zeros(5e6,1)},1,3);

Barry

Another way:

a = num2cell(zeros(100,3),1)
s = struct('x',a,'y',a,'z',a)

% Bruno

"John Baillie" wrote in message <jvql00$3k2$1@newscl01ah.mathworks.com>...
> Hello,
>
> I am copying large amounts of data to a structure array:
> data_voltage<1x3> structure
> Each of the nine cells contains a structure with two fields, x and y, for example:
> data_voltage(1,1).x
> data_voltage(1,3).y
> Each field will contain a matrix of 5e6 rows and 1 column, for example:
> data_voltage(1,1).x(5e6,1)=3.9467
>
> Since I am copying my data from fields in a for loop it is necesary that I preallocate the cells to avoid memory issues. I have done this as follows:
> data_voltage=struct('x',{zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1),}, 'y',{zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1), zeros(5e6,1)});
>
> Is there a way to improve this code so that i do not need to repeat the line zeros(5e6,1) 3 times? I have tried using the cell command but to no avail.

I will emphasize what Bruno already stated: There is no advantage to using the *same* zeros matrix for your preallocation since each copy will get reallocated and copied in its entirety anyway downstream when you start replacing individual elements. But not much harm done either.

James Tursa