Programming

Arrays of Anonymous Functions

To store multiple anonymous functions in an array, use a cell array. The example shown here stores three simple anonymous functions in cell array A:

• A = {@(x)x.^2, @(y)y+10, @(x,y)x.^2+y+10}
  A = 
      [@(x)x.^2]    [@(y)y+10]    [@(x,y)x.^2+y+10]
  

Execute the first two functions in the cell array by referring to them with the usual cell array syntax, A{1} and A{2}:

• A{1}(4) + A{2}(7)
  ans =
      33
  

Do the same with the third anonymous function that takes two input arguments:

• A{3}(4, 7)
  ans =
      33
  

Space Characters in Anonymous Function Elements

Note that while using space characters in the definition of any function can make your code easier to read, spaces in the body of an anonymous function that is defined in a cell array can sometimes be ambiguous to MATLAB. To ensure accurate interpretation of anonymous functions in cell arrays, you can do any of the following:

• Remove all spaces from at least the body (not necessarily the argument list) of each anonymous function:

• A = {@(x)x.^2, @(y)y+10, @(x, y)x.^2+y+10};
  

• Enclose in parentheses any anonymous functions that include spaces:

• A = {(@(x)x .^ 2), (@(y) y +10), (@(x, y) x.^2 + y+10)};
  

• Assign each anonymous function to a variable, and use these variable names in creating the cell array:

• A1 = @(x)x .^ 2;  A2 = @(y) y +10;  A3 = @(x, y)x.^2 + y+10;
  A = {A1, A2, A3};
  

Anonymous Functions

Outputs from Anonymous Functions

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